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Renting · Section 8

Data from November 2026

Renting in Aroostook County, Maine

Aroostook County has a HUD fair market rent of $1,175 a month for 2 bedrooms (Fiscal year 2027). Renter households here pay a typical rent of $784 a month (Average 2020–2024). Paying the fair market rent without going over 30% of income takes $22.60 an hour, full time.

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Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,175
a month, HUD, Fiscal year 2027
31% less than in Maine
Typical rent
$784
a month, Census, Average 2020–2024
31% less than in Maine
Wage needed
$22.60
an hour, 2 bedrooms
Or $47,000 a year, to spend no more than 30% of income on rent.
Rent-burdened households
47%
spend 30% or more of income on rent
4% less than in Maine

Source: Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates Average 2020–2024 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates

Only here

Renting in Aroostook County: what sets it apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. At $784, Aroostook County ranks 2nd among the 16 counties in Maine for the lowest typical rent.

  2. At $56,700, Aroostook County ranks 2nd among the 16 counties in Maine for the lowest typical household income.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

Fair market rent

What HUD sets for each size

Every year HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) publishes a Fair Market Rent (FMR) for each home size in Aroostook County. It is used to work out how much a Section 8 voucher covers. The table shows what you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income.

The fair market rent covers rent plus basic utilities, except the phone. HUD generally sets it at the 40th percentile: 4 in 10 standard-quality homes rented recently cost less. 24 CFR §888.113(a)

According to Zillow (ZORI), the typical asking rent in Aroostook County was $969 a month in September 2026. It is an index of market listings, not a HUD limit. Zillow data

Fair market rent and wage needed To pay the fair market rent without spending more than 30% of income, working full time (40 hours a week).
Size Fair rent per month Hourly wage Income needed per year
Studio $892 $17.15 $35,680
1 bedroom $898 $17.27 $35,920
2 bedrooms $1,175 $22.60 $47,000
3 bedrooms $1,581 $30.40 $63,240
4 bedrooms $1,642 $31.58 $65,680

HUD area: Aroostook County, ME. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

The fair market rent for your ZIP code

HUD also publishes fair market rents by ZIP code (Small Area FMRs) for 46 ZIP codes in Aroostook County (Fiscal year 2027). Type yours to see it.

For 2 bedrooms they run from $1,110 in 04471 to $1,740 in 04459. 31 ZIP codes are above the county's fair market rent ($1,175).

Where HUD designates these areas, or where the housing agency chooses to use them, the voucher is figured on the ZIP code's rent instead of the county's. Ask your agency which one it uses. 24 CFR §982.503(a)(1)

Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD)

Rent burden

How many households spend too much

HUD counts rent as a burden when it reaches 30% of income or more. In Aroostook County, 47% of renter households are in that position; in Maine, 48%, and nationwide, 51% (Average 2020–2024, Census).

Paying too much rent leaves little for food, transportation and savings. If that is you, the agencies below can guide you for free.

47%

of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent.

7,627 households rent in Aroostook County

  • Spend half or more of their income 22%
  • Spend 30% or more, but less than half 25%
  • Spend less than 30% 53%

Compared with the state and the country

  • Aroostook 47%
  • Maine 48%
  • United States 51%

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Aroostook County

HUD lists 31 properties with homes for low-income households in Aroostook County: tax-credit apartments (LIHTC), HUD-assisted buildings and public housing. They run from the most low-income homes to the fewest.

with tax credits (LIHTC)
7
HUD-assisted
21
public housing
3

1,058 homes in all; 1,047 of them low-income, according to HUD.

