Compare towns
Wells vs York 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
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
York has the most people working from home (26%).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 min average).
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 | Wells | York | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,713 |
13,986Highest |
1,671Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+9.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
49.5±5.2Lowest 10% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
21.1%±3.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| York and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
27.9%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Wells and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.1% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Wells and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$121,250±$25kHighest 62% above ME |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
| York and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $485,300±$23kLowest 64% above ME |
$636,400±$30kHighest 115% above ME |
$522,100±$66k 76% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,490±$336Highest 31% above ME |
$1,341±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
| York and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$4,658Highest 53% above ME |
$3,512 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
56.5%±10.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| York and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.8% ME: 10.7% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 12% above ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26%±3.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
| York and Mount Desert 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #13 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | York Public Schools | Mount Desert Public Schools |
| High school in town | Wells High School | York High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Highest |
9.6Lowest |
— |
| 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.