Caratunk is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Somerset County,

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, United States. The population was 81 at the 2020 census.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Pleasant Pond

Pleasant Pond is the largest lake in Caratunk. Pleasant Pond Stream overflows a dam in the southwestern corner of the pond, and flows west into the

Kennebec River The Kennebec River (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Kinəpékʷihtəkʷ'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 30, 2011 natural river within the U.S. state of Ma ...

at Caratunk village. The

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tra ...

passes through Caratunk following Pleasant Pond Stream and the northwestern shore of Pleasant Pond before climbing Pleasant Pond Mountain. Pleasant Pond supports a population of

lake trout The lake trout (''Salvelinus namaycush'') is a freshwater Salvelinus, char living mainly in lakes in Northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, namaycush, lake char (or charr), touladi, togue, laker, and grey trout. In Lake Sup ...

and

brook trout The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada. Two ecological forms of brook trout h ...

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 69 people, 41 households, and 20 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 221 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.4% Native American, and 1.4% from two or more races. There were 41 households, of which 7.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, and 51.2% were non-families. 43.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.68 and the average family size was 2.25. The median age in the town was 55.1 years. 5.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 1.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.7% were from 25 to 44; 49.2% were from 45 to 64; and 21.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 53.6% male and 46.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 108 people, 42 households, and 28 families living in the town. The

was . There were 202 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 100.00%

. There were 42 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.7% were

living together, and 33.3% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 111.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,591, and the median income for a family was $36,875. Males had a median income of $32,083 versus $18,125 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $17,321. There were no families and 4.8% of the population living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including no under eighteen and 10.0% of those over 64.

Notable person

* Elizabeth Caruso: First Selectwoman of Caratunk, contender for the Republican nomination in Maine's 2022 U.S. House election.

References

{{authority control Towns in Somerset County, Maine Lakes of Somerset County, Maine Lakes of Maine