Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Brunswick vs West Bath
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%).
West Bath has the highest household income ($103k).
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 | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671Lowest |
22,336Highest |
1,863 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
54.2±5.6 21% above ME |
| Mount Desert and West Bath 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%±2.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Brunswick and West Bath 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% |
29.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| West Bath 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% ME: 36.2% |
50.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
| West Bath 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 |
$422,800±$102k 43% above ME |
| Mount Desert and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89 18% above ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,112±$327Lowest about the ME average |
| Brunswick and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$3,516 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.4% ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
23 minHighest 5% below ME |
21 min 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick and Mount Desert 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 | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Brunswick High School | None in town |
| 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.