The Town Files

Rangeley, Maine

Community in Franklin County · population 590 (2020 Census)

Map: where Rangeley is in MaineRangeley
Median home
$161,100
Household income
$28,674
Jan low / Jul high
0° / 76°
Snow a year
123 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
62.8

Rangeley is a community of 590 people in Franklin County, Maine. The median home is worth $161,100, below the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks quieter than 93% of Maine towns, better for retirees than 90% of Maine towns, better for a vacation home than 83% of Maine towns.

How Rangeley 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.

Rangeley lifestyle rankings vs other Maine townsRetirement90th pctFamilies42nd pctQuiet93rd pctWalkability7th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals63rd pctVibrancy44th pctHip & trendy48th pctCollege town8th pctUpscale36th pctVacation homes83rd pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving82nd 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 Rangeley is worth $161,100, below the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $28,674, which is more affordable than 8% of Maine towns. Median rent is $671 a month. 41.9% of households own their home.

Rangeley vs Franklin County vs typical Maine townRangeleyFranklin CountyTypical Maine townHome value$161,100$194,700$238,950Household income$28,674$58,675$68,967Monthly rent$671$802$1,027
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Maine towns with 500+ people.
HousingRangeleyTypical Maine town
Median home value$161,100$238,950
Median rent$671$1,027
Median household income$28,674$68,967
Home value ÷ income5.6×3.4×
Homeownership41.9%82.4%
Median year built19591978
Seasonal / vacation homes51.4%—

Who lives in Rangeley

PeopleRangeleyTypical Maine town
Median age62.846.9
Age 65 and over37.6%22.9%
Under 187.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher24.6%28.2%
Below the poverty line1.7%10.7%
Veterans10.1%—
Born outside the U.S.1.7%—
Work from home8.3%12.3%
Average commute17.5 min25.5 min
Homes with broadband56.8%90.0%

Weather in Rangeley

July highs average 76.4°F and January lows 0.4°F. About 42.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 123.3 inches of snow (typical Maine town: 77.2 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 200 nights at or below freezing.

Rangeley monthly temperatures and precipitation-10°0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing23°0°Jan27°0°Feb36°9°Mar48°25°Apr63°37°May72°48°Jun76°53°Jul75°51°Aug68°44°Sep54°33°Oct40°23°Nov29°11°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.824.32.425.73.024.43.38.63.60.54.44.04.13.54.62.33.48.83.628.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Rangeley station (0.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

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

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 5 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on July 26, 2011.

Severe weather in Franklin County since 1996

Storm events in Franklin County since 1996 by typeHail50Flood58Drought46High Wind38Heavy Snow248Flash Flood52Strong Wind52Winter Storm87
NOAA Storm Events Database, Franklin County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Franklin County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 30, 2024Severe StormDR-4754: Severe Storm And Flooding
September 14, 2023HurricaneEM-3598: Hurricane Lee
September 5, 2023FloodDR-4736: Severe Storm And Flooding
July 6, 2023FloodDR-4719: Severe Storm And Flooding
March 22, 2023Severe StormDR-4696: Severe Storm And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Franklin County

Franklin County had 10,518 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,419 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Rangeley itself the ACS puts it at 2.8%.

Largest industries in Franklin CountyHealth care & social assistan…1,759 jobs · $59,455Retail1,753 jobs · $37,215Hotels & restaurants1,309 jobs · $25,884Arts & recreation554 jobs · $49,355Finance & insurance285 jobs · $63,698Wholesale trade109 jobs · $59,962
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Franklin County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Franklin 3.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Rangeley

Rangeley questions

Is Rangeley, Maine a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Rangeley scores better for retirees than 90% of Maine towns and quieter than 93%. 37.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 62.8).

How much does a house cost in Rangeley?

The median owner-occupied home in Rangeley is valued at $161,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $28,674, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $671 a month.

What is the weather like in Rangeley?

July highs average 76.4°F and January lows 0.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.6 inches of precipitation a year and 123.3 inches of snow.

Does Rangeley get tornadoes?

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

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Rangeley's Census boundary (GEOID 2361805). 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.