Compare towns
Mount Desert vs Whiting vs West Bath
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).
Whiting has the most affordable homes ($214k median).
West Bath has the highest household income ($103k).
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 | Whiting | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,671 |
506Lowest |
1,863Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— | +1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
50±5Lowest 12% above ME |
54.2±5.6 21% above ME |
| Mount Desert and West Bath 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% |
17.8%±4.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Whiting and West Bath 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% |
27.5%±6.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| West Bath 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% |
34.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| West Bath 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 |
$55,263±$2kLowest 26% below ME |
$103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
| West Bath 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 |
$214,200±$52kLowest 28% below ME |
$422,800±$102k 43% 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 |
$600±$333Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,112±$327 about the ME average |
| 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 |
$1,728Lowest 43% below ME |
$3,516Highest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3Highest 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.8% ME: 74.3% |
93.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
22 minHighest 10% below ME |
21 min 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Mount Desert Public Schools | Whiting Public Schools | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | None 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.