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CITY

Portland

Maine · 69,911 residents (2025 est.) · 21.5 sq mi
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The short version

Portland is a city of 68,854 people in Maine. 60% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Owners hold 47% of the housing stock. Density works out to 3,197 people per square mile. The average commute runs 19 minutes. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $489,600.

At a glance
Average income
median household income $79,540, near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 37.8
US median: 38.9
More educated
60% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 115%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Portland

What changed most since 1990

  • Adults with a bachelor's degree29.6% → 59.7% (+30.1 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
  • Black share1.0% → 9.1% (+8.0 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts

Among the 45 cities and towns in the Portland metro

  • 30th in household income$79,540
  • 9th in share with a bachelor's degree59.7%
  • 14th in home value$489,600
  • 2nd in diversity score48.0

Its weight in Cumberland County

Portland's population equals 22% of Cumberland County's. Its number of households without a car equals 55% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 39% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
68,854
+7%since 2000
from 64,249 in 2000
69,911 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
3,197 / sq mi
+7%since 2000
from 2,983 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
37.8
+6%since 2000
from 35.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
21.5 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
63K64K66K68K69K19902000201020202024Portland
202469K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.3%(2,985)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.5%(3,092)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.1%(2,811)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 194%(2,756)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.1%(4,919)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3420.7%(14,251)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.9%(10,237)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.5%(7,897)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412%(8,290)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.5%(6,540)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.9%(3,370)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.5%(1,706)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$79,540
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,650 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$52,781
+133%since 2000
from $22,698 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
52.0%
+25.8 ptssince 2009
from 26.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.2%
−2.9 ptssince 2000
from 14.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.463
+1%since 2010
from 0.458 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade8.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services8.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration6.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade4.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance2.9%
US avg: 5.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$489,600
+115%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $125,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,577
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $598 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
46.9%
+4.4 ptssince 2000
from 42.5% in 2000
53.1% rent
Vacancy rate
9.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.03 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.08 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
25.3%
−8.5 ptssince 2009
from 33.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
48.4%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.2
+7%since 2009
from 5.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
81
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic90.6%(58,201)
Black2.5%(1,611)
Hispanic / Latino1.5%(974)
Asian3.1%(1,967)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic77.5%(53,375)
Black9.1%(6,244)
Hispanic / Latino3.1%(2,152)
Asian3.9%(2,689)
Other6.4%(4,394)
Diversity Score
48
+42%since 2009
from 34 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican0.7%(484)
Mexican0.6%(398)
Spaniard0.4%(269)
Cuban0.2%(152)
Salvadoran0.2%(132)
Guatemalan0.2%(131)
Colombian0.1%(73)
Argentine0.1%(51)
Dominican0.1%(48)
Honduran0.1%(43)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese1%(715)
Filipino0.7%(497)
Asian Indian0.6%(440)
Vietnamese0.3%(190)
Japanese0.3%(174)
Kazakh0.2%(172)
Cambodian0.2%(114)
Korean0.2%(113)
Pakistani0.1%(85)
Taiwanese0.1%(56)
Laotian0%(19)
Thai0%(16)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Nepalese0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(18)
Ancestry
Irish18.5%(12,719)
English18%(12,396)
German8.4%(5,806)
Italian8%(5,511)
French6.1%(4,223)
French Canadian4.3%(2,942)
Scottish4%(2,729)
Polish3%(2,081)
American2.7%(1,850)
Swedish1.9%(1,284)
Scotch-Irish1.8%(1,221)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1.3%(872)
Norwegian1.1%(751)
Somali0.9%(588)
Welsh0.8%(563)
Greek0.8%(556)
Arab0.7%(507)
British0.6%(394)
Hungarian0.6%(382)
Canadian0.5%(359)
Ukrainian0.5%(346)
Dutch0.5%(343)
Austrian0.5%(336)
West Indian0.5%(319)
Lithuanian0.5%(310)
Swiss0.4%(303)
Danish0.4%(292)
Portuguese0.4%(282)
Finnish0.4%(263)
Slovak0.3%(238)
Lebanese0.3%(212)
Czech0.3%(192)
Haitian0.3%(184)
Ethiopian0.2%(158)
Syrian0.2%(155)
Armenian0.2%(119)
Iraqi0.2%(113)
Iranian0.2%(110)
Jamaican0.2%(106)
Australian0.1%(93)
Romanian0.1%(92)
Brazilian0.1%(75)
Belgian0.1%(57)
Croatian0.1%(57)
Turkish0.1%(46)
Serbian0.1%(43)
Egyptian0%(20)
Nigerian0%(19)
Bulgarian0%(17)
Israeli0%(14)
Slovene0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
59.7%
+23.3 ptssince 2000
from 36.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.5%
+8.2 ptssince 2000
from 88.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
24.0%
+11.0 ptssince 2000
from 13.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.4 min
+57%since 2000
from 12.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
53.9%
−14.3 ptssince 2009
from 68.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
5.4%
−4.8 ptssince 2009
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.6%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
24.8%
+20.0 ptssince 2009
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
11.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
15.4%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 16.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.2%
−1.9 ptssince 2011
from 6.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
71.1%
+1.0 ptssince 2011
from 70.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
85.2%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 82.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 12.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
56.1%
+15.2 ptssince 2009
from 40.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
51.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
11.8%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.4%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2012
from 12.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.0%
−6.5 ptssince 2013
from 11.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.6%
+11.7 ptssince 2017
from 79.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.4%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 92.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
83.9%
+4.8 ptssince 2020
from 79.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
87.3%
+2.0 ptssince 2016
from 85.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
1.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2016
from 2.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married46.3%(13,479)
Married42.4%(12,343)
Widowed1.8%(528)
Divorced9.5%(2,763)
Women 15+
Never married40.3%(12,430)
Married38.8%(11,973)
Widowed8.1%(2,505)
Divorced12.8%(3,945)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.0%
−6.5 ptssince 2013
from 11.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
60.2%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 59.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 14.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 17.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
18.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 17.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.9%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 72.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
32.8%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 30.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)18%(462)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)12.4%(317)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.4%(1,009)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.7%(196)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(24)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,561 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Portland, decade by decade

Portland population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199064,358$63,784$269,52829.6%9.5
200064,249$64,942$228,07136.4%22.1
201066,194$63,904$356,90943.2%36.7
202068,408$74,777$366,88453.7%47.2
202468,854$79,540$489,60059.7%48.0

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Portland

Delray Beach
Pop 69,809
Palm Harbor
Pop 61,512
Mableton
Pop 78,820
St. Cloud
Pop 74,960
Places similar to Portland
Head to head

Compare Portland to nearby cities

PORTLAND VS
South Portland
Income$86,838+9%
Home value$441,200−10%
Population27,007−61%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Westbrook
Income$85,038+7%
Home value$383,300−22%
Population21,565−69%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Old Orchard Beach
Income$60,050−25%
Home value$366,600−25%
Population9,244−87%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Saco
Income$92,241+16%
Home value$413,100−16%
Population21,159−70%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Portland, Maine?

Portland, Maine has about 68,854 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Portland, Maine?

The typical household in Portland, Maine earns about $79,540 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Portland, Maine expensive?

In Portland, Maine, the median home is worth about $489,600, and the typical rent is about $1,577 a month.

How educated are people in Portland, Maine?

About 59.7% of adults age 25 and over in Portland, Maine hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Portland, Maine?

About 11.2% of people in Portland, Maine live below the federal poverty line.

Has Portland, Maine grown since 1990?

Yes, Portland, Maine has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,496 residents, a change of about 7 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →