Compare towns
Cushing vs Bar Harbor vs St. George
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cushing has the most kids (17.1% under 18).
Bar Harbor has the most expensive homes ($538k median).
St. George has grown the fastest since 2010 (+0.1%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Cushing | Bar Harbor | St. George |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,460Lowest |
5,244Highest |
2,606 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.1% ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.8±7.7Lowest 9% above ME |
49.2±5.9 10% above ME |
58.3±9.8Highest 30% above ME |
| St. George and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8 ME: 18.1% |
11.1%±5.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Cushing and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.5%±0.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5 ME: 22.4% |
39.2%±8.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 38.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
46.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.1%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $83,500±$19k 12% above ME |
$77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$89,155±$10kHighest 19% above ME |
| St. George and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $409,800±$44k 38% above ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$356,300±$79kLowest 20% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,553±$376Highest 36% above ME |
$1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$1,465±$293 29% above ME |
| Cushing and St. George are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,944 30% above ME |
$4,279Highest 41% above ME |
$3,359Lowest 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.7%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
27.2%±35.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7% ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 5% below ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 18.5%±6.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
20.1%±11.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and St. George are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #2 of 133 in ME | #46 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 13 | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | St George Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt Desert Island High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.2 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.