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CITY

South Portland

Maine · 27,007 residents (2025 est.) · 12.0 sq mi
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The short version

South Portland is a city of 26,930 people in Maine. This is an unusually credentialed place: 52% of adults have a four-year degree. The average commute runs 17 minutes. There are 2,236 people per square mile. Owners hold 58% of the housing stock. The poverty rate is 6.9%, under the national 12.5%.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.9
US median: 38.9
More educated
52% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 114%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
26,930
+15%since 2000
from 23,324 in 2000
27,007 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,236 / sq mi
+13%since 2009
from 1,978 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.9
+8%since 2000
from 37.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
12.0 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
23K24K25K26K27K19902000201020202024South Portland
202427K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.9%(1,312)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 93.1%(847)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144%(1,080)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.1%(1,367)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 249.4%(2,526)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.2%(4,080)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.3%(3,589)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.9%(3,204)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.4%(3,345)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.9%(3,209)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.9%(1,852)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.9%(519)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$86,838
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,770 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$50,723
+123%since 2000
from $22,781 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
56.8%
+28.3 ptssince 2009
from 28.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
6.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2000
from 6.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.423
+3%since 2010
from 0.409 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services7.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade6.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration6%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade5.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services1%
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
$441,200
+114%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $113,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,812
+55%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $643 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
58.1%
−6.2 ptssince 2000
from 64.4% in 2000
41.9% rent
Vacancy rate
4.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.16 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.27 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
21.9%
−17.3 ptssince 2009
from 39.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
53.2%
+4.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.1
+12%since 2009
from 4.5 in 2009
2009 – 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
77
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic95.2%(22,194)
Black0.6%(135)
Hispanic / Latino1.1%(263)
Asian1.6%(368)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic78.9%(21,242)
Black7.1%(1,925)
Hispanic / Latino4%(1,082)
Asian3.4%(911)
Other6.6%(1,770)
Diversity Score
46
+136%since 2009
from 19 in 2009
2009 – 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
Mexican0.7%(188)
Venezuelan0.7%(176)
Puerto Rican0.4%(113)
Guatemalan0.4%(102)
Nicaraguan0.4%(97)
Salvadoran0.3%(93)
Spaniard0.3%(69)
Ecuadorian0.2%(45)
Cuban0.2%(43)
Colombian0.1%(17)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.7%(189)
Taiwanese0.6%(162)
Kazakh0.4%(109)
Cambodian0.3%(87)
Korean0.3%(78)
Asian Indian0.2%(58)
Filipino0.2%(52)
Japanese0.2%(42)
Laotian0%(1)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
Irish20.5%(5,533)
English20.5%(5,513)
French9.4%(2,528)
German7.8%(2,107)
Italian7.3%(1,965)
Scottish3.9%(1,063)
American3.1%(848)
Polish2.9%(788)
Somali2.4%(647)
Scotch-Irish1.7%(446)
+ 32 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh1.1%(305)
Swedish1%(279)
Russian1%(276)
Norwegian0.9%(252)
Portuguese0.8%(207)
Hungarian0.8%(205)
British0.7%(195)
Dutch0.7%(181)
Danish0.5%(134)
Nigerian0.4%(110)
Austrian0.4%(108)
Lithuanian0.4%(98)
Arab0.3%(89)
Brazilian0.3%(87)
Armenian0.3%(78)
Greek0.3%(70)
Ukrainian0.2%(58)
Canadian0.2%(55)
Finnish0.2%(49)
Czech0.2%(42)
Slovak0.1%(28)
Lebanese0.1%(26)
West Indian0.1%(25)
Cape Verdean0.1%(22)
Swiss0.1%(18)
Jamaican0.1%(17)
Syrian0.1%(15)
Latvian0%(12)
Iraqi0%(11)
Serbian0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
51.7%
+23.8 ptssince 2000
from 28.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.9%
+6.2 ptssince 2000
from 89.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
19.0%
+10.3 ptssince 2000
from 8.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
17.1 min
+54%since 2000
from 11.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
65.5%
−14.6 ptssince 2009
from 80.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.0%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.4%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
19.5%
+15.0 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.8%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.6%
−1.5 ptssince 2011
from 4.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
72.0%
Unchangedsince 2011
from 72.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
84.8%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 84.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.7%
−2.3 ptssince 2009
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
47.5%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 43.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
46.2%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 45.4% in 2009
Female
53.8%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 54.6% in 2009
Foreign born
10.5%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.3%
−5.0 ptssince 2009
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2012
from 11.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.3%
−3.7 ptssince 2013
from 10.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.7%
+7.5 ptssince 2017
from 84.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.7%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 94.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
87.8%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 86.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
87.4%
−4.4 ptssince 2016
from 91.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.1%
+1.2 ptssince 2016
from 0.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.3%(4,452)
Married46.4%(5,129)
Widowed1.7%(187)
Divorced11.6%(1,280)
Women 15+
Never married34%(4,301)
Married40.9%(5,171)
Widowed8%(1,007)
Divorced17.1%(2,164)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.3%
−3.7 ptssince 2013
from 10.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
63.9%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 62.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.9%
−3.2 ptssince 2020
from 17.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
21.5%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 20.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.5%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 14.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
75.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 76.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
30.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 30.0% 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)10.9%(133)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.8%(205)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era45.7%(559)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(68)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,223 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
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SOUTH PORTLAND VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in South Portland, Maine?

South Portland, Maine has about 26,930 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in South Portland, Maine?

The typical household in South Portland, Maine earns about $86,838 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is South Portland, Maine expensive?

In South Portland, Maine, the median home is worth about $441,200, and the typical rent is about $1,812 a month.

How educated are people in South Portland, Maine?

About 51.7% of adults age 25 and over in South Portland, Maine hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in South Portland, Maine?

About 6.9% of people in South Portland, Maine live below the federal poverty line.

Has South Portland, Maine grown since 1990?

Yes, South Portland, Maine has grown since 1990. The population has added about 3,767 residents, a change of about 16 percent over that period.

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

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