Compare towns
Mapleton vs Mount Desert vs Northport
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 kids (22.2% under 18).
Mount Desert has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.5%).
Northport has the most homeowners (87.6%).
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 | Northport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
1,671 |
1,621Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
56.6±3.8Highest 26% above ME |
| Northport and Mount Desert 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%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Mount Desert 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% |
39.2%±3.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
52.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Mount Desert 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 |
$73,523±$8kLowest about the ME average |
| 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 |
$343,400±$36k 16% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$1,088±$299 4% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Northport 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 |
$2,721 10% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
56.8%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Northport and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
5.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
87.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.2%±5.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Northport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Mount Desert Public Schools | Northport Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.