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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Portland Metro

Portland-South Portland, ME · 3 counties · 487,568 residents · 2,081.368 sq mi
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The short version

Portland has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $43,733. Population has held roughly steady since 1990. Median home value is $124,324.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $42,589
Older
median age 38.0
US median: 35.2
More educated
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 18%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
487,568
+10%since 1990
from 441,257 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
234 / sq mi
+10%since 1990
from 212 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
38.0
+13%since 1990
from 33.6 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
429K466K502K539K575K1990201020202024Portland
2024563K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 55.9%(28,612)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.8%(33,141)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.3%(35,357)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.6%(32,119)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 245.2%(25,519)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.2%(64,533)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4417.5%(85,463)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5415.1%(73,538)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 649.1%(44,199)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.9%(33,483)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.7%(23,151)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.7%(8,453)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$43,733
+3%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $32,315 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$22,648
+51%since 1990
from $15,024 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
8.0%
+0.5 ptssince 1990
from 7.5% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$124,324
−18%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $115,068 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$592
−12%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $511 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
69.4%
+1.8 ptssince 1990
from 67.6% in 1990
30.6% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Portland on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

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

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)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest French population · Largest German population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.2%
+5.3 ptssince 1990
from 23.9% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
88.6%
+5.9 ptssince 1990
from 82.7% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
10.2%
+2.6 ptssince 1990
from 7.7% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
15.7 min
−25%since 1990
from 20.8 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married27.6%(51,579)
Married60%(111,992)
Widowed2.6%(4,857)
Divorced9.8%(18,212)
Women 15+
Never married22.6%(45,957)
Married55%(112,037)
Widowed10.1%(20,654)
Divorced12.3%(25,122)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
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+102%
Home value$353,100+184%
Population578,741same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Reno
Income$87,337+100%
Home value$520,025+318%
Population578,734same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Lancaster
Income$86,959+99%
Home value$301,100+142%
Population563,159−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Huntsville
Income$85,881+96%
Home value$295,284+138%
Population556,444−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

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

Portland-South Portland, ME has about 487,568 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Portland-South Portland, ME earns about $43,733 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 $124,324, and the typical rent is about $592 a month.

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

About 29.2% 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 8.0% 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 46,311 residents, a change of about 10 percent over that period.

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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 →