Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,846, settled in 1851.
Madawaska grades C+ overall, ranked 76th of 142 in Maine, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 88% of U.S. towns and natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, the median household income is $57K, and 13% of residents live below the poverty line. Madawaska’s average trip to work is 12 minutes, below both Maine’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 22 of Maine’s 285 towns score lower on health. Madawaska has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Acadian Landing Site and St. David Catholic Church.
Where Madawaska beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Madawaska Elementary School | PK–5 | 162 |
| Madawaska Middle/High School | 6–12 | 205 |
0.3% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Madawaska is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,114 in 1820, a low of 585 in 1860, 3,867 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1913 and 3 maps from 1932 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Madawaska, 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 Madawaska.
Madawaska gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
90 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The trail density in Madawaska is 1.6 miles per square mile. Only 9 of the 143 Maine towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Madawaska.
| Madawaska | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.6 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 4.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Birch Point Beach | 0.1 mi | 22 |
| 2. Town Recreation Area | — | 22 |
| 3. Fraser Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Madawaska Public Schools. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madawaska Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 162 | C |
| Madawaska Middle/High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 205 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ME on state tests and graduation
At 2.8 years of the county’s $57K median household income, the typical home (about $160K) costs less against local pay than in 98% of Maine towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living.
The typical Madawaska home is worth about $160,000, up 0.7% in a year, 61% below the Maine typical home. Madawaska’s median rent is $635 a month.
| Madawaska | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $635 a month | $1,108 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 81% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
47% of adults have high blood pressure in Madawaska. Among 143 Maine towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Madawaska. 41% of adults have obesity in Madawaska.
| Madawaska | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | Madawaska | ME |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.8% | 15.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 76.4% |
| More adults with diabetes | 16.3% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 84% of U.S. communities. Since 2008, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Madawaska.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Ft Kent weather station, 17 miles away, records that 99 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. The Ft Kent weather station, 17 miles away, records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Only 2 of the 143 Maine towns we compare have a lower July high than Madawaska. Madawaska has cold, snowy winters and cool summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 1,853 in 2013 to 1,426. The average commute for its 1,489 working residents takes 11.5 minutes, against 24.6 across Maine.
54% of Madawaska’s working residents work right in town. Jobs based in Madawaska fell to 1,426 in 2023, 427 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Fort Kent (10%), Frenchville (5%) and St.
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Madawaska; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Madawaska residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
3 places in Madawaska on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Maine, United States
Madawaska is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,867 at the 2020 census. Madawaska is opposite Edmundston, Madawaska County in New Brunswick, Canada, to which it is connected by the Edmundston–Madawaska Bridge over the Saint John River. According to the most recent American Community Survey data, up to 46.2% of the population age 5 and older speak French at home.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Madawaska.
| Town | ME rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madawaska | #76 | C+ | B | A | B+ | D |
| St. Agatha | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grand Isle | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Frenchville | — | — | A | — | B− | D |
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. St. Agatha and Grand Isle aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Madawaska with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Madawaska grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #76 of 142 in Maine. It grades D for health, A for safety and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 2.8 years of the area's median household income ($56,700 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
