Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Bar Harbor vs Surry
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
Bar Harbor has the most people working from home (21.9%).
Surry has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).
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 | Ellsworth | Bar Harbor | Surry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,657Highest |
5,244 |
1,836Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5% ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
49.2±5.9 10% above ME |
52.4±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
| Surry and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Ellsworth and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.1%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5 ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Surry 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+ | 39.3% ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
38.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,375±$18kHighest 4% above ME |
$77,180±$26k 3% above ME |
$74,508±$12kLowest about the ME average |
| Ellsworth and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$296,300±$36k about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195 11% below ME |
$1,106±$351Highest about the ME average |
$969±$129Lowest 15% below ME |
| Bar Harbor and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,262 7% above ME |
$4,279Highest 41% above ME |
$1,903Lowest 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7 ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
65.8%±59.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Surry and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.3% ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
74.5% ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5 ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and Surry 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 | #63 of 133 in ME | #2 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | Surry Public Schools |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Mt Desert Island High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
8.2Lowest |
— |
| 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.