METRO AREA · 2020 ACS
Portland Metro
Portland-South Portland, ME · 3 counties · 551,740 residents · 2,081 sq mi
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The short version
With 551,740 people, Portland is a metro area. At a median age of 44.0, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 41% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The foreign-born share is 5%. 70% of homes are owner-occupied. The poverty rate is 8.1%, under the national 12.8%.
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
Land area
2,081 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024563K
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.5%(24,921)
5 to 95%(27,539)
10 to 145.4%(29,989)
15 to 195.7%(31,470)
20 to 245.5%(30,332)
25 to 3412.8%(70,610)
35 to 4412.2%(67,330)
45 to 5412.9%(70,958)
55 to 6415.4%(84,860)
65 to 7412.4%(68,419)
75 to 845.9%(32,422)
85 and over2.3%(12,890)
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Section 02
Income & economy
$72,763
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $43,733 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
48.5%
+15.5 ptssince 2009
from 33.1% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information12.7%
Retail trade9.3%
Other services8.2%
Wholesale trade6.6%
Public administration6.5%
Finance & insurance3.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1%
Construction1%
Education & health services0.5%
Manufacturing0%
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Section 03
Housing
$273,659
+46%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $124,324 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
3.8
−13%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.
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)
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)
Costa Rican0%(79)
Honduran0%(64)
Paraguayan0%(18)
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)
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)
Subsaharan African1.4%(7,377)
+ 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)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.1%(154)
Haitian0%(147)
Arab0%(136)
Serbian0%(132)
Turkish0%(122)
Cape Verdean0%(93)
Nigerian0%(89)
Egyptian0%(82)
Israeli0%(82)
Moroccan0%(45)
Ghanaian0%(40)
Palestinian0%(21)
Kenyan0%(17)
Macedonian0%(16)
Barbadian0%(14)
Guyanese0%(8)
Jordanian0%(4)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
94.6%
+6.0 ptssince 2000
from 88.6% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.7%
US average: 73.3%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
93.1%
US average: 91.9%
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
Direct-purchase
15.5%
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
2.6%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
77.4%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
31.1%
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)16.3%(6,066)
Gulf War (1990s)20.4%(7,584)
Vietnam era38.1%(14,164)
Korean War8.3%(3,071)
World War II3.7%(1,360)
Share of the 37,203 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.
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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
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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
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PORTLAND VS
Lancaster
Income$86,959+20%
Home value$301,100+10%
Population563,159−3%
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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