Compare towns
Islesboro vs Mount Desert vs Ogunquit vs Castine
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Islesboro has the shortest commute (8 min average).
Mount Desert has the most kids (14.1% under 18).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
Castine has the youngest population (median age 21.2).
Castine is a college town. 47.7% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Islesboro | Mount Desert | Ogunquit | Castine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 636Lowest |
1,671Highest |
1,379 |
1,362 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 57±8.4 27% above ME |
54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
21.2±0.7Lowest 53% below ME |
| Ogunquit and Islesboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 11.2%±6.9 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
9.5%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Mount Desert and Islesboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 40.6%±10.1 ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Ogunquit and Islesboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4% ME: 36.2% |
63.5% ME: 36.2% |
74.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
47.7%±7.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $88,438±$44kLowest 18% above ME |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$114,259±$56kHighest 53% above ME |
$113,750±$26k 52% above ME |
| Ogunquit and Castine are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $288,800±$140kLowest about the ME average |
$522,100±$66k 76% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$603,500±$114k 103% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $938±$252Lowest 18% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
— | $1,105±$104 about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,300 42% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$4,473Highest 47% above ME |
$4,250 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.8%±85.4 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
60.3%±56Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Castine and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 15.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
14.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.8% ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1978Highest 1 yr newer than ME |
1974 3 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 8 minLowest 69% below ME |
18 min 27% below ME |
26 minHighest 7% above ME |
14 min 42% below ME |
| Work from home | 20.3%±8.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±10.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | Mount Desert Public Schools | — | Castine 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.