Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Salem vs Bar Harbor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mount Desert has the most homeowners (84.8%).
Salem has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.6%).
Bar Harbor has the most people working from home (21.9%).
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 | Salem | Bar Harbor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671Lowest |
44,795Highest |
5,244 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 41% above U.S. |
39.3±1.5Lowest about the U.S. average |
49.2±5.9 26% above U.S. |
| Mount Desert and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±4.7 U.S.: 22% |
15.7%±1.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Salem and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.1%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.2%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.1%±5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Mount Desert and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 64.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
47.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
68.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
8.2%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
10.8%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Salem 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 15% above U.S. |
$85,153±$5k 5% above U.S. |
$77,180±$26kLowest 4% below U.S. |
| Mount Desert and Salem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $522,100±$66kLowest 57% above U.S. |
$542,800±$18kHighest 63% above U.S. |
$538,400±$94k 62% above U.S. |
| Salem and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89 5% below U.S. |
$1,836±$84Highest 30% above U.S. |
$1,106±$351Lowest 22% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,512Lowest 13% above U.S. |
$6,114Highest 96% above U.S. |
$4,279 37% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
54.9%±4.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
41.6%±17.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Salem and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
49.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
74.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 32% below U.S. |
29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
20 min 26% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
21.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
21.9%±8.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bar Harbor and Salem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #248 of 282 in MA | #2 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | Salem | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD |
| High school in town | None in town | Salem High | Mt Desert Island High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.8Highest |
8.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.