Live-In Caregivers in Houlton, ME: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Houlton, ME: the local picture

215

residents 85 or older (4.2% of all residents)

492

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (60%)

62%

of Houlton homes have 3 or more bedrooms (59% in Aroostook County)

$15.10

Maine minimum wage per hour

About 215 Houlton residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 62% of homes in Houlton have three or more bedrooms (59% in Aroostook County), while 16% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 6.2 rooms.

Of Houlton households headed by someone 65 or older, 492 own their home and 324 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 40 owners and 39 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Houlton compared with Aroostook County and Maine

Census figure	Houlton	Aroostook County	Maine
Residents 85 or older	4.2%	3.1%	2.3%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	52%	32%	29%
Residents 65+ with a disability	34%	37%	31%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	12%	13%	9.4%
Residents 65 or older	25%	26%	22%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	3.3%	14%	6.0%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$31,324	$38,808	—

Older residents in towns around Houlton

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Presque Isle, ME	40 mi	1,971	285
Caribou, ME	50 mi	2,016	398
Millinocket, ME	52 mi	1,488	176
Lincoln, ME	62 mi	1,033	43

Emergency hospitals near Houlton

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Houlton Regional Hospital	Houlton, ME	1.5 mi	3 of 5	(207) 532-2900
Northern Light A R Gould Hospital	Presque Isle, ME	40 mi	2 of 5	(207) 768-4000

Straight-line miles from the center of Houlton. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Houlton

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.55 an hour (the Maine median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,019 a month (154% of the $2,610 monthly median income of Houlton households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,504 a month (517% of the $2,610 monthly median income of Houlton households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Maine's minimum wage is $15.10 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see Medicaid programs for family caregivers: who can be paid, and the rules in 12 states.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Houlton: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Houlton?

Houlton Regional Hospital in Houlton, about 1.5 mi in a straight line from the center of Houlton (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (207) 532-2900. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Houlton?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.55 an hour (the Maine median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,019 a month (154% of the $2,610 monthly median income of Houlton households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,504 a month (517% of the $2,610 monthly median income of Houlton households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Maine's minimum wage is $15.10 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Houlton?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Houlton it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Houlton

More senior care near Houlton

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Houlton

More for Houlton families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Houlton, ME