Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Topsham vs Bremen
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 most expensive homes ($522k median).
Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).
Bremen has the most people working from home (22.7%).
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 | Topsham | Bremen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671 |
9,706Highest |
917Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
44.7±4Lowest about the ME average |
52.1±8.2 16% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Bremen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.6%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Topsham and Bremen 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% |
24.4%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
34.1%±9.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bremen 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% |
50%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
54.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Topsham 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 |
$91,028±$10kLowest 22% above ME |
$100,000±$21kHighest 34% above ME |
| Bremen 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±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$360,800±$20kLowest 22% above ME |
$425,300±$28k 43% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
$1,355±$642Highest 19% above ME |
— |
| Topsham and Mount Desert 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 |
$4,259Highest 40% above ME |
$2,829Lowest 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Topsham 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% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8% ME: 74.3% |
78.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
24 minHighest 4% below ME |
22 min 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±6.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Bremen and Mount Desert 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 | — | #66 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt Ararat High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.2 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.