The Town FilesSouthwest Harbor, Maine
Town in Hancock County · population 1,756 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $428,500
- Household income
- $59,205
- Jan low / Jul high
- 15° / 79°
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 48.9
Southwest Harbor is a town of 1,756 people in Hancock County, Maine. The median home is worth $428,500, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks better for retirees than 99% of Maine towns, hipper than 96% of Maine towns, better for a vacation home than 96% of Maine towns.
How Southwest Harbor 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Southwest Harbor is worth $428,500, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 7.2 times the median household income of $59,205, which is more affordable than 2% of Maine towns. Median rent is $959 a month. 55.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Southwest Harbor | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $428,500 | $238,950 |
| Median rent | $959 | $1,027 |
| Median household income | $59,205 | $68,967 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.2× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 55.7% | 82.4% |
| Median year built | 1982 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 43.9% | — |
Who lives in Southwest Harbor
| People | Southwest Harbor | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.9 | 46.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 26.7% | 22.9% |
| Under 18 | 14.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.3% | 28.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.3% | 10.7% |
| Veterans | 7.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.0% | — |
| Work from home | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| Average commute | 15.7 min | 25.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 84.0% | 90.0% |
Weather in Southwest Harbor
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.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Southwest Harbor 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
Hancock County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4764: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| January 30, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4754: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| September 14, 2023 | Hurricane | EM-3598: Hurricane Lee |
| April 4, 2020 | Biological | DR-4522: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-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 Southwest Harbor itself the ACS puts it at 4%.
Public schools in Southwest Harbor
2 public schools with 257 students, about 6.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tremont Consolidated School | PK-8 | 135 | 7.1 |
| Pemetic Elementary School | PK-8 | 122 | 5.8 |
Towns near Southwest Harbor
- Southwest Harbor, ME1.6 mi · 740 people · home $277,100
- Mount Desert, ME5.3 mi · 2,146 people · home $522,100
- Tremont, ME7.2 mi · 1,544 people · home $407,000
- Bar Harbor, ME9.9 mi · 2,260 people · home $626,900
- Bar Harbor, ME10.0 mi · 5,089 people · home $538,400
- Brooklin, ME11.3 mi · 827 people · home $339,400
- Blue Hill, ME14.6 mi · 2,792 people · home $399,500
- Trenton, ME14.9 mi · 1,584 people · home $357,400
Southwest Harbor questions
Is Southwest Harbor, Maine a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Southwest Harbor scores better for retirees than 99% of Maine towns and quieter than 62%. 26.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 48.9).
How much does a house cost in Southwest Harbor?
The median owner-occupied home in Southwest Harbor is valued at $428,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $59,205, so homes cost about 7.2 times income. Median rent is $959 a month.
What is the weather like in Southwest Harbor?
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 Southwest Harbor get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Southwest Harbor in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)