Compare towns
Trenton vs Appleton vs Bar Harbor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Trenton has the most kids (20.1% under 18).
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Bar Harbor has the most people working from home (21.9%).
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 | Trenton | Appleton | Bar Harbor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,599 |
1,360Lowest |
5,244Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.5±7.7Lowest about the ME average |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
49.2±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 20.1%±4.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Trenton and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.5%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Trenton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.3% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.2%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Bar Harbor and Trenton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $60,455±$13k 19% below ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$77,180±$26kHighest 3% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Trenton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $357,400±$36k 20% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,102±$241Lowest 3% below ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,106±$351Highest about the ME average |
| Bar Harbor and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,310Lowest 24% below ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$4,279Highest 41% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.3%±20.4 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Trenton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 18.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1985Lowest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 17% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.3%±4.9 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and Trenton 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 | Trenton Public Schools | Appleton Public Schools | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Mt Desert Island High School |
| 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.