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City · 7,382 residents · Aroostook County, Maine

Caribou , Maine

In Caribou, a typical home is worth $134,100 and typical rent is $757 a month. Compared with all of Aroostook County, the typical home value is 10% lower and typical household income is 5% lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $134,100

    10% below the county

    55% below Maine

    • Caribou
    • Aroostook
    • Maine

  • Typical rent

    $757a month

    3% below the county

    34% below Maine

    • Caribou
    • Aroostook
    • Maine

  • Typical household income

    $53,709a year

    5% below the county

    28% below Maine

    • Caribou
    • Aroostook
    • Maine

  • Households that own their home

    72%

    2 points below the county

    2 points below Maine

    • Caribou
    • Aroostook
    • Maine

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$168,008
1.2% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Caribou is in Aroostook County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Aroostook County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Caribou apart

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

  1. Caribou has the lowest typical rent of the 33 cities in Maine with more than 5,000 people: $757.

  2. Caribou has the 2nd lowest typical home value of the 34 cities in Maine with more than 5,000 people ($134,100).

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

The homes here

Housing in Caribou

What homes there are in Caribou, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Detached houses are the majority in Caribou (66%), but less so than in Aroostook County (73%).

Year built

Homes in Caribou are older: the typical year built is 1960; in Aroostook County, 1972.

In Caribou, 59% of homes have 3 bedrooms or more, about the same as in Aroostook County.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

With an FHA limit of $541,287, at least 100% of owner-occupied homes in Caribou sit below it: they are worth less than $500,000.

Monthly rent with utilities

About 86% of rented homes in Caribou cost less than HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent for Aroostook County ($1,175).

With a mortgage

$1,148 a month

Aroostook County: $1,196 a month

Without a mortgage

$482 a month

Aroostook County: $492 a month

Owners with a mortgage

45%

Aroostook County: 49%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Caribou is $1,148 a month, near the figure in Aroostook County ($1,196).

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Much as in Aroostook County, the typical home value in Caribou rose 48% since 2015–2019.

Rents in Caribou rose more slowly than in Aroostook County: 27% since 2015–2019, against 37%.

To compare: typical income in Caribou rose 26%; the home, +48%; the rent, +27%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureCaribouAroostook CountyMaineUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate6.1%4.2%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.1%0.7%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.9%1.4%3.4%
People per household 2.032.182.262.53
Drive alone 72%78%71%69%
Carpool 10%10%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%4%3%
Work from home 13%9%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%1%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in Caribou are smaller: 2.03 people on average; in Aroostook County, 2.18.

Many people here do not commute at all: 13% work from home; in Aroostook County, 9%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Caribou?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Caribou, worth $134,100, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 26% of the typical household income in Caribou, which is $53,709 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Aroostook County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Caribou. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $4,694 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,147

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$131,671
Total interest
$189,443
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $2,265 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,253 a month

    Your payment · 26%

  • Tight

    $1,253 to $1,611 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,611 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Caribou ($53,709 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,147
Principal & interest$892
Property tax$140
Home insurance$56
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$59

You need at least $4,694 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Caribou and Aroostook County

Caribou is in Aroostook County, Maine. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Caribou's own numbers

Typical home value
$134,100
Typical monthly rent
$757
Typical yearly household income
$53,709
Households that own their home
72%
Effective property tax rate
1.25%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Aroostook County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,175
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+65%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Aroostook County.

Everything about Aroostook County

Buying

Buying a home in Caribou

A typical home in Caribou is worth $134,100: 10% below the county and 55% below Maine. With the typical household income in Caribou ($53,709 a year), a typical home costs 2.5 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Caribou 2.5 years
  • Aroostook 2.6 years
  • Maine 4.0 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Aroostook County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Aroostook County rose 89% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Aroostook County.

