Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Bangor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mount Desert has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.5%).
Bangor has the most affordable homes ($220k median).
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 | Mount Desert | Bangor |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 1,671Lowest |
31,938Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±1.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Bangor and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.9%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$1,055±$43Lowest 7% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$3,076Lowest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.5%±6.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Bangor and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Highest 8 yrs older than ME |
1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minHighest 27% below ME |
17 minLowest 33% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Bangor 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 | — | #37 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 |
| High school in town | None in town | Bangor High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.3 |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.