Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Northport 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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.5%).
Northport has the most affordable homes ($343k median).
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 | Northport | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671 |
1,621Lowest |
1,863Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
+1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
56.6±3.8Highest 26% above ME |
54.2±5.6Lowest 21% above ME |
| Northport and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
| West Bath and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.1%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
39.2%±3.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
52.4% ME: 36.2% |
50.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| West Bath 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 |
$73,523±$8kLowest 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 |
$343,400±$36kLowest 16% 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±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$1,088±$299Lowest 4% below ME |
$1,112±$327 about the ME average |
| Mount Desert and West Bath 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 |
$2,721Lowest 10% below ME |
$3,516Highest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.8%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Northport 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.9% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8% ME: 74.3% |
87.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
21 min 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.2%±5.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | Northport Public Schools | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.