METRO AREA
Portland Metro
Portland-South Portland, ME · 3 counties · 577,635 residents (2025 est.) · 2,081 sq mi
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The short version
Portland is a metro area of 562,843 people. That puts it in the top 1% of US metro areas for household income. At a median age of 43.7, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 46% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The foreign-born share is 5%. 73% of homes are owner-occupied.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.7
US median: 38.9
More educated
46% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 86%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
562,843
+15%since 2000
from 487,568 in 2000
577,635 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
2,081 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024563K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.5%(25,351)
5 to 94.9%(27,658)
10 to 145.2%(29,299)
15 to 195.5%(30,759)
20 to 245.5%(30,855)
25 to 3413.1%(73,601)
35 to 4412.9%(72,607)
45 to 5412.3%(69,202)
55 to 6414.7%(82,957)
65 to 7412.8%(71,935)
75 to 846.4%(36,078)
85 and over2.2%(12,541)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$92,328
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $43,733 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
58.8%
+25.7 ptssince 2009
from 33.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.8%
Retail trade9.6%
Other services8%
Wholesale trade6.7%
Public administration6.5%
Finance & insurance3.7%
Professional, scientific, technical2.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.3%
Construction1.3%
Education & health services0.8%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$422,019
+86%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $124,324 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.6
+5%since 2009
from 4.3 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.
83
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic96%(467,963)
Black0.8%(3,749)
Hispanic / Latino0.9%(4,218)
Asian1.1%(5,250)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic87.7%(493,877)
Black2.3%(13,104)
Hispanic / Latino2.5%(14,140)
Asian1.7%(9,346)
Other5.8%(32,376)
28
+101%since 2009
from 14 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
26
−17%since 2020
from 31 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican0.7%(3,770)
Puerto Rican0.5%(2,596)
South American0.4%(2,304)
Central American0.4%(2,059)
Spaniard0.2%(888)
Guatemalan0.1%(770)
Ecuadorian0.1%(668)
Salvadoran0.1%(528)
Colombian0.1%(526)
Cuban0.1%(512)
Dominican0.1%(450)
Venezuelan0.1%(328)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(327)
Argentine0.1%(268)
Costa Rican0.1%(241)
Panamanian0%(172)
Honduran0%(161)
Nicaraguan0.1%(155)
Chilean0%(94)
Bolivian0%(73)
Paraguayan0%(10)
Uruguayan0%(10)
Asian origin
Chinese0.4%(2,297)
Filipino0.3%(1,545)
Asian Indian0.2%(1,013)
Vietnamese0.2%(848)
Cambodian0.1%(656)
Korean0.1%(629)
Japanese0.1%(432)
Kazakh0.1%(430)
Taiwanese0.1%(306)
Thai0.1%(306)
Pakistani0%(128)
Indonesian0%(64)
Ancestry
English21.5%(120,869)
Irish18.8%(105,606)
French9.9%(55,855)
German8.4%(47,129)
Italian6.8%(38,454)
French Canadian6.1%(34,172)
American4.5%(25,523)
Scottish4.4%(24,806)
Polish2.7%(15,294)
Swedish1.7%(9,400)
Subsaharan African1.5%(8,627)
Scotch-Irish1.5%(8,539)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.9%(4,900)
Norwegian0.8%(4,758)
Canadian0.8%(4,343)
British0.8%(4,301)
Greek0.7%(4,201)
Dutch0.7%(4,130)
Russian0.7%(4,030)
Portuguese0.5%(2,888)
Danish0.5%(2,869)
Arab0.5%(2,585)
Finnish0.4%(1,979)
Lithuanian0.3%(1,951)
Hungarian0.3%(1,943)
Czech0.3%(1,915)
Ukrainian0.3%(1,603)
West Indian0.3%(1,549)
Somali0.3%(1,314)
Austrian0.2%(1,221)
Lebanese0.2%(1,159)
Swiss0.2%(1,109)
Slovak0.2%(1,082)
Jamaican0.2%(1,004)
Iraqi0.1%(604)
Armenian0.1%(599)
Brazilian0.1%(546)
Romanian0.1%(529)
Bulgarian0.1%(487)
Syrian0.1%(435)
Croatian0.1%(340)
Iranian0.1%(330)
Serbian0.1%(309)
Latvian0%(272)
Haitian0%(246)
Australian0%(230)
Belgian0%(203)
Nigerian0.1%(185)
Turkish0%(178)
Ethiopian0%(167)
Cape Verdean0%(119)
Barbadian0%(101)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(97)
Kenyan0%(82)
Egyptian0%(81)
Slovene0%(73)
Palestinian0%(51)
Guyanese0%(48)
Israeli0%(48)
Macedonian0%(48)
Moroccan0%(15)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
96.2%
+7.6 ptssince 2000
from 88.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.7%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 80.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.4%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 93.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.4%(75,545)
Married54.6%(127,248)
Widowed2.6%(6,164)
Divorced10.3%(24,063)
Women 15+
Never married27.2%(67,320)
Married50.9%(126,041)
Widowed8.2%(20,418)
Divorced13.6%(33,736)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
14.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 15.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
76.1%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 77.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
33.7%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 31.1% 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)20.9%(7,251)
Gulf War (1990s)21.3%(7,385)
Vietnam era38.2%(13,249)
Korean War4.9%(1,704)
World War II0.9%(308)
Share of the 34,653 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
In this metro
Largest cities
PortlandCENTRAL69,911South PortlandCENTRAL27,007Sanford22,663Biddeford22,399Westbrook21,565Saco21,159Brunswick17,652Old Orchard Beach9,244Bath8,835Gorham7,593Topsham7,271Yarmouth6,289Kennebunk6,221Oak Hill5,631North Windham5,417Kittery5,110York Harbor4,240South Eliot4,203South Berwick3,381Lake Arrowhead3,322Cumberland Center2,790Cape Neddick2,453Dunstan2,363Richmond2,089Falmouth Foreside2,051Berwick1,998Steep Falls1,861Bridgton1,756North Berwick1,702Falmouth1,585
The 30 most populous of 45 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
3 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Portland
New Haven
Pop 578,741
Reno
Pop 578,734
Lancaster
Pop 563,159
Huntsville
Pop 556,444
Places similar to PortlandHead to head
Compare Portland side by side
PORTLAND VS
New Haven
Income$88,197−4%
Home value$353,100−16%
Population578,741same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Reno
Income$87,337−5%
Home value$520,025+23%
Population578,734same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Lancaster
Income$86,959−6%
Home value$301,100−29%
Population563,159−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Huntsville
Income$85,881−7%
Home value$295,284−30%
Population556,444−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Portland-South Portland, ME?
Portland-South Portland, ME has about 562,843 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The typical household in Portland-South Portland, ME earns about $92,328 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Portland-South Portland, ME expensive?
In Portland-South Portland, ME, the median home is worth about $422,019, and the typical rent is about $1,460 a month.
How educated are people in Portland-South Portland, ME?
About 46.0% of adults age 25 and over in Portland-South Portland, ME hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Portland-South Portland, ME?
About 7.6% of people in Portland-South Portland, ME live below the federal poverty line.
Has Portland-South Portland, ME grown since 1990?
Yes, Portland-South Portland, ME has grown since 1990. The population has added about 121,586 residents, a change of about 28 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024