Period County Maine U.S.
Last year (2025) +8.6% +4.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +65% +68% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +89% +112% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Caribou next to Aroostook County, Maine and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Caribou $134,100
  • Aroostook $149,700
  • Maine $296,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Caribou $757
  • Aroostook $784
  • Maine $1,139
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Caribou $53,709
  • Aroostook $56,700
  • Maine $74,733
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Caribou next to Aroostook County and Maine
Measure Caribou Aroostook County Maine U.S.
Typical home value $134,100 $149,700 $296,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $757 $784 $1,139 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $53,709 $56,700 $74,733 $80,734
Households that own their home 72% 75% 74% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,680 $1,672 $3,036 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.25% 1.12% 1.02% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 45% 47% 48% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Aroostook County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Caribou

For a typical $134,100 home in Caribou, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Caribou's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,147a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $4,694
    Cash to close
    $8,717
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $59

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,122a month

    Down payment
    $6,705
    Cash to close
    $10,728
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $64

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $922a month

    Down payment
    $26,820
    Cash to close
    $30,843
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,046a month

    Down payment
    $20,115
    Cash to close
    $24,138
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Caribou and for Aroostook County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Caribou

1.25%of the home’s value each year

$1,680 a year for the typical owner in Caribou.

  • Caribou 1.25%
  • Aroostook 1.12%
  • Maine 1.02%

What Maine publishes Homestead exemption of up to $25,000 of value (Maine Revenue Services)

Exemptions and deadlines in Maine

Flood risk in Aroostook County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Aroostook County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
0%
12
Of those, with NFIP insurance
—
County Maine U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 0% 1% 3.5%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Caribou

Typical rent in Caribou is $757 a month: 3% below the county. In Caribou, 45% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Aroostook County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,175 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $22.60 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Aroostook County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
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

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Caribou

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Caribou is in ZIP code 04736.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,110: $65 less than the fair market rent for Aroostook County ($1,175).

  • 04736 $1,110$1,510

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Caribou when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Caribou

HUD lists 6 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Caribou. These are the largest.

  • North Ridge Apts 17 Jacobs Ave, Caribou 49 low-income homes · 1 bd: 1 · 2 bd: 40 · 3 bd: 8 · In service since 1996 · For families
  • Lyndon Heights 33 Lyndon St, Caribou 04736 37 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Townview Estates 712 Main St, Caribou 04736 22 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Caribou Congregate Housing 166 Sweden St, Caribou 04736 20 low-income homes · For older adults
  • Mill Park 10 Caribou St, Caribou 04736 20 low-income homes · For families

See all 31 buildings in Aroostook County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Caribou

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Aroostook County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A pregnant woman reads paperwork on the sofa while the grandmother plays with the girl on the floor.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Caribou

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Caribou or Aroostook County. The ones below are statewide in Maine: they work in Caribou the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Maine

  • First Home Loan Program — Advantage

    Statewide in Maine

    With the Maine state agency's First Home mortgage, the buyer gets $5,000 for the down payment and closing costs (up to $14,000 for 2- to 4-unit homes), with no second mortgage. Offered by MaineHousing.

    Grant

    See the program Official page

  • First Generation Program

    Statewide in Maine

    Maine state agency mortgage with a rate 1% lower than its First Home mortgage and a $10,000 grant for the down payment and closing costs, with no second mortgage; for people who have never owned a home and never lived in a home their parents or guardians owned, or who were in foster care. Offered by MaineHousing.

    Grant

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Caribou

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Caribou, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Four Directions Development Corporation

    20 Godfrey Dr, Orono · 139 miles away

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 4 more
    (207) 866-6545

  • Penquis Community Action Program

    262 Harlow St, Bangor · 146 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • and 1 more
    (207) 973-3500

  • Waldo Community Action Partners

    9 Field St Ste 201, Belfast · 174 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • and 2 more
    (207) 338-6809

All counseling agencies in Maine

Help in Spanish near Caribou

None of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Caribou

HUD’s record names them for Caribou or Aroostook County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

3 other authorities have an office in Aroostook County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Aroostook County

These cities are also in Aroostook County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Aroostook County Housing in Maine

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Caribou, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Aroostook County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Caribou.

All guides
A father smiles as he carries his baby on his shoulders outdoors.

Questions

Housing questions about Caribou

Short answers with the numbers for Caribou and all of Aroostook County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Caribou?

The typical home value in Caribou is $134,100, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Aroostook County it is $149,700.

How much does it cost to rent in Caribou?

Typical rent in Caribou is $757 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Aroostook County is $1,175.

What is the FHA loan limit in Caribou?

Caribou uses the FHA limit for all of Aroostook County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Caribou?

The typical homeowner in Caribou pays $1,680 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.25% of the home’s value; in Aroostook County, the rate is 1.12%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Caribou?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Aroostook County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).