Compare towns
Topsham vs Mount Desert vs Brunswick
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Topsham has the most kids (19.9% under 18).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
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 | Topsham | Mount Desert | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,706 |
1,671Lowest |
17,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.8% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.7±4 about the ME average |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
37.9±2.2Lowest 15% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Topsham and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.4%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
23%±2.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 50%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
51.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
15.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,028±$10k 22% above ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$70,722±$5kLowest 5% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $360,800±$20kLowest 22% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$363,200±$18k 22% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,355±$642 19% above ME |
$1,341±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
$1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
| Brunswick and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,259 40% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$4,477Highest 47% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.3%±12.9 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.8%±9.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
8.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 4% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.2%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Brunswick 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 | #66 of 133 in ME | — | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | Mount Desert Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | Mt Ararat High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2 |
— | — |
| 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.