Get paid to care for family in Penobscot County
Most of the 33,200 people in Penobscot County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Maine Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Penobscot County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 33,200
- Aged 85+
- 3,350
- Rank in ME
- 3rd
- Median age
- 42.6
21% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 16 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Penobscot County is a metro county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 3).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Penobscot
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 33,200 people in Penobscot County are 65 or older — 21% of everyone who lives here. Penobscot County skews younger than Maine overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 3,350 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Penobscot County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.
Statewide, 330,300 people in Maine are 65 or older — 24% of the state, across 16 counties.
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 Penobscot County
Maine sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Bangor and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Penobscot County:
- Bangor32,446
- Orono12,199
- Brewer9,629
- Hampden8,022
- Old Town7,511
- Hermon6,921
- Lincoln4,945
- Glenburn4,785
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Penobscot apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Penobscot 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 →Penobscot questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Penobscot County?
Yes. Maine runs real Medicaid programs — like Consumer Directed Attendant Services (Section 12) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Penobscot County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Penobscot 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 Penobscot County apply?
Families in Penobscot 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 Penobscot 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 Penobscot County might need this?
33,200 residents of Penobscot County are 65 or older and about 3,350 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 Penobscot do you cover?
All of Penobscot County — including Bangor, Orono, Brewer, Hampden and Old Town. 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.
Guides
For families in Penobscot County
Start with the Maine caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Penobscot
The counties Penobscot touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.
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