The Town Files

Knox, Maine

Town in Waldo County · population 811 (2020 Census)

Map: where Knox is in MaineKnox
Median home
$159,600
Household income
$64,821
Jan low / Jul high
10° / 77°
Snow a year
79 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
41.1

Knox is a town of 811 people in Waldo County, Maine. The median home is worth $159,600, below the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks better transit than 96% of Maine towns, more of a college town than 83% of Maine towns, better for a vacation home than 78% of Maine towns.

Knox in our rankings:

How Knox 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.

Knox lifestyle rankings vs other Maine townsRetirement73rd pctFamilies59th pctQuiet53rd pctWalkability31st pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals51st pctVibrancy34th pctHip & trendy54th pctCollege town83rd pctUpscale69th pctVacation homes78th pctSeaside characterbottomCycling77th pctTransit96th pctDriving67th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Knox is worth $159,600, below the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $64,821, which is more affordable than 84% of Maine towns. Median rent is $1,375 a month. 80.1% of households own their home.

Knox vs Waldo County vs typical Maine townKnoxWaldo CountyTypical Maine townHome value$159,600$257,700$238,950Household income$64,821$72,782$68,967Monthly rent$1,375$1,021$1,027
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Maine towns with 500+ people.
HousingKnoxTypical Maine town
Median home value$159,600$238,950
Median rent$1,375$1,027
Median household income$64,821$68,967
Home value ÷ income2.5×3.4×
Homeownership80.1%82.4%
Median year built19851978
Seasonal / vacation homes8.0%—

Who lives in Knox

PeopleKnoxTypical Maine town
Median age41.146.9
Age 65 and over17.3%22.9%
Under 1813.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher26.0%28.2%
Below the poverty line8.6%10.7%
Veterans12.0%—
Born outside the U.S.0.2%—
Work from home12.3%12.3%
Average commute29.9 min25.5 min
Homes with broadband91.7%90.0%

Weather in Knox

July highs average 77.0°F and January lows 10.2°F. About 48.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 78.9 inches of snow (typical Maine town: 77.2 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 162 nights at or below freezing.

Knox monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing30°10°Jan32°12°Feb40°20°Mar52°31°Apr63°41°May72°51°Jun77°57°Jul76°56°Aug70°48°Sep57°38°Oct46°29°Nov35°18°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.919.23.220.34.114.64.43.53.94.33.23.14.15.40.64.73.04.717.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Belfast station (14.1 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Knox since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on August 2, 2011.

Severe weather in Waldo County since 1996

Storm events in Waldo County since 1996 by typeHail15Flood52Drought45High Wind45Heavy Snow201Strong Wind67Winter Storm59Coastal Flood15
NOAA Storm Events Database, Waldo County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Waldo County has been included in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 20, 2024Severe StormDR-4764: Severe Storms And Flooding
January 30, 2024Severe StormDR-4754: Severe Storm And Flooding
September 14, 2023HurricaneEM-3598: Hurricane Lee
July 6, 2023FloodDR-4719: Severe Storm And Flooding
March 22, 2023Severe StormDR-4696: Severe Storm And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Waldo County

Waldo County had 11,273 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,674 a year. Unemployment was 3% in 2023; in Knox itself the ACS puts it at 1.1%.

Largest industries in Waldo CountyRetail1,681 jobs · $37,692Health care & social assistan…1,622 jobs · $61,809Manufacturing1,081 jobs · $56,492Company management921 jobs · $82,927Hotels & restaurants836 jobs · $28,315Finance & insurance556 jobs · $87,145
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Waldo County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Waldo 3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Knox

Knox questions

Is Knox, Maine a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Knox scores better for retirees than 73% of Maine towns and quieter than 53%. 17.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.1).

How much does a house cost in Knox?

The median owner-occupied home in Knox is valued at $159,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $64,821, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $1,375 a month.

What is the weather like in Knox?

July highs average 77.0°F and January lows 10.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.8 inches of precipitation a year and 78.9 inches of snow.

Does Knox get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Knox in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Knox's Census boundary (GEOID 2302737585). 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. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.