Compare towns
Edgecomb vs Bar Harbor vs Boothbay
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Edgecomb has the most kids (16.9% under 18).
Bar Harbor has the most people working from home (21.9%).
Boothbay has the shortest commute (13 min average).
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 | Edgecomb | Bar Harbor | Boothbay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,251Lowest |
5,244Highest |
3,102 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±8.8Lowest 8% below ME |
49.2±5.9 10% above ME |
56.8±3.9Highest 27% above ME |
| Boothbay and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±4.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8 ME: 18.1% |
11.5%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Edgecomb and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±7.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5 ME: 22.4% |
35.4%±7.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Boothbay and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
51.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8%±6.5 ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
6%±3.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Bar Harbor and Edgecomb are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $108,750±$18kHighest 46% above ME |
$77,180±$26k 3% above ME |
$60,320±$17kLowest 19% below ME |
| Edgecomb and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $348,400±$36k 17% above ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$342,100±$43kLowest 15% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$1,147±$121Highest about the ME average |
| Boothbay and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,577 18% above ME |
$4,279Highest 41% above ME |
$2,202Lowest 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 21.1%±43.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.4%±31 ME: 48.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Boothbay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
78.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minHighest 10% below ME |
20 min 20% below ME |
13 minLowest 46% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.7%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and Edgecomb 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 | — |
| School district | Edgecomb Public Schools | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt Desert Island High School | — |
| 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.