Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Caribou, Maine
A $120,000 home here costs
$1,216per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $617. The real number is $599 higher every month — 97% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Caribou against Aroostook County and Maine
| Measure | Caribou | Aroostook County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $120,300 | $131,700 |
| Median property tax | $1,656 | $1,611 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.377% | 1.223% |
| Median gross rent | $696 | $736 |
| Population | 7,427 | 67,227 |
The weather behind that power bill
Caribou sits in Aroostook County, which averages a high of 77.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 2.6°F in its coldest, with 40.7" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 225 cooling and 9,048 heating degree days, which is what sets the $257 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Aroostook County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Aroostook County
Full Aroostook County cost breakdown · Every county in Maine
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Caribou?
A $120,000 home in Caribou, Maine costs approximately $1,216 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $617 principal and interest, $138 property tax, $36 homeowners insurance, $325 utilities and $100 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Caribou?
Caribou has an effective property tax rate of 1.377%, based on a median home value of $120,300 and median real estate taxes of $1,656. That is higher than the Aroostook County average of 1.223%.
What is the average home price in Caribou?
The median owner-occupied home value in Caribou, Maine is $120,300, against $131,700 across Aroostook County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Caribou?
Median gross rent in Caribou is $696 a month, against $1,216 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Caribou — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Maine.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.