Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Brunswick vs Bremen
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 the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
Bremen has the most people working from home (22.7%).
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 | Mount Desert | Brunswick | Bremen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671 |
22,336Highest |
917Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
52.1±8.2 16% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Bremen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
18.6%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Bremen and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
34.1%±9.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bremen 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+ | 64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
54.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$100,000±$21kHighest 34% above ME |
| Bremen and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$376,300±$15kLowest 27% above ME |
$425,300±$28k 43% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
— |
| Brunswick and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,512 16% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$2,829Lowest 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick 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% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
9.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8% ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
23 minHighest 5% below ME |
22 min 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±6.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Bremen and Brunswick 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 | — | #30 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Brunswick High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.9 |
— |
| 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.