Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Measured against area pay, Caribou costs less to live in than 77% of U.S. towns
It ranks #3 of 143 in Maine for affordability. Up 1.2% in a year, 59% below the Maine typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Aroostook County, ME ($57K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Aroostook County earn ($57K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.4 years of area income, and 45% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $168Ktypical home, 59% below the Maine typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,140a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.4 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$57K, Aroostook County income
- 16%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 45%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Maine: 48%Census 2020–24
- 12%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Caribou
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Caribou home runs about $1,060 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,140. Can I afford it? ↓
Fewer people, more homes
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Caribou lost 793 residents while 104 new homes were permitted. New homes ↓
Very little new building
Caribou permitted 99 new homes over the past 10 years, about 1.4 a year per 1,000 residents. Across Maine, the pace in 2025 was 5.5. In 2025, Caribou permitted 8. New homes ↓
New renters pay more than renters already here
HUD puts a standard two-bedroom at about $1,140 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already in Caribou pay a median of $757. Renting ↓
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 Caribou’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Caribou is more affordable than 77% of U.S. towns, #3 of 143 in Maine. Property tax pulls the grade down most; home prices hold it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Maine: up 30.8% in five years, against 26.8% statewide (Zillow).
Up 30.8% in five years
Faster than Maine (26.8%).
Show as a table
| January | Caribou | Maine |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $98,000 | $205,000 |
| 2018 | $97,000 | $219,000 |
| 2019 | $101,000 | $232,000 |
| 2020 | $105,000 | $244,000 |
| 2021 | $120,000 | $285,000 |
| 2022 | $137,000 | $333,000 |
| 2023 | $155,000 | $364,000 |
| 2024 | $166,000 | $395,000 |
| 2025 | $166,000 | $408,000 |
| 2026 | $163,000 | $409,000 |
| September 2026 | $168,000 | $412,000 |
A typical Caribou home worth $95K in October 2016 is worth about $168K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.4 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Caribou’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Caribou home, with $44K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,140 a month here, $80 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Caribou’s typical property tax (1.25% 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 $1,140
Renters already here pay a median of $757, 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 (Aroostook County, ME): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
8 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 8 new homes in Caribou in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $2.7 million to build. That's 1.1 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Maine (5.5). Over the past 10 years, Caribou has permitted 99 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Caribou's population fell by 793 even though 104 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. 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) | 3 | 3 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2025 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| 2024 | 6 | 4 | 2 | $1.6 million |
| 2023 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $310,000 |
| 2021 | 7 | 5 | 2 | $1.7 million |
| 2020 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2019 | 45 | 3 | 42 | $4 million |
| 2018 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2017 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $772,000 |
| 2016 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2015 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $500,000 |
| 2014 | 14 | 6 | 8 | $908,000 |
| 2013 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $589,000 |
| 2012 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $670,000 |
| 2011 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $205,000 |
| 2010 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $884,000 |
| 2009 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $950,000 |
| 2008 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $855,000 |
| 2007 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $515,000 |
| 2006 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2005 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $2.5 million |
| 2004 | 25 | 25 | 0 | $2.5 million |
| 2003 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2002 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2001 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2000 | 24 | 24 | 0 | $2.2 million |
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 $1,680, under the Maine median of $3,036, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.25% 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+”.
Caribou vs. its neighbors
Of the 4 towns here with a Zillow value, Caribou has the 3rd-lowest. Woodland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caribou | A− | $168K | $134K | 1.25% | $1,140 |
| Limestone | A− | $132K | $98K | 1.35% | $1,410 |
| Woodland | A− | — | $150K | 1.20% | $1,140 |
| Fort Fairfield | B− | $143K | $161K | 1.14% | $1,430 |
| Presque Isle | C+ | $175K | $147K | 1.63% | $1,320 |
“—” 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 Caribou
Is Caribou expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Caribou costs less than 77% of U.S. towns: an A− for cost of living, #3 of 143 in Maine. The typical home costs 2.4 years of the median household income of Aroostook County, ME ($57K).
How much does a house cost in Caribou?
About $168K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 1.2% in a year. The Maine typical home is $412K.
What salary do you need to live in Caribou?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $45,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,060 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $46,000.
How much is rent in Caribou?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,140 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $757 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Caribou?
The median bill is $1,680 a year, 1.25% of the median home value (Maine: $3,036, 1.02%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Caribou going up?
Yes: up 1.2% in the past year and 30.8% in five years, against 26.8% across Maine (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Caribou 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.