Compare towns
Tremont vs Unity vs Mount Desert
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Tremont has the most kids (20.2% under 18).
Unity has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Unity is a college town. 30% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Tremont | Unity | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,508Lowest |
1,858Highest |
1,671 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.6±8.5 about the ME average |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Tremont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.2%±4.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Tremont and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.4%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Tremont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.4% ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $88,803±$8k 19% above ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Tremont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $407,000±$32k 37% above ME |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,217±$406 7% above ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Tremont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,822 7% below ME |
$2,510Lowest 17% below ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32.1%±21.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Unity and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 76.3% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 4% below ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 20.9%±6.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Tremont and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Tremont Public Schools | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | Mount Desert Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Ecology Learning Ctr | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.4 |
— |
| 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.