Compare towns
Windham vs Mount Desert vs Brookline vs Worcester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Windham has the most renters (17.1% rent).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Brookline has the most kids (20% under 18).
Worcester has the most people working from home (23.6%).
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 | Windham | Mount Desert | Brookline | Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 594 |
1,671Highest |
531Lowest |
831 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +4.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.2±7.4Lowest 14% above U.S. |
54.9±8.2Highest 41% above U.S. |
45.1±2.7 16% above U.S. |
47±2.7 21% above U.S. |
| Mount Desert and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.5%±7.9 U.S.: 22% |
14.1%±4.7 U.S.: 22% |
20%±6Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.8%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Brookline and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.2%±8.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.1%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.6%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.5%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Mount Desert and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
64.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
41.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
53% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±4.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.2%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.9%±4.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Worcester 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 | $94,500±$12kHighest 17% above U.S. |
$92,813±$9k 15% above U.S. |
$80,833±$16k about the U.S. average |
$73,833±$18kLowest 9% below U.S. |
| Windham and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $353,900±$20k 6% above U.S. |
$522,100±$66kHighest 57% above U.S. |
$290,700±$37k 13% below U.S. |
$271,100±$27kLowest 19% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,341±$89 5% below U.S. |
$1,732±$232Highest 23% above U.S. |
$1,023±$136Lowest 28% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,951Highest 91% above U.S. |
$3,512Lowest 13% above U.S. |
$5,000 60% above U.S. |
$4,421 42% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.2%±94 U.S.: 51.1% |
33.9%±31.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
47.8%±94.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
25.5%±37Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Brookline and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
84.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
85.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
18 minLowest 32% below U.S. |
28 min 8% above U.S. |
29 minHighest 9% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 20.5%±5.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
19.1%±9.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
20.6%±5.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.6%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Worcester and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | Mount Desert Public Schools | — | Washington Central Unified Union School District #92 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.