Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Wells vs York
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 shortest commute (18 min average).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
York has the most people working from home (26%).
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 | Wells | York |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671Lowest |
11,713 |
13,986Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+9.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
49.5±5.2Lowest 10% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Wells 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% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
21.1%±3.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| York and Wells 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% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
27.9%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Wells 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% |
43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Wells 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 |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$121,250±$25kHighest 62% above ME |
| York 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±$66k 76% above ME |
$485,300±$23kLowest 64% above ME |
$636,400±$30kHighest 115% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,490±$336Highest 31% above ME |
| York and Wells 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 |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$4,658Highest 53% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
56.5%±10.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| York and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
28 minHighest 12% above ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26%±3.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| York 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 | — | #22 of 133 in ME | #13 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | York Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Wells High School | York High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.4Highest |
9.6Lowest |
| 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.