Compare towns
Mapleton vs Mount Desert vs Blue Hill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Blue Hill has the most people working from home (21%).
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 | Mapleton | Mount Desert | Blue Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884 |
1,671Lowest |
2,813Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
48.6±8.2 8% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Blue Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.3%±7 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Blue Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
29.6%±10.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Blue Hill 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+ | 34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
38.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.7%±4.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Blue Hill and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$80,377±$17kLowest 8% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$399,500±$82k 35% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Blue Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$1,038±$638 9% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Blue Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$2,907 4% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
93.6%±27.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
4.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
21 min 15% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
21%±9.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Blue Hill and Mount Desert 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 | — | — | #29 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Mount Desert Public Schools | Blue Hill Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.