Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,151, established in 1839.
Fort Kent grades B overall, 59th of 142 graded towns in Maine, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 90% of U.S. towns. It also does better than most on schools: its schools outperform 66% of the state's. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $200K, 3.5 years of the county’s $57K median household income. 57% of working residents work locally in Fort Kent, where Maine’s towns sit at 12% and U.S. towns at 8%. Fort Kent is home to University of Maine at Fort Kent. Among 143 Maine towns, just 9 have a lower July high than Fort Kent.
Where Fort Kent beats most towns.
Fort Kent| College | Students |
|---|---|
| University of Maine at Fort Kent | 851 |
0.3% of the town is conserved land, across 5 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Fort Kent is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Fort Kent is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 1,034 in 1870, 4,067 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1923 and 3 maps from 1932 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fort Kent, 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 Fort Kent.
Fort Kent has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
90 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The trail density in Fort Kent is 1.7 miles per square mile. Among 143 Maine towns, just 9 have a lower share of conserved land than Fort Kent.
| Fort Kent | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.7 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 4.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fort Kent Outdoor Center | 5.4 mi | 177 |
| 2. Riverside Park | 0.7 mi | 17 |
| 3. Jalbert Park | 0.3 mi | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by MSAD 27. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Kent Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 454 | B |
| Fort Kent Community High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 240 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ME on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes rose from 15 to 24 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Fort Kent’s property crime rate is 4.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Fort Kent | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.8 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
61.2% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.4% across Maine.
The typical Fort Kent home is worth about $200,000, up 2.1% in a year, 51% below the Maine typical home.
| Fort Kent | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $926 a month | $1,108 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 81% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Ft Kent weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 121 days, shorter than in 97% of U.S. towns. The Ft Kent weather station records that 99 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. The Ft Kent weather station records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Of the 143 Maine towns we compare, none has a lower January low than Fort Kent. Fort Kent has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 7,809 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fort Kent’s, it is healthier than 63%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Fort Kent beats the Maine average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 14% of adults binge drink in Fort Kent.
| Fort Kent | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 23% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | Fort Kent | ME |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.6% | 14.8% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 28.7% | 23.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 1,627 working residents takes 17.8 minutes, against 24.6 across Maine.
The top destinations are Madawaska (8%), Presque Isle (4%) and Caribou (2%). Half commute less than 5 miles.
| Fort Kent | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 35 to 64 are 46% of residents (40% statewide). 15% of Fort Kent residents are under 18. 35% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Maine.
| Fort Kent | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 15% | 18% | 22% |
| Median age | 45.9 years | 44.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 32% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 22% | 18% |
56% women, 44% men
About 78 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.6 points). Across Maine, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Fort Kent | ME | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.5% | 8.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.7% | 8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.1% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.9% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.7% | 15.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.6% | 13.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.1% | 8.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.6% | 5.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 37.6% | 30.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.5% | 18.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.1% | 10.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29% | 22.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.2% | 13.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,200, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 95 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fort Kent.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Fort Kent
About 10 of every 100 Fort Kent residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
3 places in Fort Kent on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Fort Kent.
Town in Maine, United States
Fort Kent (French: Fort-Kent) is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States, surrounding a village of the same name situated at the confluence of the Fish River and the Saint John River, on the border with New Brunswick, Canada. The population was 4,067 in the 2020 census. Fort Kent is home to an Olympic biathlete training center, an annual CAN-AM dogsled race, and the Fort Kent Blockhouse — built as a defensive bulwark during the Aroostook War, and in modern times designated a national historic site. Principal industries include agriculture (particularly potatoes and forestry) and textiles. Fort Kent is the northern terminus of U.S. 1 and the ending point of the Northern Forest Canoe…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Fort Kent.
| Town | ME rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Kent | #59 | B | C | A | B+ | C+ |
| Frenchville | — | — | A | — | B− | D |
| New Canada | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wallagrass | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Frenchville has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Frenchville reports no FBI crime data of its own. New Canada and Wallagrass aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Fort Kent with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Fort Kent grades B overall, better than 56% of U.S. towns and #59 of 142 in Maine. It grades C+ for health, A for safety and B+ for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
Fort Kent was established in 1839 and has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 4 notable people were born here, including Ellis Paul and Troy Dale Jackson.
