The Town FilesPatten, Maine
Town in Penobscot County · population 881 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $127,600
- Household income
- $51,484
- Jan low / Jul high
- 6° / 79°
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 57.8
Patten is a town of 881 people in Penobscot County, Maine. The median home is worth $127,600, below the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks quieter than 93% of Maine towns, better for families than 76% of Maine towns.
How Patten 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Patten is worth $127,600, below the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $51,484, which is more affordable than 84% of Maine towns. Median rent is $389 a month. 82.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Patten | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $127,600 | $238,950 |
| Median rent | $389 | $1,027 |
| Median household income | $51,484 | $68,967 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.5× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 82.5% | 82.4% |
| Median year built | 1966 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 8.6% | — |
Who lives in Patten
| People | Patten | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.8 | 46.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 38.5% | 22.9% |
| Under 18 | 11.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.1% | 28.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 23.2% | 10.7% |
| Veterans | 15.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.1% | — |
| Work from home | 28.7% | 12.3% |
| Average commute | 27.8 min | 25.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.7% | 90.0% |
Weather in Patten
July highs average 78.9°F and January lows 6.1°F. About 42.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 169 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Patten since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Maine town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 30, 1971 about 8.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 5, 2017.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 5 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on June 30, 2003.
Severe weather in Penobscot County since 1996
Penobscot County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 30, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4754: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 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 |
| January 2, 2018 | Severe Storm | DR-4354: Severe Storm And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Penobscot County
Penobscot County had 71,983 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,593 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Patten itself the ACS puts it at 7.5%.
Towns near Patten
- Patten, ME2.6 mi · 539 people · home $83,000
- Sherman, ME9.5 mi · 815 people · home $115,200
- Island Falls, ME13.9 mi · 758 people · home $108,300
- Oakfield, ME19.1 mi · 661 people · home $144,300
- East Millinocket, ME23.9 mi · 1,572 people · home $86,200
- Medway, ME24.1 mi · 1,187 people · home $100,400
- Millinocket, ME25.0 mi · 4,104 people · home $99,800
- Linneus, ME25.3 mi · 947 people · home $144,200
Patten questions
Is Patten, Maine a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Patten scores better for retirees than 51% of Maine towns and quieter than 93%. 38.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 57.8).
How much does a house cost in Patten?
The median owner-occupied home in Patten is valued at $127,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $51,484, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $389 a month.
What is the weather like in Patten?
July highs average 78.9°F and January lows 6.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.6 inches of precipitation a year.
Does Patten get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Patten since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 30, 1971. The typical Maine town has had 2.
- 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)