What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hampton Falls has the highest household income ($166k).

Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Hampton Falls	Mount Desert
People
Population	2,328Highest	1,671Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+7.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+4.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	49.5±7.3Lowest 27% above U.S.	54.9±8.2Highest 41% above U.S.
	Mount Desert and Hampton Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.1%±5.6Highest U.S.: 22%	14.1%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Hampton Falls and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	29.1%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Mount Desert and Hampton Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	54.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	64.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.8%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3.9%±4.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Mount Desert and Hampton Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$166,157±$14kHighest 106% above U.S.	$92,813±$9kLowest 15% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$772,600±$76kHighest 132% above U.S.	$522,100±$66kLowest 57% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,852±$475Highest 31% above U.S.	$1,341±$89Lowest 5% below U.S.
	Hampton Falls and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.	$3,512Lowest 13% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	27.2%±22.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	33.9%±31.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Mount Desert and Hampton Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	7.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	84.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S.	1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minHighest 22% above U.S.	18 minLowest 32% below U.S.
Work from home	21.8%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%	19.1%±9.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Hampton Falls and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Hampton Falls School District	Mount Desert Public Schools
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.