Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Palmyra
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%).
Palmyra has the most kids (29.2% 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 | Palmyra |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 1,671Lowest |
2,209Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
37.1±4.8Lowest 17% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
29.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.7%±5.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
13.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Palmyra 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±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$60,543±$17kLowest 19% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$154,900±$34kLowest 48% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$733±$119Lowest 36% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$1,614Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
47.2%±14.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Palmyra and Mount Desert 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% |
9.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1994Highest 17 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
21 minHighest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.5%±4.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Palmyra are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Schools | ||
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.