  • Pleasant Hill Manor Public housing 59 Birch St, Presque Isle 04769 185 low-income homes · Run by Presque Isle Housing Authority · Average payment: $459 a month · Average wait: 18 months · (207) 768-8231
  • Acadia Terrace Public housing 29 Kennedy Ter, Van Buren 04785 90 low-income homes · Run by Van Buren Housing Authority · Average payment: $370 a month · Average wait: 6 months · (207) 868-5441
  • Borderview Homes Public housing 4 Hillcrest Ests, Fort Fairfield 04742 81 low-income homes · Run by Fort Fairfield Housing Authority · Average payment: $581 a month · Average wait: 5 months · (207) 476-5771
  • La Maison Acadienne HUD-assisted 339 French St, Madawaska 04756 62 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Helen Noreen Apartments HUD-assisted 51 Rainbow St, Presque Isle 04769 50 low-income homes · For families
  • North Ridge Apts Tax credit (LIHTC) 17 Jacobs Ave, Caribou 49 low-income homes · 1 bd: 1 · 2 bd: 40 · 3 bd: 8 · In service since 1996 · For families
  • Ricker Plaza HUD-assisted 73 Military St, Houlton 04730 41 low-income homes · For older adults · (207) 532-3037
  • Lyndon Heights HUD-assisted 33 Lyndon St, Caribou 04736 37 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Hillside Apartments HUD-assisted 521 Albert St, Madawaska 04756 32 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Academy Park Apts Tax credit (LIHTC) 28 Academy St, Presque Isle 30 low-income homes · 1 bd: 26 · 2 bd: 4 · In service since 1995 · For older adults
  • Academy Park II HUD-assisted 28 Academy St, Presque Isle 04769 30 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Maliseet Revitalization Project 1 Tax credit (LIHTC) Clover Court and Pine Drive, Houlton 28 low-income homes · 2 bd: 12 · 3 bd: 15 · 4 bd: 1 · In service since 2015 · For families
  • The Meadows Tax credit (LIHTC) 16 Harmony Ln, Fort Fairfield 25 low-income homes · 1 bd: 20 · 2 bd: 5 · In service since 2013 · For older adults
  • Brookside Park HUD-assisted Brookside Park DR, Fort Kent 04743 24 low-income homes · For families
  • Military Street Apartments HUD-assisted 95 Military St, Houlton 04730 24 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Northern House HUD-assisted 225 Main St, Fort Fairfield 04742 24 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Townview Estates HUD-assisted 712 Main St, Caribou 04736 22 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Caribou Congregate Housing HUD-assisted 166 Sweden St, Caribou 04736 20 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Hillside Manor HUD-assisted 6 Hillside St, Mars Hill 04758 20 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Kelleran Court HUD-assisted 11 Kelleran St, Houlton 04730 20 low-income homes · For families
  • Mill Park HUD-assisted 10 Caribou St, Caribou 04736 20 low-income homes · For families
  • Montfort Heights HUD-assisted 384 Main St, Saint Agatha 04772 20 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Market Square Commons Tax credit (LIHTC) 40 Market Sq, Houlton 28 homes, 17 low-income · 1 bd: 25 · 2 bd: 3 · In service since 2010 · For older adults
  • Fields Lane II HUD-assisted 18 Fields Ln, Fort Fairfield 04742 16 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Pleasant Heights HUD-assisted 3 Thibodeau St, Fort Kent 04743 16 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Pleasant Heights II Tax credit (LIHTC) 3 Thibodeau St, Fort Kent 16 low-income homes · 1 bd: 14 · 2 bd: 2 · In service since 1995
  • Riverview Elderly Apartments HUD-assisted PO Box 131, Allagash 04774 12 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Mountain View Apartments HUD-assisted 64 Benjamin St, Mars Hill 04758 10 low-income homes · For families
  • Supervised Independent Living Apartments HUD-assisted 5 Columbus Ave, Caribou 04736 10 low-income homes · For people with disabilities
  • Village Green Apts Tax credit (LIHTC) 36 Elm St, Fort Fairfield 10 low-income homes · 1 bd: 8 · 2 bd: 2 · In service since 1996
  • Townhouse Properties HUD-assisted 155 25th Ave, Madawaska 04756 6 low-income homes · For families

Source: HUD, retrieved November 6, 2026. LIHTC database, updated May 14, 2025; Assisted multifamily properties, updated October 23, 2026; Public housing developments, updated October 23, 2026.

Section 8

The Section 8 voucher in Aroostook County

The Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) pays part of your rent on a home you choose. Your public housing agency runs it. 4 agencies serve in Aroostook County. Here is what the rules say:

The rules, with their source

  1. You apply at the public housing agency. If you qualify, your name usually goes on a waiting list. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or noncitizens with eligible status as HUD defines it. HUD

  2. Generally, your family must have very low income: no more than 50% of the area median income, by family size (the middle column of the table). 24 CFR §5.603, §982.201(b)

  3. Each year, at least 75% of the families an agency admits from its list must have extremely low income (the 30% column). 24 CFR §982.201(b)(2)

  4. If the rent is below the payment standard, the family generally pays 30% of its adjusted monthly income. If it is above, the family pays more. 24 CFR §982.1(a)(3)

  5. When you move in, if the rent is above the payment standard, your share cannot go over 40% of your adjusted monthly income. 24 CFR §982.508

  6. Each agency sets a payment standard for each size. Without asking HUD, it can go from 90% to 110% of the fair market rent. 24 CFR §982.503(b), (c)

