Compare towns
Cushing vs Mount Desert vs Rome
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 renters (15.3% rent).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Rome has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13.7%).
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 | Mount Desert | Rome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,460 |
1,671Highest |
1,215Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+13.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.8±7.7 9% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
48.3±9.2Lowest 8% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±6.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Rome and Cushing 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% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.7%±9.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Rome are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 38.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±4.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Rome and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $83,500±$19k 12% above ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$77,639±$25kLowest 4% above ME |
| Mount Desert 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 |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$329,300±$36kLowest 11% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,553±$376Highest 36% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
$1,150±$56Lowest about the ME average |
| Cushing and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,944Highest 30% above ME |
$3,512 16% above ME |
$1,829Lowest 40% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.7%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
54.2%±59.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Rome and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.7% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
91.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 5% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
30 minHighest 21% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.5%±6.3 ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.4%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 13 | Mount Desert Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.