Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Phippsburg 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%).
Phippsburg has the most affordable homes ($336k median).
West Bath has the most kids (14.7% 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 | Phippsburg | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671Lowest |
2,238Highest |
1,863 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
54.3±6.3 21% above ME |
54.2±5.6Lowest 21% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Phippsburg 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% |
11.5%±3.1Lowest 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% |
34.4%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Phippsburg and West Bath 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% |
37.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±1.6Lowest 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±$9kLowest 24% above ME |
$107,833±$19kHighest 44% above ME |
$103,333±$27k 38% above ME |
| Phippsburg and West Bath 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 |
$335,800±$47kLowest 13% 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 |
$1,022±$346Lowest 10% 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 |
$2,034Lowest 33% below ME |
$3,516Highest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
35.5%±98.7 ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| West Bath and Phippsburg 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% |
7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
21 minHighest 13% below ME |
21 min 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±4.7Lowest 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 | RSU 01 - LKRSU | West Bath 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 |
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.