Compare towns
Mars Hill vs Mount Desert vs Franklin
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mars Hill has the most kids (22.9% under 18).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Franklin has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.7%).
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 | Mars Hill | Mount Desert | Franklin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,398Lowest |
1,671Highest |
1,628 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+5.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±3Lowest 3% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
46±9.3 about the ME average |
| Mount Desert and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Mars Hill and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±5.8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.6%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
28.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±3.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Mars Hill and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,273±$9kLowest 13% below ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$65,455±$16k 12% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$245,800±$59k 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$888±$306 22% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,843Lowest 39% below ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$2,231 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.6%±7.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
36.7%±27.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Franklin and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.6% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
76.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 14% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
29 minHighest 18% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.2%±5.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 42/MSAD 42 | Mount Desert Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.0 |
— | — |
| 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.