Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bar Harbor, Maine
A $480,000 home here costs
$3,663per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,468. The real number is $1,196 higher every month — 48% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Bar Harbor against Hancock County and Maine
| Measure | Bar Harbor | Hancock County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $479,600 | $278,400 |
| Median property tax | $3,932 | $2,445 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.820% | 0.878% |
| Median gross rent | $1,084 | $1,000 |
| Population | 2,311 | 56,084 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bar Harbor sits in Hancock County, which averages a high of 77.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 10.6°F in its coldest, with 49.38" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 221 cooling and 7,650 heating degree days, which is what sets the $257 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Hancock County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Hancock County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bar Harbor?
A $480,000 home in Bar Harbor, Maine costs approximately $3,663 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,468 principal and interest, $328 property tax, $142 homeowners insurance, $325 utilities and $400 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bar Harbor?
Bar Harbor has an effective property tax rate of 0.820%, based on a median home value of $479,600 and median real estate taxes of $3,932. That is lower than the Hancock County average of 0.878%.
What is the average home price in Bar Harbor?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bar Harbor, Maine is $479,600, against $278,400 across Hancock County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bar Harbor?
Median gross rent in Bar Harbor is $1,084 a month, against $3,663 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Bar Harbor — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Maine.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.