The Town FilesStarks, Maine
Town in Somerset County · population 593 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $148,500
- Household income
- $63,500
- Jan low / Jul high
- 6° / 79°
- Snow a year
- 74 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 46.7
Starks is a town of 593 people in Somerset County, Maine. The median home is worth $148,500, below the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks quieter than 100% of Maine towns.
How Starks 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 Starks is worth $148,500, below the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $63,500, which is more affordable than 89% of Maine towns. Median rent is $1,063 a month. 90.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Starks | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $148,500 | $238,950 |
| Median rent | $1,063 | $1,027 |
| Median household income | $63,500 | $68,967 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.3× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 90.0% | 82.4% |
| Median year built | 1988 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 13.5% | — |
Who lives in Starks
| People | Starks | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.7 | 46.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.3% | 22.9% |
| Under 18 | 16.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.0% | 28.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 19.2% | 10.7% |
| Veterans | 7.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.2% | — |
| Work from home | 3.3% | 12.3% |
| Average commute | 32.6 min | 25.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 84.8% | 90.0% |
Weather in Starks
July highs average 78.9°F and January lows 5.5°F. About 41.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 74.0 inches of snow (typical Maine town: 77.2 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 172 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Starks since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Maine town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on November 7, 1971 about 9.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 18, 1989.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 12 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 30, 2000.
Severe weather in Somerset County since 1996
Somerset County has been included in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 30, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4754: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| September 14, 2023 | Hurricane | EM-3598: Hurricane Lee |
| July 6, 2023 | Flood | DR-4719: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| March 22, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4696: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| April 4, 2020 | Biological | DR-4522: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Somerset County
Somerset County had 16,034 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,148 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Starks itself the ACS puts it at 7.2%.
Towns near Starks
- Industry, ME4.8 mi · 788 people · home $205,600
- Anson, ME4.9 mi · 680 people · home $100,400
- New Sharon, ME6.4 mi · 1,458 people · home $171,200
- Norridgewock, ME6.6 mi · 3,278 people · home $151,900
- Mercer, ME6.8 mi · 709 people · home $238,500
- Anson, ME6.9 mi · 2,291 people · home $117,800
- Madison, ME7.1 mi · 2,533 people · home $163,900
- New Vineyard, ME8.2 mi · 721 people · home $190,000
Starks questions
Is Starks, Maine a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Starks scores better for retirees than 32% of Maine towns and quieter than 100%. 20.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.7).
How much does a house cost in Starks?
The median owner-occupied home in Starks is valued at $148,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $63,500, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $1,063 a month.
What is the weather like in Starks?
July highs average 78.9°F and January lows 5.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.7 inches of precipitation a year and 74.0 inches of snow.
Does Starks get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Starks since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on November 7, 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)