Caribou, ME — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Maine·Caribou

Aroostook County · population 7,328

AffordabilitySmall-town feel
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
58
Stable
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Caribou stands

Steady, no major recent move.

Median home $159,982
1-year -1.1%
5-yr CAGR +5.9%
vs 5-yr peak -2.9%
Population -0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2024-05$160k$83k$113k$142k$171k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
10/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
62/100
Workable for remote workers
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
45 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
69 · w22%
Distance from peak
72 · w18%
Population growth
42 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
65 · w10%
Long thesis

Caribou offers a $159,982 median home with +5.9% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Caribou's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Caribou

Caribou is a city in Aroostook County, Maine, with an estimated population of 7,328. The median home value in Caribou is $159,982 as of 2026-04, down 1.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.9% annual growth (-2.9% from the 5-year peak). The composite momentum score is 58 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.9% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently -2.9% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Cheap entry point: $159,982 median home is well below the US median of $355k — room to grow without overpaying.

▼ Bear case

○Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

Playbook

Buyer

Lifestyle fit matters more than market timing in a Stable market. Take your time on the home and neighborhood; the macro trend isn't urgent. Negotiate normally.

Seller

Price competitively from day one or risk a 60+ day listing. Staging, photography, and presentation matter more in Stable markets than in Hot ones.

Investor

Stable cap rates, no big appreciation story to lean on. Underwrite this as a pure cash-flow play — the math has to work on rent alone.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Aroostook County right now.

NWS active alerts (ME)Maine Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Aroostook County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Caribou

Bath, ME65 · RisingGardiner, ME65 · RisingWestbrook, ME68 · RisingAugusta, ME68 · Rising

Run the numbers for Caribou

ToolCan I afford Caribou?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Caribou rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Caribou to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolCaribou cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
28° / 11°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
80° / 58°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
196
~54% of year
Annual precip
45″ rain
60″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Caribou listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Boston area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
75%
Very humid climate
Median household income
$71,800
Maine state median
Top industries (state-level)
HealthcareTourismForestry/Paper

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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