Jobs, pay and daily life in Caribou, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Caribou is a city in Maine with 7,382 residents. The median household earns $53,709 a year and the median rent is $757 a month, which is 16.9% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Caribou compares. Among the 40 largest places in Maine, Caribou is #21 by population, #2 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #33 for household income (#1 = highest), #8 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Aroostook County, is #12 of 16 counties for average pay ($51,148).
Caribou has 7,382 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.5% of the population of Maine. It covers 79 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 93 people per square mile. The median age is 51.3, 15% older than the state median (51.3 against 44.8).
The median gross rent is $757 a month (rent plus utilities), 34% below the state median ($757 against $1,139). Over a year that is 16.9% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $134,100, which is 2.5 times the median household income ($53,709); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 72.3% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (72.3% against 74.3%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Aroostook County was 4.0%. 51.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Aroostook County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 72.0% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 4.4% walk, 12.5% work from home. 4.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 66% below the state average (4.9% against 14.5%).
28.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 20% below the state share (28.8% against 36.2%). 4.0% of residents were born outside the United States, about the same as the state share (4.0% against 4.1%). The poverty rate is 15.5%, 44% above the state rate (15.5% against 10.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 65°F (18.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 8°F (-13.1°C). About 1,117 mm (44 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (120 mm) and Feb the driest (58 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Presque Isle (11 miles, rent 19% higher); Houlton (50 miles, rent 8% higher); Millinocket (89 miles, rent 40% lower); Old Town (136 miles, rent 31% higher). Rent differences are against Caribou; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Maine (185) →State guide: MaineCountry guideAroostook CountyMaine rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 185 federal postings open in Maine (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 26.1% |
| Retail trade | 15.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 13.9% |
| Public administration | 9.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.4% |
| Other services | 4.1% |
| Manufacturing | 3.7% |
| Construction | 3.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.0% |
| Information | 1.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Caribou lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aroostook County | 67,058 | $3,670 million | $54,728 | 25,999 | 2,396 | $51,148 | +1.1% | 4.0% | 27,119 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 4,698 | 24.2% | $54,727 | 1.26 |
| Retail trade | 3,751 | 19.3% | $35,285 | 1.44 |
| Manufacturing | 2,745 | 14.1% | $64,802 | 1.29 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,660 | 8.5% | $22,893 | 0.70 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 1,327 | 6.8% | $45,982 | 6.31 |
| Construction | 908 | 4.7% | $56,877 | 0.67 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 862 | 4.4% | $55,212 | 0.78 |
| Finance and insurance | 803 | 4.1% | $65,762 | 0.76 |
| Administrative and waste services | 590 | 3.0% | $37,426 | 0.39 |
| Professional and technical services | 477 | 2.5% | $78,230 | 0.26 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 467 | 2.4% | $40,238 | 0.60 |
| Educational services | 278 | 1.4% | $40,588 | 0.52 |
| Real estate and rental | 231 | 1.2% | $40,795 | 0.57 |
| Information | 225 | 1.2% | $63,237 | 0.46 |
| Management of companies | 220 | 1.1% | $60,238 | 0.50 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 174 | 0.9% | $22,378 | 0.40 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 72.0% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 4.4% |
| Work from home | 12.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,709 |
| Income per person | $36,009 |
| Median gross rent per month | $757 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.9% |
| Median home value | $134,100 |
| Homeowners | 72.3% |
| Poverty rate | 15.5% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 7.15%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 51.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 28.8% |
| Born abroad | 4.0% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 51.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -13.1 | 8 | 64 |
| Feb | -11.6 | 11 | 58 |
| Mar | -6.5 | 20 | 73 |
| Apr | 2.2 | 36 | 85 |
| May | 9.9 | 50 | 93 |
| Jun | 15.1 | 59 | 118 |
| Jul | 18.4 | 65 | 120 |
| Aug | 17.5 | 64 | 103 |
| Sep | 13.2 | 56 | 94 |
| Oct | 6.2 | 43 | 117 |
| Nov | -0.9 | 30 | 95 |
| Dec | -8.6 | 17 | 97 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presque Isle | ME | 11 mi | 8,736 | $55,768 | $904 |
| Houlton | ME | 50 mi | 5,082 | $59,236 | $814 |
| Millinocket | ME | 89 mi | 3,779 | $50,445 | $451 |
| Old Town | ME | 136 mi | 7,470 | $51,585 | $989 |
| Orono | ME | 140 mi | 11,151 | $59,784 | $1,280 |
| Bangor | ME | 145 mi | 31,938 | $59,942 | $1,055 |
| Brewer | ME | 147 mi | 9,652 | $66,613 | $1,086 |
| Hampden | ME | 151 mi | 5,161 | $112,228 | $1,133 |
| Ellsworth | ME | 158 mi | 8,657 | $77,375 | $1,017 |
| Skowhegan | ME | 166 mi | 6,662 | $45,388 | $880 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
7,382 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$757 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.9% of the median household income.
$53,709 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.0% (BLS county, Aroostook County (latest month 2026M09)).
Maine. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.