Compare towns
Exeter vs Mount Desert vs Ogunquit vs West Bath
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Exeter has the most affordable homes ($167k median).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 min average).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
West Bath has the most kids (14.7% under 18).
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 | Exeter | Mount Desert | Ogunquit | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,093Lowest |
1,671 |
1,379 |
1,863Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 52.6±7.7Lowest 17% above ME |
54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
54.2±5.6 21% above ME |
| Ogunquit and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 9%±3.1 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
| West Bath and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±11.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Ogunquit and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
63.5% ME: 36.2% |
50.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| West Bath and Ogunquit are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $84,408±$12kLowest 13% above ME |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$114,259±$56kHighest 53% above ME |
$103,333±$27k 38% above ME |
| Ogunquit and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $166,700±$39kLowest 44% below ME |
$522,100±$66k 76% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$422,800±$102k 43% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $995±$386Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
— | $1,112±$327 about the ME average |
| Mount Desert and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$3,512 16% above ME |
$4,473Highest 47% above ME |
$3,516 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±73.8 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| West Bath and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.1% ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 43% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
21 min 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.3%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | Mount Desert Public Schools | — | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.