Compare towns
Winthrop vs Mount Desert vs Readfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Winthrop has the most kids (22.9% under 18).
Mount Desert has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.5%).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
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 | Winthrop | Mount Desert | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,191Highest |
1,671Lowest |
2,651 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.6±5.3Lowest about the ME average |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
48.1±7.6 7% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Winthrop and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.4%±5 ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mount Desert and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,470±$4kLowest 16% above ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$86,504±$8k 16% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $294,800±$41kLowest about the ME average |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$326,400±$20k 10% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $892±$319Lowest 22% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
| Mount Desert and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,506 15% above ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$3,392Lowest 12% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.8%±22.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Winthrop and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1979Highest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 41% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 23.1%±6.7 ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Winthrop 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 | #12 of 133 in ME | — | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Winthrop Public Schools | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Winthrop High School | None in town | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.7Highest |
— | 11.5Lowest |
| 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.