Compare towns
Trenton vs Ellsworth 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
Trenton has the most kids (20.1% under 18).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
Mount Desert has the most people working from home (19.1%).
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 | Ellsworth | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,599Lowest |
8,657Highest |
1,671 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.5±7.7 about the ME average |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Trenton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.1%±4.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Trenton and Ellsworth 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% |
22.1%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert 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% |
39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.2%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Ellsworth 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±$13kLowest 19% below ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Ellsworth 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 |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,102±$241 3% below ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Trenton 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 |
$3,262 7% above ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.3%±20.4 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth 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% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.4% ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 17% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.3%±4.9 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert 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 | — | #63 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Trenton Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools | Mount Desert Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Ellsworth High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7 |
— |
| 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.