John Williams House · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Mount Vernon costs less to live in than 54% of U.S. towns
Down 1.4% in a year, 20% below the Maine typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Augusta-Waterville, ME micro area ($69K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Augusta-area micro earn ($69K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 3.8 years of area income, and 27% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $331Ktypical home, 20% below the Maine typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,310a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.8 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$69K, Augusta-area income
- 16%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 20%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Mount Vernon, in brief
A second-home town
29% of Mount Vernon’s homes are seasonal or vacation homes, empty for much of the year. Year-round rentals are scarce: there are 52 renter households. Property taxes ↓
Nearly every household owns
90% of Mount Vernon households own their home, against 74% across Maine. There are only 52 renter households, so rentals are scarce. Property taxes ↓
A median income goes further next door
At Mount Vernon’s median income, the calculator’s budget of about $281K falls short here but covers the typical home in Chesterville ($257K) and Vienna ($276K). Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Mount Vernon’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Mount Vernon is more affordable than 54% of U.S. towns. Property tax pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Maine: up 28.4% in five years, against 26.8% statewide (Zillow).
Up 28.4% in five years
About the same pace as Maine (26.8%).
Show as a table
| January | Mount Vernon | Maine |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $162,000 | $205,000 |
| 2018 | $166,000 | $219,000 |
| 2019 | $177,000 | $232,000 |
| 2020 | $189,000 | $244,000 |
| 2021 | $222,000 | $285,000 |
| 2022 | $259,000 | $333,000 |
| 2023 | $292,000 | $364,000 |
| 2024 | $327,000 | $395,000 |
| 2025 | $344,000 | $408,000 |
| 2026 | $335,000 | $409,000 |
| September 2026 | $331,000 | $412,000 |
A typical Mount Vernon home worth $159K in October 2016 is worth about $331K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 3.8 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Mount Vernon’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $68K short of a typical Mount Vernon home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,310 a month here, $720 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Mount Vernon’s typical property tax (1.07% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,310
Renters already here pay a median of $893, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Kennebec County, ME): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
12 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 12 new homes in Mount Vernon in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $3.7 million to build. That's 7 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Maine (5.5). Over the past 10 years, Mount Vernon has permitted 137 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Mount Vernon gained 81 residents while 89 new homes were permitted: about 0.9 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. 29% of Mount Vernon's homes are seasonal or vacation homes, which adds housing without adding residents. Across Maine: 0.9 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 17 | 17 | 0 | $5.6 million |
| 2025 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2024 | 28 | 28 | 0 | $13.7 million |
| 2023 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $3.5 million |
| 2022 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.8 million |
| 2021 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| 2020 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $4 million |
| 2019 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $2 million |
| 2018 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2017 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2016 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2015 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $748,000 |
| 2014 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2013 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $2 million |
| 2012 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $455,000 |
| 2011 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $876,000 |
| 2010 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2009 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2008 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2007 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $2.9 million |
| 2006 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2005 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $3.3 million |
| 2004 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2003 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $2.6 million |
| 2002 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2001 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2000 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $990,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $2,832, under the Maine median of $3,036, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.07% a year, against 1.02% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Mount Vernon vs. its neighbors
Of the 6 towns here with a Zillow value, Mount Vernon has the 2nd-lowest. Vienna has no Zillow value, so it is in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon | B− | $331K | $264K | 1.07% | $1,310 |
| Vienna | – | — | $276K | 0.89% | $1,390 |
| Fayette | C+ | $358K | $258K | 1.23% | $2,020 |
| Chesterville | C+ | $257K | $214K | 1.03% | $1,360 |
| Belgrade | B− | $408K | $312K | 0.92% | $1,220 |
| Readfield | C | $346K | $326K | 1.04% | $1,470 |
| Rome | B− | $511K | $329K | 0.56% | $1,420 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Mount Vernon
Is Mount Vernon expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Mount Vernon costs less than 54% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living. The typical home costs 3.8 years of the median household income of the Augusta-Waterville, ME micro area ($69K).
How much does a house cost in Mount Vernon?
About $331K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 1.4% in a year. The Maine typical home is $412K.
What salary do you need to live in Mount Vernon?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $87,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,030 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $52,000.
How much is rent in Mount Vernon?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,310 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $893 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Mount Vernon?
The median bill is $2,832 a year, 1.07% of the median home value (Maine: $3,036, 1.02%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Mount Vernon going up?
No: down 1.4% in the past year and 28.4% in five years, against 26.8% across Maine (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Mount Vernon buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.