Portland-South Portland, ME

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

Add Comparison
    2024 Population
    562,843
    US Senator
    Susan Collins
    Republican Party
    US Senator
    Angus King
    Independent Party
    2024 Poverty Rate
    7.65%
    0.467% 1-year increase
    2024 Median Household Income
    $92,175
    4.03% 1-year growth
    2024 Median Property Value
    $420,000
    10.7% 1-year growth
    2024 Employed Population
    302,898
    0.572% 1-year growth

    About

    None of the households in Portland-South Portland, ME reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

    97.4% of the residents in Portland-South Portland, ME are U.S. citizens.

    The largest universities in Portland-South Portland, ME are University of Southern Maine (1,800 degrees awarded in 2024), University of New England (1,402 degrees), and Southern Maine Community College (862 degrees).

    In 2024, the median property value in Portland-South Portland, ME was $420,000, and the homeownership rate was 73.2%.

    Most people in Portland-South Portland, ME drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Portland-South Portland, ME was 2 cars per household.

    About the photo: Old Orchard Beach pier
    Photo by Hildegarde Anderson
    United StatesMaine

    Population & Diversity

    Portland-South Portland, ME is home to a population of 563k people, from which 97.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.33% of Portland-South Portland, ME residents were born outside of the country (30k people).

    In 2024, there were 33.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (494k people) in Portland-South Portland, ME than any other race or ethnicity. There were 14.7k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 14.6k Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    Population & Diversity

    Citizenship

    97.4%
    2024 Citizenship
    97.6%
    2023 Citizenship

    As of 2024, 97.4% of Portland-South Portland, ME residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Portland-South Portland, ME was 97.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

    The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Portland-South Portland, ME compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Diversity

    Race and Ethnicity

    The 3 largest ethnic groups in Portland-South Portland, ME
    1. White (Non-Hispanic)
      494k ± 2.09k
    2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
      14.7k ± 1.09k
    3. Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
      14.6k ± 1.94k
    2.51%
    Hispanic Population
    14.1k people

    In 2024, there were 33.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (494k people) in Portland-South Portland, ME than any other race or ethnicity. There were 14.7k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 14.6k Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    2.51% of the people in Portland-South Portland, ME are hispanic (14.1k people).

    The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Portland-South Portland, ME as a share of the total population.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Global Diversity

    The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Maine.
    Most Common Origin
    1. Canada
      10,285 ± 2,481 people
    2. China
      2,950 ± 1,332 people
    3. Other Africa, not specified
      2,714 ± 1,278 people

    In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Maine was Canada, the natal country of 10,285 Maine residents, followed by China with 2,950 and Other Africa, not specified with 2,714.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Foreign-Born Population

    5.33%
    2024 Foreign-Born Population
    30k people
    5.19%
    2023 Foreign-Born Population
    28.9k people

    As of 2024, 5.33% of Portland-South Portland, ME residents (30k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Portland-South Portland, ME was 5.19%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

    The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Portland-South Portland, ME compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Vietnam
      12,663 ± 839
    2. Gulf War (2001-)
      7,251 ± 757
    3. Gulf War (1990s)
      4,615 ± 606

    Portland-South Portland, ME has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.75 times greater than any other conflict.

    The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Portland-South Portland, ME.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Health

    95.2% of the population of Portland-South Portland, ME has health coverage, with 53.4% on employee plans, 10.4% on Medicaid, 15.6% on Medicare, 14.2% on non-group plans, and 1.64% on military or VA plans.

    Primary care physicians in Maine see 932 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (932 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1406 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 177 patients per year.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

    Coverage

    Patient to Clinician Ratios

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maine.
    932 to 1
    Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Maine

    Primary care physicians in Maine see an average of 932 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (932 patients).

    The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Maine in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Health Care Diversity

    In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.3% under 18 years, 19.6% between 18 and 34 years, 40.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.1% over 64 years.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

    The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Uninsured People

    4.77%
    Uninsured
    53.4%
    Employer Coverage
    10.4%
    Medicaid
    15.6%
    Medicare
    14.2%
    Non-Group
    1.64%
    Military or VA

    Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Portland-South Portland, ME declined by 4.32% from 4.98% to 4.77%.

    The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Portland-South Portland, ME changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Economy

    The economy of Portland-South Portland, ME employs 303k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Portland-South Portland, ME were Health Care & Social Assistance (49,051 people), Retail Trade (35,804 people), and Educational Services (30,238 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($135,694), Utilities ($103,535), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($85,109).

    Employment

    Occupations

    303k
    2024 Value
    ± 4,421
    0.572%
    1 Year growth
    ± 2.14%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Portland-South Portland, ME grew at a rate of 0.572%, from 301k employees to 303k employees.

    The most common job groups, by number of people living in Portland-South Portland, ME, are Management Occupations (39,327 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (28,980 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (28,477 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Portland-South Portland, ME.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Unemployment Insurance Claims

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maine.

    This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Maine (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

    The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Industries

    Employment by Industries

    303k
    2024 Value
    ± 4,421
    0.572%
    1 Year growth
    ± 2.14%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Portland-South Portland, ME grew at a rate of 0.572%, from 301k employees to 303k employees.

