Population
4,958 residents
Census ACS 2023 — Maine
City profile · Maine · Census ACS 2023
Houlton, ME
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Houlton — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 4,958
- Residents
- $52,227
- Median income
- $121,700
- Median home
- $1,448
- Median rent
Data Snapshot: Houlton, ME
Houlton is a city in Maine with a population of 4,958 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $52,227 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 9.4%. Typical homes in Houlton are valued around $121,700, and the median resident age is 44.5 years. About 25.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 45.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1562.5 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 40.7°F with 39.3 inches of precipitation per year.
On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Maine registers 97.1 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,448 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $273 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 56.7 out of 100 (Moderate).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).
Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.
Median Household Income
$52,227 /yr
Poverty 9.4%
Cost of Living Index
97.1 (US=100)
Near Average — BEA RPP 2024
How does Houlton compare to other US cities?
Where Houlton sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 23% higher than other cities
Home value 18% pricier than other cities
Median rent 69% pricier than other cities
Safety 44% safer than other cities
Percentiles compare Houlton against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 25.4%
Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 9.4%
Census ACS S1701 — poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 45.5%
Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
4,958
Median Income
$52,227
Median Home Value
$121,700
Median Age
44.5
Poverty Rate
9.4%
Labor force participation
45.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
25.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1562.5
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
49.3
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
1513.2
per 1,000 residents
Climate
Avg Temperature
40.7°F
Annual Precipitation
39.3"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
79.6%
Carpool
14.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.7%
Work from Home
5.0%
Based on 1,836 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Maine — EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$95
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$273
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Maine state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Maine state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard
Cost of Living Index
97.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,448/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
56.7 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score
Explore More Data for Houlton
Crime statistics in Houlton
FBI UCR crime rates and safety scores
Schools in Houlton
NCES public school data and enrollment
Rent prices in Maine
HUD Fair Market Rents by metro area
Cost of living in Maine
BEA regional price parity data
Climate normals
NOAA 30-year climate data
Air quality data
EPA air quality index data
Water quality data
EPA drinking water data
Natural disaster risk
FEMA & NOAA hazard data
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Race & Ethnicity Composition
National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.
How Houlton compares to nearby Maine cities
Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks
Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Houlton) plus the nearest peer cities in Maine, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
ME
Houlton
52.23% top marginal rate
ME
Hampden
65.00% top marginal rate
ME
Farmington
65.00% top marginal rate
ME
Kittery
65.00% top marginal rate
Census ACS 5-year FIPS ME FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Houlton, ME?
What is the population of Houlton, ME? +
Houlton, ME has a population of 4,958 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Houlton, ME? +
The median household income in Houlton is $52,227 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Houlton? +
Houlton has a cost of living index of 97.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.
Is Houlton, ME safe? +
Houlton has a total crime rate of 1562.5 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.
What is the median home value in Houlton, ME? +
The median home value in Houlton is $121,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the climate like in Houlton? +
Houlton has an average annual temperature of 40.7°F, 39.3 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial