Madawaska, Maine

Town in Aroostook County · population 3,867 (2020 Census)

Median home: $156,300
Household income: $56,818
Jan low / Jul high: 3° / 76°
Snow a year: 98 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 2
Median age: 52.6

Madawaska is a town of 3,867 people in Aroostook County, Maine. The median home is worth $156,300, below the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks better for retirees than 83% of Maine towns, better for first-time buyers than 82% of Maine towns, more vibrant than 78% of Maine towns.

Madawaska in our rankings:

How Madawaska ranks

Percentile among Maine towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Maine towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Madawaska is worth $156,300, below the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $56,818, which is more affordable than 74% of Maine towns. Median rent is $635 a month. 67.7% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Maine towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Madawaska	Typical Maine town
Median home value	$156,300	$238,950
Median rent	$635	$1,027
Median household income	$56,818	$68,967
Home value ÷ income	2.8×	3.4×
Homeownership	67.7%	82.4%
Median year built	1968	1978
Seasonal / vacation homes	13.9%	—

Who lives in Madawaska

People	Madawaska	Typical Maine town
Median age	52.6	46.9
Age 65 and over	28.8%	22.9%
Under 18	20.1%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.3%	28.2%
Below the poverty line	13.0%	10.7%
Veterans	12.2%	—
Born outside the U.S.	12.3%	—
Work from home	5.7%	12.3%
Average commute	11.5 min	25.5 min
Homes with broadband	80.3%	90.0%

Weather in Madawaska

July highs average 75.5°F and January lows 3.2°F. About 32.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 98.0 inches of snow (typical Maine town: 77.2 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 183 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Frenchville Aroostook Ap station (2.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Madawaska since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Maine town. The strongest, an F1, struck on June 29, 1961 about 8.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 15, 2007.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 11 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on August 4, 2007.

Severe weather in Aroostook County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Aroostook County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Aroostook County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
September 14, 2023	Hurricane	EM-3598: Hurricane Lee
April 4, 2020	Biological	DR-4522: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3444: Covid-19
February 1, 2011	Severe Storm	DR-1953: Severe Storms And Flooding
May 9, 2008	Flood	DR-1755: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Aroostook County

Aroostook County had 25,999 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,148 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Madawaska itself the ACS puts it at 7.4%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Madawaska

2 public schools with 381 students, about 10.9 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Madawaska Middle/High School	6-12	212	11.2
Madawaska Elementary School	PK-5	169	10.6

Towns near Madawaska

Madawaska, ME
5.1 mi · 2,797 people · home $158,300
Fort Kent, ME
15.3 mi · 4,067 people · home $160,700

Madawaska questions

Is Madawaska, Maine a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Madawaska scores better for retirees than 83% of Maine towns and quieter than 51%. 28.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 52.6).

How much does a house cost in Madawaska?

The median owner-occupied home in Madawaska is valued at $156,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $56,818, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $635 a month.

What is the weather like in Madawaska?

July highs average 75.5°F and January lows 3.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 32.9 inches of precipitation a year and 98.0 inches of snow.

Does Madawaska get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Madawaska since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on June 29, 1961. The typical Maine town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Madawaska's Census boundary (GEOID 2300342520). Comparisons use the median of Maine towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.