Living in Bar Harbor, ME
Small town in Maine
Bar Harbor is a small town in Maine, home to about 2,311 people, with 15,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Bar Harbor a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 77°F
- Safe: violent crime is 0.1× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
- Low natural disaster risk: 9 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Smaller job market: about 15,000 people live within 31 mi
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Few top-rated hospitals: no 4–5★ hospital within 31 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Bar Harbor ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Bar Harbor: common questions
What is the cost of living in Bar Harbor?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $659k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,050 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 97, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Bar Harbor?
Maine collects about $1,982 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.82% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Bar Harbor safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.1× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Bar Harbor?
Bar Harbor has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 35°F and summer days around 77°F, with roughly 75″ of snow a year.
Does Bar Harbor get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from hurricanes, flooding and coastal flooding: 9 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.47 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Bar Harbor?
The nearest major airport is PWM, about 116 mi away.
How Bar Harbor scores
Each bar compares Bar Harbor with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Bar Harbor right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.