Compare towns
Hampden vs Mount Desert vs Wayne
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hampden has the most kids (25.8% under 18).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
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 | Hampden | Mount Desert | Wayne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,896Highest |
1,671 |
1,101Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
| Wayne and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wayne and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$92,813±$9kLowest 24% above ME |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
| Hampden and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$362,800±$29k 22% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,286±$317 13% above ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$983±$554Lowest 14% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,694Highest 22% above ME |
$3,512 16% above ME |
$3,289Lowest 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Mount Desert and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.5% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 7% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.3%±5.5 ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Hampden 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 | #6 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 22 | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Hampden Academy | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8 |
— | — |
| 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.