Cumberland County, ME

Get paid to care for your family member in Cumberland County, Maine

About 67,600 people in Cumberland County are 65 or older — 22% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Maine as a whole. Roughly 7,310 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Cumberland County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.

Who needs care in Cumberland

People 65 and older
67,600

22% of Cumberland residents

People 85 and older
7,310

the age daily help usually starts

Median age
42.5

older than the country as a whole

Rank in Maine
1st

of 16 counties, by residents 65+

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Cumberland County is a metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 2). Maine as a whole is 24% aged 65 or older.

What Maine pays family caregivers

$17–$27/hr

Rates vary — check with the program.

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 Cumberland County

Maine sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Portland and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Cumberland County:

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.

How families in Cumberland apply

You do not need a county office to start. Families in Cumberland 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 →

Cumberland questions, answered honestly

Can I get paid to care for a family member in Cumberland County?

Yes. Maine runs real Medicaid programs — like Consumer Directed Attendant Services (Section 12) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Cumberland County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.

How much do family caregivers earn in Cumberland 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 Cumberland County apply?

Families in Cumberland 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 Cumberland 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 Cumberland County might need this?

67,600 residents of Cumberland County are 65 or older and about 7,310 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 Cumberland do you cover?

All of Cumberland County — including Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, Brunswick and Westbrook. 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:

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