Mixed-status families: how assistance is figured
HUD income limits Yearly income of the whole family, before taxes.
People Extremely low (30%) Very low (50%) Low
$19,300 $32,200 $51,450
$22,050 $36,800 $58,800
$27,320 $41,400 $66,150
$33,000 $45,950 $73,500
$38,680 $49,650 $79,400
$44,360 $53,350 $85,300
$50,040 $57,000 $91,150
$55,720 $60,700 $97,050

Area median income: $73,800. HUD income limits by family size, Fiscal year 2026. Area: Aroostook County, ME. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2026

How much can you earn? Check your case

Possible payment standard

  • Studio $803 – $981
  • 1 bedroom $808 – $988
  • 2 bedrooms $1,058 – $1,293
  • 3 bedrooms $1,423 – $1,739
  • 4 bedrooms $1,478 – $1,806

The range the rule allows: 90% to 110% of the county's fair market rent. Your agency publishes its own.

Housing agencies that serve this place

Housing agencies in Maine Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Your rights as a tenant in Maine

What Maine law says about deposits, notices and eviction, with the citation for each rule.

See your rights, rule by rule

Compare these rules with other states →

A summary of state law, not legal advice. Cities may have additional rules.

How much can they charge for a deposit?
Up to 2 months of rent
14 M.R.S. §6032
How much notice before a rent increase?
45 or 75 days, depending on the case
14 M.R.S. §6015(1)-(2)

Help

Where to get help with rent in Aroostook County

HUD lists no counseling agencies near in Aroostook County. Free legal aid and your housing agency can guide you.

See every agency in Maine Find legal aid (lsc.gov)

Tool

How much cash do you need to move in?

It starts with the 2-bedroom fair market rent in Aroostook County. Change the rent, the deposit and the fees to yours: the numbers stay in your browser.

Count power on top of the rent: in Maine, the average home bill was $134 a month in 2024 (EIA). See electricity and gas costs

Open the full tool

Your move

We use the place's fair market rent and the state's deposit rule.

Adjust advanced details
Deposit and rent in advance
The deposit, in

Let's do the math

Cash to move in

$2,350

What you need before you get the keys.

What adds up

First month
$1,175
Security deposit
$1,175
Total
$2,350

The deposit cap

Pick your state to see whether its law caps the deposit.

Compare each state's rules →

When you'll have it

Enter what you can set aside each month to see how long it takes.

What helps

  • Ask for a receipt for every payment and keep a copy of the lease.
  • On move-in day, walk through the home and take dated photos.
  • Never send money for a home you haven't seen or a lease you haven't read.
Guide: the security depositGuide: avoiding rental scamsFamily budgetHow much rent can I afford?

This is a planning estimate, not a price. What you are asked for depends on the landlord, your lease and your state's and city's rules. It is not legal advice.

Guides

Before you sign

Frequently asked questions

What is the fair market rent in Aroostook County?

According to HUD (Fiscal year 2027): Studio: $892; 1 bedroom: $898; 2 bedrooms: $1,175; 3 bedrooms: $1,581; 4 bedrooms: $1,642. It covers rent plus basic utilities, except the phone.

How much do you need to earn to rent in Aroostook County?

Paying the 2-bedroom fair market rent ($1,175) without spending more than 30% of income takes $22.60 an hour full time, or $47,000 a year.

Who qualifies for Section 8 in Aroostook County?

Generally, families with very low income: no more than 50% of the area median income. For 4 people, HUD's limit here is $45,950 a year (Fiscal year 2026). The family usually pays 30% of its adjusted monthly income. You apply at the housing agency.

How much does Section 8 pay in Aroostook County?

The voucher pays up to your housing agency's payment standard, minus your share. The rule lets the agency set it between 90% and 110% of the fair market rent: for 2 bedrooms here, between $1,058 and $1,293 a month. Your agency publishes its figure.

Does the fair market rent change by ZIP code in Aroostook County?

For 2 bedrooms they run from $1,110 in 04471 to $1,740 in 04459. Where HUD designates these areas, or where the housing agency chooses to use them, the voucher is figured on the ZIP code's rent instead of the county's. Ask your agency which one it uses.

How many low-income apartments are there in Aroostook County?

HUD lists 31 properties with homes for low-income households in Aroostook County: tax-credit apartments (LIHTC), HUD-assisted buildings and public housing. They run from the most low-income homes to the fewest. For tax-credit apartments and HUD-assisted buildings, you apply directly at the building's management office. They tell you whether units are open and how to apply; HUD does not have that information.

How many households spend too much on rent in Aroostook County?

HUD counts rent as a burden when it reaches 30% of income or more. In Aroostook County, 47% of renter households are in that position; in Maine, 48%, and nationwide, 51% (Average 2020–2024, Census).