Compare towns
Limestone vs Mount Desert vs Mars Hill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Limestone has the most affordable homes ($98k median).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Mars Hill has the most kids (22.9% 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 | Limestone | Mount Desert | Mars Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,579 |
1,671Highest |
1,398Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -34.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-8.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.3±4.9 about the ME average |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
43.4±3Lowest 3% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.7%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mars Hill and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.7%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 9.5%±4.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Limestone and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $49,938±$8kLowest 33% below ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$65,273±$9k 13% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $98,400±$18kLowest 67% below ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$163,600±$23k 45% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $754±$233 34% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,332Lowest 56% below ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$1,843 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32%±12.4 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Mount Desert and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 61.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
70.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1969Highest 8 yrs older than ME |
1967 10 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 24% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
21 minHighest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±5.2 ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics · Limestone Public Schools | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 42/MSAD 42 |
| High school in town | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics | None in town | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.6Highest |
— | 8.0Lowest |
| 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.