Compare towns
Mount Desert vs South Windham vs Wayne
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%).
South Windham has the highest household income ($133k).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
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 | South Windham | Wayne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671Highest |
1,212 |
1,101Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-11.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
36.5±13.2Lowest 19% below ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
| Wayne 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%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
3.6%±4.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Mount Desert and Wayne 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% |
7.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wayne 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% |
35.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.9%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
| South Windham and Wayne 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 |
$133,223±$21kHighest 78% above ME |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
| South Windham and Wayne 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 |
$314,300±$81kLowest 6% above ME |
$362,800±$29k 22% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89 18% above ME |
$1,824±$2kHighest 60% above ME |
$983±$554Lowest 14% below ME |
| South Windham and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$2,941Lowest 3% below ME |
$3,289 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±27.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Mount Desert and Wayne 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% |
9.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8% ME: 74.3% |
79.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
34 minHighest 37% above ME |
30 min 24% above ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.5%±15.8 ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and South Windham 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 38 |
| High school 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.