Compare towns
Mount Desert vs West Bath 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%).
West Bath has the highest household income ($103k).
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 | West Bath | Wayne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671 |
1,863Highest |
1,101Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8% ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
54.2±5.6Lowest 21% above 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%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| West Bath and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.1%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8 ME: 22.4% |
| West Bath 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% |
50.7% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne and West Bath 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 |
$103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
| West Bath 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 |
$422,800±$102k 43% above ME |
$362,800±$29kLowest 22% above ME |
| Mount Desert and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$1,112±$327 about the ME average |
$983±$554Lowest 14% below ME |
| Mount Desert and West Bath 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 |
$3,516Highest 16% above ME |
$3,289Lowest 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| West Bath 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% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8% ME: 74.3% |
82.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
21 min 16% below ME |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | West Bath Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.