Compare towns
Pownal vs Bar Harbor vs Hope
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 highest household income ($104k).
Bar Harbor has the most expensive homes ($538k median).
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
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 | Hope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,696Lowest |
5,244Highest |
1,748 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2% ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.2±8.4 5% above ME |
49.2±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
44.6±3.1Lowest about the ME average |
| Bar Harbor and Pownal 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% |
23.3%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Pownal and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.5%±2.6 ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49% ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
47.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,333±$14kHighest 40% above ME |
$77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
| Pownal and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,800±$32k 47% above ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$373,400±$33kLowest 26% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Pownal 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 |
$1,219±$182Highest 7% above ME |
| Hope 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 |
$4,279 41% above ME |
$3,842Lowest 27% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 78.9%±22.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Pownal and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.5% ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.4% ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
20 min 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 23.9%±5.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9 ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2Lowest 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 | — |
| School district | RSU 05 | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | Hope Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt Desert Island High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.2 |
— |
| 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.