Aroostook County, ME
Get paid to care for your family member in Aroostook County, Maine
About 17,600 people in Aroostook County are 65 or older — 26% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Maine overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 1,940 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. In a rural county, an agency aide may be a long drive away — when one is available at all. That is exactly why the state lets you be the paid caregiver instead.
Who needs care in Aroostook
- People 65 and older
- 17,600
- People 85 and older
- 1,940
- Median age
- 48.4
- Rank in Maine
- 6th
26% of Aroostook residents
the age daily help usually starts
older than the country as a whole
of 16 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Aroostook County is a rural county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 7). Maine as a whole is 24% aged 65 or older.
What Maine pays family caregivers
$17–$27/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Maine Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Maine's programs at a glance
- Consumer Directed Attendant Services (Section 12)
- Home & Community Benefits (Section 19)
- Family Home Health Aide (children, 2026)
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Sometimes
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Maine guide →
Towns and cities in Aroostook County
Maine sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Presque Isle and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Aroostook County:
- Presque Isle8,728
- Caribou7,328
- Houlton6,005
- Fort Kent4,159
- Madawaska3,844
- Fort Fairfield3,293
- Van Buren1,999
- Mapleton1,905
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Aroostook apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Aroostook County start with Maine's program:
Apply for MaineCare via My Maine Connection, 855-797-4357, or a district DHHS office; Maximus (833-525-5784) does the functional assessment.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Maine program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Aroostook questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Aroostook County?
Yes. Maine runs real Medicaid programs — like Consumer Directed Attendant Services (Section 12) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Aroostook County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Aroostook County?
Reported figures in Maine are around $17–$27/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Aroostook County apply?
Families in Aroostook County start with the state, not the county. Apply for MaineCare via My Maine Connection, 855-797-4357, or a district DHHS office; Maximus (833-525-5784) does the functional assessment.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Aroostook County?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Maine: limited — spouses/legally responsible relatives excluded from CDAS and Section 19 hires, EXCEPT Resolves 2019 ch.104 lets a spouse be paid as a Personal Support Specialist for members needing extraordinary care
How many people in Aroostook County might need this?
17,600 residents of Aroostook County are 65 or older and about 1,940 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Maine's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Aroostook do you cover?
All of Aroostook County — including Presque Isle, Caribou, Houlton, Fort Kent and Madawaska. Eligibility is set by Maine, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Maine's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
More Maine counties
The programs are the same statewide — pick your county:
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.