Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Caribou gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $168K for a typical one, or 3 years of the county’s $57K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 83rd among Maine's 142 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $54K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. 42% of working residents work locally in Caribou, above both Maine’s towns (12%) and U.S. towns (8%). Among 143 Maine towns, just 5 have a lower typical home value than Caribou. The biggest park or preserve is Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, at 533 acres.
Where Caribou beats most towns.
Gray Memorial United Methodist Church and ParsonageEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Caribou is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 297 in 1860, a peak of 12,464 in 1960, 7,396 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1887 and 4 maps from 1932 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Caribou, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Caribou.
Caribou gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
75 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Caribou’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Caribou | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2% | 4.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge | — | 533 |
| 2. North Caribou Park | 0.2 mi | 61 |
| 3. Teague Park Complex | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by RSU 39. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Caribou High School, with 436 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caribou Community SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 752 | C |
| Caribou High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 436 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ME on state tests and graduation
At 3 years of the county’s $57K median household income, the typical home (about $168K) costs less against local pay than in 95% of Maine towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
The median rent in Caribou is $757 a month. The typical Caribou home is worth about $168,000, up 1.2% in a year, 59% below the Maine typical home.
| Caribou | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $757 a month | $1,108 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 81% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 7,020 U.S. towns with household incomes like Caribou’s, it is healthier than 51%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Caribou beats the Maine average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 13% of Caribou adults binge drink.
| Caribou | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Caribou | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.1% | 14.8% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 29.6% | 23.1% |
| More adults with diabetes | 13.6% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Caribou.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Caribou Muni Ap weather station records that 118 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. The Caribou Muni Ap weather station records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Caribou has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 77° and January nights drop to 2°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 3,014 working residents takes 14.7 minutes, against 24.6 across Maine.
Among 143 Maine towns, just 8 have a lower median household income than Caribou. The top destinations are Presque Isle (23%), Bangor (3%) and Easton (2%). Among 143 Maine towns, just 9 have a lower average trip to work than Caribou.
| Caribou | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 13% | 15% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Caribou's reported crime rate is close to Maine's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 6 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Caribou | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.6 per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
People 65 and older are 27% of residents (22% statewide). 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Maine.
| Caribou | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.3 years | 44.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 21% | 18% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.8 points. Across Maine, 50.7% of residents are women. Among residents 65 to 74, 62% are men (ME 48%).
| Caribou | ME | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.3% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.9% | 8.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.9% | 8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.8% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.2% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.6% | 15.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.2% | 13.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.1% | 8.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.8% | 5.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.9% | 30.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 21% | 18.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.5% | 10.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.3% | 22.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.5% | 13.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
2 within 15 miles of the center of Caribou
About 2 of every 100 Caribou residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
8 notable people were born in Caribou.
City in Maine, United States
Caribou is the second largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. Its population was 7,396 at the 2020 census. The city is a service center for the agricultural and tourism industries, and the location of a National Weather Service Forecast Office.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Caribou.
| Town | ME rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caribou | #83 | C+ | A− | — | C+ | C |
| Limestone | — | — | A− | — | D− | D |
| Woodland | — | — | A− | — | B+ | C− |
| Fort Fairfield | #127 | D | B− | B+ | C− | C− |
| Presque Isle | #125 | D | C+ | C | B− | C− |
Limestone and Woodland have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Caribou, Limestone and Woodland report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Caribou with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Caribou grades C+ overall, better than 36% of U.S. towns and #83 of 142 in Maine. It grades C for health and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
8 notable people were born here, including Susan Collins and Jessica Meir.