Compare towns
Edgecomb vs Bar Harbor vs Palermo
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 highest household income ($109k).
Bar Harbor has the most expensive homes ($538k median).
Palermo has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.3%).
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 | Palermo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,251Lowest |
5,244Highest |
1,473 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8% ME: +2.6% |
+2.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±8.8Lowest 8% below ME |
49.2±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
43.4±6.1 3% below ME |
| Bar Harbor and Palermo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Palermo and Edgecomb are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±7.2 ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.2%±2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Edgecomb are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.8% ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
31.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8%±6.5 ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.2%±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±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$89,095±$15k 19% above ME |
| Edgecomb and Palermo 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 |
$259,700±$54kLowest 12% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$1,235±$1kHighest 8% above ME |
| Palermo 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 |
$2,506Lowest 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 21.1%±43.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
65.6%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Palermo and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.6% ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.7% ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 10% below ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
31 minHighest 24% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
18.8%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and Palermo 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 | RSU 12 |
| 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.