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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Portland Metro

Portland-South Portland, ME · 3 counties · 441,257 residents · 2,081 sq mi
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The short version

With 441,257 people, Portland is a metro area. Poverty is uncommon here, at 7.5% of people across the metro. Median home value sits at $115,068. 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. There are 46,311 fewer people here than in 2000. Median household income is $32,315, close to the national figure.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 33.6
US median: 33.0
More educated
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
441,257
−9%vs 2000
vs 487,568 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
212 / sq mi
−9%vs 2000
vs 234 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
33.6
−11%vs 2000
vs 38.0 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
2,081 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
429K466K502K539K575K19902000201020202024Portland
2024563K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57.2%(31,805)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.1%(31,379)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.4%(28,424)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 196.8%(29,814)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247%(31,055)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3418%(79,625)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4416.4%(72,481)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410%(44,015)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 648.2%(36,393)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747.2%(31,838)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.2%(18,375)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.4%(6,053)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$32,315
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $43,733 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$15,024
−34%vs 2000
vs $22,648 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
7.5%
−0.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 8.0% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$115,068
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $124,324 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$511
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $592 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
67.6%
−1.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 69.4% in 2000
32.4% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic96%(467,963)
Black0.8%(3,749)
Hispanic / Latino0.9%(4,218)
Asian1.1%(5,250)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic98.2%(433,288)
Black0.6%(2,565)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(3,235)
Asian0.8%(3,541)
Other0.4%(1,863)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)
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)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Okinawan0%(39)
Malaysian0%(35)
Laotian0%(26)
Mongolian0%(11)
Nepalese0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(184)
Samoan0%(65)
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)
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)
Barbadian0%(101)
Kenyan0%(82)
Egyptian0%(81)
Slovene0%(73)
Guyanese0%(48)
Israeli0%(48)
Moroccan0%(15)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
23.9%
−5.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 29.2% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
82.7%
−5.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 88.6% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
7.7%
−2.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 10.2% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.8 min
+32%vs 2000
vs 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
4.8%
−4.1 ptssince 2013
from 8.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
62.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 63.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 15.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
22.3%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 20.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
14.1%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 13.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.3%(7,385)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.2%(13,249)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.9%(1,704)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(308)
US avg: 1%

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

Cumberland CountyCENTRAL317,222York CountyCENTRAL222,434Sagadahoc County37,979
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 Portland
Head to head

Compare Portland side by side

PORTLAND VS
New Haven
Income$88,197+173%
Home value$353,100+207%
Population578,741same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Reno
Income$87,337+170%
Home value$520,025+352%
Population578,734same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Lancaster
Income$86,959+169%
Home value$301,100+162%
Population563,159−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Huntsville
Income$85,881+166%
Home value$295,284+157%
Population556,444−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Portland-South Portland, ME?

Portland-South Portland, ME has about 441,257 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Portland-South Portland, ME?

The typical household in Portland-South Portland, ME earns about $32,315 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 $115,068, and the typical rent is about $511 a month.

How educated are people in Portland-South Portland, ME?

About 23.9% 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 7.5% of people in Portland-South Portland, ME live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Portland-South Portland, ME (1990): population, income & housing data · CensusEasy