Compare towns
Mars Hill vs Mount Desert vs Tremont
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 affordable homes ($164k median).
Mount Desert has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.5%).
Tremont has the most people working from home (20.9%).
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 | Tremont |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,398Lowest |
1,671Highest |
1,508 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±3Lowest 3% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
45.6±8.5 about the ME average |
| Mount Desert and Tremont 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% |
20.2%±4.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Mars Hill and Tremont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±4.1Lowest 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+ | 26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±3.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Mars Hill and Tremont 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 |
$88,803±$8k 19% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Tremont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$407,000±$32k 37% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$1,217±$406 7% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Tremont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,843Lowest 39% below ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$2,822 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.6%±7.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.1%±21.2 ME: 48.4% |
| Mount Desert and Tremont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
6.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
76.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 14% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
24 minHighest 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
20.9%±6.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Tremont and Mount Desert 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 | Tremont Public Schools |
| High school in town | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | None in town | 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.