Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Ogunquit vs Waldo vs Southwest Harbor
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 oldest housing (typical home built 1969).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
Waldo has the most affordable homes ($208k median).
Southwest Harbor has the most renters (44.3% rent).
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 | Ogunquit | Waldo | Southwest Harbor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,671Highest |
1,379 |
926Lowest |
1,553 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3% ME: +2.6% |
-0.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
48.9±9.3 9% above ME |
| Ogunquit 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% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.2%±4.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.5%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
| Waldo and Southwest Harbor 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% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.7%±2.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Ogunquit 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% |
63.5% ME: 36.2% |
36.4% ME: 36.2% |
35.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1 ME: 5.8% |
1.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Ogunquit 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 |
$114,259±$56kHighest 53% above ME |
$71,458±$21k 4% below ME |
$59,205±$21kLowest 21% below ME |
| Ogunquit 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±$66k 76% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$208,000±$41kLowest 30% below ME |
$428,500±$35k 44% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
— | $1,150±$691 about the ME average |
$959±$50Lowest 16% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Waldo 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 |
$4,473Highest 47% above ME |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
$3,479 15% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.4%±18.4 ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo and Southwest Harbor 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% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
55.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 18 min 27% below ME |
26 minHighest 7% above ME |
20 min 20% below ME |
16 minLowest 36% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | — | Waldo-Region 7 | Southwest Harbor Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | — | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.