Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Cushing vs Chapman
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).
Cushing has the most renters (15.3% rent).
Chapman has the most kids (27.6% under 18).
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 | Cushing | Chapman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671Highest |
1,460 |
388Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
48.8±7.7 9% above ME |
45.7±11.4Lowest about the ME average |
| Mount Desert and Cushing 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% |
17.1%±4 ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.5%±0.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Chapman 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% |
38.4% ME: 36.2% |
22.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Chapman and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$83,500±$19kLowest 12% above ME |
$93,125±$17kHighest 25% above ME |
| Chapman 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 |
$409,800±$44k 38% above ME |
$185,700±$22kLowest 37% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
$1,553±$376Highest 36% above ME |
— |
| Cushing 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 |
$3,944Highest 30% above ME |
$1,850Lowest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.7%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Mount Desert and Cushing 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% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8% ME: 74.3% |
84.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
23 minHighest 5% below ME |
23 min 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±6.3 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 13 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.