Washburn, Maine

Community in Aroostook County · population 937 (2020 Census)

Median home: $99,300
Household income: $49,250
Jan low / Jul high: 3° / 77°
Snow a year: 118 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 5
Median age: 48.0

Washburn is a community of 937 people in Aroostook County, Maine. The median home is worth $99,300, below the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks easier by car than 92% of Maine towns, quieter than 76% of Maine towns, better for families than 73% of Maine towns.

Washburn in our rankings:

How Washburn 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.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Washburn is worth $99,300, below the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 2.0 times the median household income of $49,250, which is more affordable than 97% of Maine towns. Median rent is $446 a month. 72.7% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Maine towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Washburn	Typical Maine town
Median home value	$99,300	$238,950
Median rent	$446	$1,027
Median household income	$49,250	$68,967
Home value ÷ income	2.0×	3.4×
Homeownership	72.7%	82.4%
Median year built	1970	1978
Seasonal / vacation homes	4.4%	—

Who lives in Washburn

People	Washburn	Typical Maine town
Median age	48.0	46.9
Age 65 and over	25.7%	22.9%
Under 18	22.9%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	30.2%	28.2%
Below the poverty line	12.1%	10.7%
Veterans	6.9%	—
Born outside the U.S.	6.2%	—
Work from home	7.3%	12.3%
Average commute	23.0 min	25.5 min
Homes with broadband	82.9%	90.0%

Weather in Washburn

July highs average 77.1°F and January lows 2.6°F. About 40.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 118.2 inches of snow (typical Maine town: 77.2 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 180 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Caribou Muni Ap station (8.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Washburn since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Maine town. The strongest, an F1, struck on June 18, 1994 about 0.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 18, 2016.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 32 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on August 15, 1958.

Severe weather in Aroostook County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Aroostook County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Aroostook County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
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
February 1, 2011	Severe Storm	DR-1953: Severe Storms And Flooding
May 9, 2008	Flood	DR-1755: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Aroostook County

Aroostook County had 25,999 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,148 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Washburn itself the ACS puts it at 10.4%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Washburn

Washburn, ME
1.4 mi · 1,527 people · home $112,900
Mapleton, ME
6.1 mi · 1,886 people · home $191,800
Woodland, ME
6.7 mi · 1,217 people · home $150,300
Mapleton, ME
7.5 mi · 623 people · home $137,900
Presque Isle, ME
9.8 mi · 8,797 people · home $147,200
Caribou, ME
10.2 mi · 7,396 people · home $134,100
New Sweden, ME
13.0 mi · 577 people · home $164,700
Fort Fairfield, ME
13.3 mi · 3,322 people · home $161,000

Washburn questions

Is Washburn, Maine a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Washburn scores better for retirees than 50% of Maine towns and quieter than 76%. 25.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 48.0).

How much does a house cost in Washburn?

The median owner-occupied home in Washburn is valued at $99,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $49,250, so homes cost about 2.0 times income. Median rent is $446 a month.

What is the weather like in Washburn?

July highs average 77.1°F and January lows 2.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.7 inches of precipitation a year and 118.2 inches of snow.

Does Washburn get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Washburn since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on June 18, 1994. The typical Maine town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Washburn's Census boundary (GEOID 2380250). 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.

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)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.