Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Wayne vs Gray 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).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Bremen has the highest household income ($100k).
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 | Wayne | Gray | Bremen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,671 |
1,101 |
8,429Highest |
917Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5% ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
52.1±8.2 16% 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%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.6%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray 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% |
29.2%±3.8 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
34.1%±9.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bremen and Wayne 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% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
54.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne and Gray 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 |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$100,000±$21kHighest 34% above ME |
| Bremen and Gray 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 |
$362,800±$29kLowest 22% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$425,300±$28k 43% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89 18% above ME |
$983±$554Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
— |
| Gray 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 |
$3,289 8% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,829Lowest 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray 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% |
7.9% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8% ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%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 |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
22 min 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Bremen 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 | — | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 38 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.5 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.