The Town Files

Mount Desert, Maine

Town in Hancock County · population 2,146 (2020 Census)

Map: where Mount Desert is in MaineMount Desert
Median home
$522,100
Household income
$92,813
Jan low / Jul high
15° / 79°
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
54.9

Mount Desert is a town of 2,146 people in Hancock County, Maine. The median home is worth $522,100, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks better for a vacation home than 99% of Maine towns, better for cycling than 96% of Maine towns, more upscale than 95% of Maine towns.

Mount Desert in our rankings:

How Mount Desert ranks

Percentile among Maine towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Maine towns.

Mount Desert lifestyle rankings vs other Maine townsRetirement94th pctFamilies91st pctQuiet90th pctWalkability63rd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals47th pctVibrancy53rd pctHip & trendy69th pctCollege town60th pctUpscale95th pctVacation homes99th pctSeaside character90th pctCycling96th pctTransit91st pctDriving14th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Mount Desert is worth $522,100, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $92,813, which is more affordable than 8% of Maine towns. Median rent is $1,341 a month. 84.8% of households own their home.

Mount Desert vs Hancock County vs typical Maine townMount DesertHancock CountyTypical Maine townHome value$522,100$310,400$238,950Household income$92,813$72,744$68,967Monthly rent$1,341$1,061$1,027
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Maine towns with 500+ people.
HousingMount DesertTypical Maine town
Median home value$522,100$238,950
Median rent$1,341$1,027
Median household income$92,813$68,967
Home value ÷ income5.6×3.4×
Homeownership84.8%82.4%
Median year built19691978
Seasonal / vacation homes57.6%—

Who lives in Mount Desert

PeopleMount DesertTypical Maine town
Median age54.946.9
Age 65 and over29.1%22.9%
Under 1814.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher64.4%28.2%
Below the poverty line7.4%10.7%
Veterans4.3%—
Born outside the U.S.6.0%—
Work from home19.1%12.3%
Average commute17.9 min25.5 min
Homes with broadband96.9%90.0%

Weather in Mount Desert

July highs average 79.3°F and January lows 15.1°F. About 55.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 141 nights at or below freezing.

Mount Desert monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing33°15°Jan35°18°Feb42°25°Mar53°35°Apr65°45°May74°54°Jun79°60°Jul78°60°Aug71°53°Sep59°43°Oct48°33°Nov38°22°DecPrecipitation (in)4.53.84.95.24.54.33.33.54.25.95.95.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Acadia Np station (4.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Mount Desert since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 30, 2021.

Severe weather in Hancock County since 1996

Storm events in Hancock County since 1996 by typeHail18Heat41Flood23Drought28Blizzard31High Wind181Heavy Snow98Winter Storm130
NOAA Storm Events Database, Hancock County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Hancock County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 20, 2024Severe StormDR-4764: Severe Storms And Flooding
January 30, 2024Severe StormDR-4754: Severe Storm And Flooding
September 14, 2023HurricaneEM-3598: Hurricane Lee
April 4, 2020BiologicalDR-4522: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3444: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Hancock County

Hancock County had 23,631 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,780 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Mount Desert itself the ACS puts it at 1.3%.

Largest industries in Hancock CountyHotels & restaurants3,775 jobs · $38,489Retail3,630 jobs · $38,801Health care & social assistan…2,805 jobs · $62,357Professional & technical serv…2,102 jobs · $91,734Construction1,803 jobs · $58,565Other services1,110 jobs · $50,854
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Hancock County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Hancock 3.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Mount Desert

Mount Desert questions

Is Mount Desert, Maine a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mount Desert scores better for retirees than 94% of Maine towns and quieter than 90%. 29.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 54.9).

How much does a house cost in Mount Desert?

The median owner-occupied home in Mount Desert is valued at $522,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $92,813, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $1,341 a month.

What is the weather like in Mount Desert?

July highs average 79.3°F and January lows 15.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 55.5 inches of precipitation a year.

Does Mount Desert get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Mount Desert in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Mount Desert's Census boundary (GEOID 2300947630). Comparisons use the median of Maine towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.