Compare towns
Deer Isle vs Appleton vs Surry
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Deer Isle has the most people working from home (22%).
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Surry has the highest household income ($75k).
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 | Deer Isle | Appleton | Surry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,470Highest |
1,360Lowest |
1,836 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.1% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 52.6±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
52.4±5.6 17% above ME |
| Deer Isle and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±3.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Surry and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.8%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Surry and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.9% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
38.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Deer Isle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $62,284±$15k 17% below ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$74,508±$12kHighest about the ME average |
| Surry and Deer Isle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $308,300±$42kHighest 4% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$296,300±$36k about the ME average |
| Deer Isle and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,909±$927Highest 68% above ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$969±$129Lowest 15% below ME |
| Deer Isle and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,890Lowest 38% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,903 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25.4%±17.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
65.8%±59.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.8% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 17% below ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 22%±9.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5 ME: 15.9% |
| Deer Isle and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Deer Isle-Stonington CSD | Appleton Public Schools | Surry Public Schools |
| High school in town | Deer Isle-Stonington High Sch | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.0 |
— | — |
| 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.