Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Newburgh vs Sullivan
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).
Newburgh has the most kids (18.8% under 18).
Sullivan has the most affordable homes ($222k 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 | Newburgh | Sullivan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671Highest |
1,475 |
1,246Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8% ME: +2.6% |
-1.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
45.8±5.7Lowest about the ME average |
47.1±15 5% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Sullivan 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% |
18.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Newburgh and Sullivan 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% |
21.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.5%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Sullivan 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% |
29.9% ME: 36.2% |
26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±2.7 ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±4Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Sullivan and Newburgh are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$76,750±$10k about the ME average |
$59,643±$14kLowest 20% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Newburgh 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 |
$244,600±$20k 18% below ME |
$222,000±$33kLowest 25% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$950±$219 17% below ME |
$883±$114Lowest 22% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$2,748 9% below ME |
$2,228Lowest 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±13.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
34.9%±23.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Newburgh and Sullivan 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% |
11.7% ME: 10.7% |
13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8% ME: 74.3% |
81.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.4%±3.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.6%±7.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Sullivan 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 24 |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Sumner Memorial High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.5 |
| 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.