CensusEasy
METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Portland Metro

Portland-South Portland, ME · 3 counties · 551,740 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 $72,763. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $273,659. With a median age of 44.0, the population is older than the US median of 38.8.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 44.0
US median: 38.8
More educated
41% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 46%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
551,740
+13%since 2000
from 487,568 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
265 / sq mi
+13%since 2000
from 234 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
44.0
+16%since 2000
from 38.0 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
429K466K502K539K575K1990201020202024Portland
2024563K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.5%(24,921)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95%(27,539)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.4%(29,989)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 195.7%(31,470)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.5%(30,332)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.8%(70,610)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.2%(67,330)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.9%(70,958)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6415.4%(84,860)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7412.4%(68,419)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.9%(32,422)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.3%(12,890)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$72,763
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $43,733 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,534
+75%since 2000
from $22,648 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
48.5%
+15.5 ptssince 2009
from 33.1% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
8.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2000
from 8.0% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information12.7%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade9.3%
US avg: 10%
Other services8.2%
US avg: 6.6%
Wholesale trade6.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration6.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Finance & insurance3.5%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$273,659
+46%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $124,324 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,108
+24%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $592 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
70.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2000
from 69.4% in 2000
29.7% rent
Afford Score
3.8
−13%since 2009
from 4.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Portland on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic96%(467,963)
Black0.8%(3,749)
Hispanic / Latino0.9%(4,218)
Asian1.1%(5,250)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic88.8%(490,011)
Black2.6%(14,229)
Hispanic / Latino2.3%(12,757)
Asian1.8%(9,916)
Other3%(16,559)
Segregation Score
31
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
Mexican0.6%(3,182)
Puerto Rican0.5%(2,459)
South American0.3%(1,345)
Central American0.2%(1,118)
Spaniard0.1%(530)
Dominican0.1%(489)
Cuban0.1%(488)
Salvadoran0.1%(433)
Colombian0.1%(400)
Peruvian0.1%(322)
Guatemalan0.1%(296)
Argentine0.1%(278)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0%(157)
Venezuelan0%(141)
Panamanian0%(118)
Nicaraguan0%(111)
Honduran0%(64)
Chilean0%(16)
Asian origin
Chinese0.4%(2,162)
Asian Indian0.3%(1,595)
Cambodian0.2%(1,119)
Filipino0.2%(1,087)
Vietnamese0.2%(903)
Korean0.1%(512)
Thai0.1%(334)
Japanese0.1%(292)
Pakistani0%(209)
Indonesian0%(189)
Nepalese0%(138)
Taiwanese0%(61)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0%(33)
Mongolian0%(16)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(114)
Samoan0%(51)
Ancestry
English19.2%(102,811)
Irish18.8%(100,849)
French11.6%(62,015)
German8.1%(43,341)
French Canadian7.7%(41,538)
Italian7.5%(40,333)
American5.4%(29,034)
Scottish4.3%(23,028)
Polish2.6%(13,711)
Swedish1.7%(9,314)
Scotch-Irish1.5%(7,887)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian1.1%(5,859)
British1.1%(5,806)
Welsh1%(5,492)
Canadian0.9%(4,894)
Dutch0.8%(4,358)
Greek0.8%(4,042)
Russian0.8%(4,042)
Portuguese0.6%(3,391)
Danish0.6%(3,094)
Finnish0.5%(2,549)
Lithuanian0.4%(2,095)
Hungarian0.3%(1,818)
Czech0.3%(1,811)
Ukrainian0.3%(1,490)
West Indian0.2%(1,179)
Swiss0.2%(1,142)
Austrian0.2%(1,002)
Somali0.2%(960)
Lebanese0.2%(953)
Jamaican0.1%(693)
Romanian0.1%(645)
Slovak0.1%(629)
Armenian0.1%(606)
Iraqi0.2%(601)
Ethiopian0.1%(527)
Australian0.1%(472)
Brazilian0.1%(353)
Belgian0.1%(324)
Syrian0.1%(297)
Bulgarian0%(213)
Iranian0%(204)
Croatian0%(196)
Latvian0%(193)
Slovene0%(181)
Haitian0%(147)
Arab0%(136)
Serbian0%(132)
Turkish0%(122)
Nigerian0%(89)
Egyptian0%(82)
Israeli0%(82)
Moroccan0%(45)
Ghanaian0%(40)
Kenyan0%(17)
Barbadian0%(14)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest French population · Largest German population · Largest French Canadian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
41.2%
+12.0 ptssince 2000
from 29.2% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
94.6%
+6.0 ptssince 2000
from 88.6% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
15.8%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 10.2% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.9 min
+59%since 2000
from 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
76.4%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 78.3% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
6.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.4%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 6.0% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
67.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2011
from 68.8% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Management & professional
43.5%
−22.5 ptssince 2009
from 66.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
51.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
4.9%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
5.8%
−85.2 ptssince 2013
from 91.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
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
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+21%
Home value$353,100+29%
Population578,741same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Reno
Income$87,337+20%
Home value$520,025+90%
Population578,734same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Lancaster
Income$86,959+20%
Home value$301,100+10%
Population563,159−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTLAND VS
Huntsville
Income$85,881+18%
Home value$295,284+8%
Population556,444−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

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

Portland-South Portland, ME has about 551,740 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Portland-South Portland, ME earns about $72,763 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 $273,659, and the typical rent is about $1,108 a month.

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

About 41.2% 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 8.1% 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 110,483 residents, a change of about 25 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 →