Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Mars Hill 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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.5%).
Mars Hill has the most affordable homes ($164k median).
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 | Mars Hill | Bremen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671Highest |
1,398 |
917Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
43.4±3Lowest 3% 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% |
22.9%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.6%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Mars Hill and Bremen 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% |
24.5%±5.8Lowest 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% |
26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
54.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mars Hill 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 |
$65,273±$9kLowest 13% below ME |
$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 |
$163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
$425,300±$28k 43% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$1,843Lowest 39% below ME |
$2,829 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Mount Desert and Mars Hill 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% |
9.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8% ME: 74.3% |
70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969 8 yrs older than ME |
1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
22 minHighest 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±6.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Bremen and Mount Desert 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 42/MSAD 42 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.0 |
— |
| 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.