Mount Desert is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

Mount Desert Island Mount Desert Island (MDI; ) in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the List of islands of the United States by area, 52nd-largest island in the United States, the sixth-largest island in th ...

in Hancock County,

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, United States. The population was 2,146 at the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1789, the town currently encompasses the villages of Otter Creek, Seal Harbor,

Northeast Harbor Northeast Harbor is a village on Mount Desert Island, located in the town of Mount Desert in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The village has a significant summer population, and has long been a quiet enclave of the rich and famous. Su ...

, Somesville, Hall Quarry, and Pretty Marsh.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 2,053 people, 984 households, and 586 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 2,287 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population. There were 984 households, of which 20.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.4% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.64. The median age in the town was 50.7 years. 16.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.2% were from 25 to 44; 37.8% were from 45 to 64; and 21.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,109 people, 962 households, and 583 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 1,900 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.62%

, 0.19%

, 0.09% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.14%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.24% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population. There were 962 households, out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were

living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.76. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $41,321, and the median income for a family was $54,375. Males had a median income of $35,189 versus $27,358 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $25,709. About 3.2% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Housing

As of 2024, the median house price in Mount Desert was $907,250, approximately 2.5x higher than the median house price in Maine.

Education

Mount Desert is part of the Mount Desert Island Regional School System. Schools in the district include Mount Desert Island High School, Conners Emerson School, Trenton Elementary School, Pemetic Elementary School, Frenchboro Elementary School, Tremont Consolidated School, Mount Desert Elementary School, Swan's Island Elementary School and Islesford Elementary School.

Notable people

* Helen Gilman Noyes Brown (1867-1942), philanthropist *

William Adams Brown William Adams Brown (December 29, 1865 – December 15, 1943) was an American minister, professor and philanthropist. Early life Brown was born in New York City on December 29, 1865, and named after his maternal grandfather, the Rev. William Ad ...

(1865-1943), minister, professor and philanthropist *

Martha Stewart Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail business woman, writer, and television personality. As the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, focusing on home and hospitality, she gained success through a variety ...

(born 1941), television personality

References

External links

Mount Desert official web site

Mount Desert Islander (newspaper)
{{authority control Mount Desert Island Towns in Hancock County, Maine Towns in Maine 1789 establishments in Massachusetts Populated coastal places in Maine