Compare towns
Pownal vs Bar Harbor vs Freeport
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pownal has the most kids (24.2% under 18).
Bar Harbor has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Freeport has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.9%).
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 | Pownal | Bar Harbor | Freeport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,696Lowest |
5,244 |
8,802Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2% ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.2±8.4Lowest 5% above ME |
49.2±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
48.8±4.3 9% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 24.2%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Pownal and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.5%±2.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5 ME: 22.4% |
26.7%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Freeport and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
59.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,333±$14k 40% above ME |
$77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$107,326±$19kHighest 44% above ME |
| Freeport and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,800±$32kLowest 47% above ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$508,400±$76k 71% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $981±$636Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,106±$351 about the ME average |
$1,439±$123Highest 26% above ME |
| Freeport and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,212Highest 72% above ME |
$4,279Lowest 41% above ME |
$5,042 66% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 78.9%±22.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62%±18.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Pownal and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
77.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 23.9%±5.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9 ME: 15.9% |
21.2%±5.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Pownal and Bar Harbor 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 | — | #2 of 133 in ME | #4 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 05 | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | RSU 05 |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt Desert Island High School | Freeport High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.2Lowest |
12.2Highest |
| 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.