Mount Desert, ME

Town in ME, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

1,671

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

54.9

years ∙ half population younger than 54.9, half older

Diversity Index

10.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

foreign-born population

94%Native

6% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Mount Desert is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States.

Location

Town in ME, US

Co-ordinates

DEC44.333639° N, 68.330405° W

DMS44° 20′ 01.10″ N, 68° 19′ 49.46″ W

Population Density & area

45.28/sq mi (17.5/km²)

Total Area

54.9 sq mi (142.1 km²)

Land Area

36.9 sq mi (95.5 km²) · 67.2%

Water Area

18 sq mi (46.6 km²) · 32.8%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

44.5% male

Male 44.5%

Female 55.5%

males per 100 females

Mount Desert 80.3

Maine 97.2

United States 98

Nativity

foreign-born population

94%Native

6% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Mount Desert 6%

Maine 4.1%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

54.9

years ∙ half population younger than 54.9, half older

Mount Desert

54.9

Maine

44.8

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

76.3

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Mount Desert 76.3

Maine 67.8

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Mount Desert	Maine	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	14.1%	18.1%	22%
Working age (18-64)	56.8%	59.5%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	29.1%	22.4%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	76.3	67.8	64.4
Child dependency ratio	24.9	30.3	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	51.4	37.5	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

94.3%

Black

5.7%

Asian

Hispanic

Other

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

10.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Mount Desert 10.8%

Maine 18.9%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Mount Desert population

	Mount Desert	Maine	United States
Hispanic or Latino	0%	2.2%	19.3%
Mexican	0%	0.7%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.5%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0%	0.9%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	100%	97.8%	80.7%
One race	100%	93.6%	76.4%
White	94.3%	89.9%	57.4%
Black or African American	5.7%	1.8%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.3%	0.5%
Asian	0%	1.1%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	0%	4.2%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

55.5% family

Family 55.5%

Non family 44.5%

% family households

Mount Desert 55.5%

Maine 60.7%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.08

persons per household

Mount Desert

2.08

Maine

2.26

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Mount Desert population

	Mount Desert	Maine	United States
Total households	797	597,159	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.08	2.26	2.53
Family households	442	362,538	82,990,528
Average family size	2.67	2.81	3.14
Married couple family	393	286,766	60,637,388
Other families	49	75,772	22,353,140
Male householder	0	24,355	6,572,819
Female householder	49	51,417	15,780,321
Non-family households	355	234,621	46,236,968
One-person households	237	183,618	37,140,836
Male householder	84	79,882	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	33	29,811	5,225,110
Female householder	153	103,736	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	125	56,986	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	118	51,003	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

2,163

housing units

Mount Desert 2,163

Maine 751,876

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

36.8% occupied

Occupied 36.8%

Vacant 63.2%

vacancy rate

Mount Desert 63.2%

Maine 20.6%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

92.3%

Single family houses

92.3%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

7.4%

Mobile homes

0.3%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1980

Half of houses were built before 1980, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

33.5%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

16.8%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

28.1%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

21.5%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Mount Desert	Maine	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.7	5.5	5.5
1–3 rooms	12.7%	14.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	46.7%	53.6%	51.6%
7+ rooms	40.8%	32%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	2%	2.5%	2.9%
1 bedroom	8.8%	11.7%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	28.2%	29.1%	25%
3 bedrooms	37.2%	38.9%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	23.7%	17.9%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1980	1977	1981
Total housing units	2,163	751,876	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

84.8% owners

Renter-occupied 15.2%

Owner-occupied 84.8%

homeownership rate

Mount Desert 84.8%

Maine 74.3%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.09

Owner-occupied

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Mount Desert 2.09

Maine 2.37

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Mount Desert	Maine	United States
Total occupied units	797	597,159	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	14.6%	20.4%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	27.4%	38.5%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	21%	17.9%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	37%	23.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	100%	98.6%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0%	0.8%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	6.6%	6.8%	8.4%
1 vehicle	36%	33.6%	33.1%
2 vehicles	36.1%	39.9%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	21.2%	19.8%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	29.6%	22.1%	51.4%
Electricity	7.7%	11.2%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.4%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	60.2%	55.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	2.5%	10.6%	2%
No fuel used	0%	0.4%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.5%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	0.9%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0%	0.7%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$522,100

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Mount Desert

$522,100

Maine

$296,600

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

31.5%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

31.5%

Owners without a mortgage

16%

Renters

33.9%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Mount Desert	Maine	United States
Property value
Median Value	$522,100	$296,600	$332,700
Under $100,000	2.2%	12.3%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	5.2%	17.7%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	7.7%	20.6%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	32.1%	29.5%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	44.2%	16.5%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	8.6%	3.3%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	44.7%	57.7%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	55.3%	42.3%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$2,048	$1,729	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$718	$638	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,341	$1,139	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

64.4%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Mount Desert 64.4%

Maine 36.2%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Mount Desert 0%

Maine 5.2%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

250

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

K–12

66%

College / Undergraduate

11.2%

Graduate / Professional

14.8%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

39.4%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Mount Desert

39.4%

Maine

43.5%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Mount Desert	Maine	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	250	281,216	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	8%	5%	5.7%
K–12	66%	66.2%	67.6%
Kindergarten	3.6%	5.1%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	30.8%	19.6%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	18.4%	19.8%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	13.2%	21.8%	21.7%
College or graduate school	26%	28.7%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	11.2%	23.1%	21%
Graduate, professional school	14.8%	5.7%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	39.4%	43.5%	40.9%
School type
Public school	74.4%	79.4%	82%
Private school	25.6%	20.6%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

1,364

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9th-12th, no diploma

HS graduate

19.4%

Some college no degree

11%

Associates degree

5.2%

Bachelors degree

37.6%

Graduate or professional degree

26.8%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

* The Census Bureau did not publish education attainment by gender data for Mount Desert due to an insufficient sample size to produce reliable estimates.

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

—% · —%

9th-12th, no diploma

—% · —%

HS graduate

60.8% · 39.2%

Some college no degree

52% · 48%

Associates degree

35.2% · 64.8%

Bachelors degree

40% · 60%

Graduate or professional degree

38.4% · 61.6%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Mount Desert	Maine	United States
Population (25+)	1,364	1,026,250	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	0%	1.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	0%	3.5%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	19.4%	30.1%	26%
Some college, no degree	11%	18.1%	19.1%
Associate's degree	5.2%	10.4%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	64.4%	36.2%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	37.6%	22.5%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	26.8%	13.7%	14.1%
High School or higher	100%	94.8%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$48,207

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$50,078

Some college or associates

$56,458

Bachelors degree

$44,745

Graduate or professional degree

$71,458

Poverty Rate

8.3%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

—%

HS graduate

1.5%

Some college or associates

7.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

8.3%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Mount Desert	Maine	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$48,207	$50,103	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$—	$35,887	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$50,078	$40,775	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$56,458	$46,697	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$44,745	$59,190	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$71,458	$75,851	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	—%	27.2%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	1.5%	13.9%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	7.2%	8.8%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	8.3%	4.5%	4.5%

Insights for Mount Desert, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.