    The most common employment sectors for those who live in Portland-South Portland, ME, are Health Care & Social Assistance (49,051 people), Retail Trade (35,804 people), and Educational Services (30,238 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Portland-South Portland, ME, though some of these residents may live in Portland-South Portland, ME and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Median Earnings by Industry

    $61,283
    Median earning men ± $781
    $47,319
    Median earning women ± $929

    The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($87,030), Public Administration ($79,609), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($78,314).

    The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($66,397), Public Administration ($61,646), and Information ($61,394).

    View Data
    Save Image

    Employment by Industry Sector

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maine.
    Y-Axis
    1.54%
    Year-over-year growth
    Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

    As of February 2023, there are 627k people employed in Maine. This represents a 1.54% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

    Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.4%.

    The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Maine.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Establishments by Size

    The industries with the most establishments
    1. 1,786
      Construction
    2. 1,444
      Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
    3. 1,054
      Other Services (except Public Administration)

    The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

    The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Payroll by Industry Sector

    The industries with the highest total annual payroll
    1. $2.96M
      Health Care and Social Assistance
    2. $1.91M
      Manufacturing
    3. $1.58M
      Finance and Insurance

    The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Civics

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Maine went to Kamala Harris with 52.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (45.5%), followed by Jill Stein (1.08%).

    Susan Collins and Angus King are the senators currently representing the state of Maine. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    Maine is currently represented by 2 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

    Presidential Elections

    Voting results are not available for Portland-South Portland, ME. Showing the available data for Maine.
    2024 Election Results
    1. Kamala Harris (52.4%)
      Democratic Party
    2. Donald J. Trump (45.5%)
      Republican Party
    3. Jill Stein (1.08%)
      Green Party

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Maine went to Kamala Harris with 52.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (45.5%), followed by Jill Stein (1.08%).

    The following chart shows the popular vote results in Maine for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Senator Elections

    US Senators from Maine

    Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Maine.
    Susan Collins
    Senator from Maine2
    Assumed office on January 3, 1997
    Angus King
    Senator from Maine1
    Assumed office on January 3, 2013
    Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont join meetings of the Senate Democratic Caucus.{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2012/11/14/165149633/maine-independent-angus-king-to-caucus-with-senate-democrats |title=Maine Independent Angus King to Caucus with Senate Democrats |publisher=National Public Radio |first=Padmananda |last=Rama |date=November 14, 2012 |access-date=November 30, 2020 |quote=Angus King of Maine, who cruised to victory last week running as an independent, said Wednesday that he will caucus with Senate Democrats... The Senate's other independent, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, also caucuses with the Democrats.}}

    Susan Collins and Angus King are the senators currently representing Maine.

    In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    The following chart shows elected senators in Maine over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Education

    In 2024, universities in Portland-South Portland, ME awarded 6,875 degrees. The student population of Portland-South Portland, ME in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 12,149 male students and 23,246 female students.

    Most students graduating from Universities in Portland-South Portland, ME are White (5,288 and 77.9%), Black or African American (363 and 5.34%), Hispanic or Latino (332 and 4.89%), and Unknown (291 and 4.28%).

    The largest universities in Portland-South Portland, ME by number of degrees awarded are University of Southern Maine (1,800 and 26.2%), University of New England (1,402 and 20.4%), and Southern Maine Community College (862 and 12.5%).

    The most popular majors in Portland-South Portland, ME are Registered Nursing (447 and 6.5%), General Business Administration & Management (285 and 4.15%), and Conservation Biology (181 and 2.63%).

    The median tuition costs are $42,650 for private four year colleges, and $9,180 and $27,030 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

    Admissions & Enrollments

    Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

    University
    Measure

    In 2024 in Portland-South Portland, ME, the percentage of applicants admitted was 46.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 16.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 35,395 (34.3% men and 65.7% women).

    The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Enrollments by Gender and Races

    Universities

    In 2024 there were 35,395 students enrolled in Portland-South Portland, ME, 34.3% men and 65.7% women.

    By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 25,776 records, of which 66.2% were women and 33.8% men.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Completions

    Concentrations

    Most Common
    1. Registered Nursing
      341 degrees awarded
    2. Other Animal Science
      117 degrees awarded
    3. General Business Administration & Management
      110 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Portland-South Portland, ME was Registered Nursing with 341 degrees awarded.

    This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Portland-South Portland, ME according to their major.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Universities

    Gender
    Race
    Largest Universities by degrees awarded
    1. University of Southern Maine
      1,800 degrees awarded
    2. University of New England
      1,402 degrees awarded
    3. Southern Maine Community College
      862 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Southern Maine with 1,800 degrees awarded.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Student Diversity

    University

    In 2024, 2,289 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Portland-South Portland, ME, which is 0.499 times less than the 4,586 female students who received degrees in the same year.

    In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 5,288 degrees mean that there were 14.6 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 363 degrees awarded.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Awarded Degrees over Time

    The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Tuition

    Average Net Price by Sector

    Universities

    Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($42,650) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

    Public, 4-year or above ($2,910) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

    Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($2,043) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

    The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Housing & Living

    The median property value in Portland-South Portland, ME was $420,000 in 2024, which is 1.26 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $379,500 to $420,000, a 10.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Portland-South Portland, ME is 73.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

    People in Portland-South Portland, ME have an average commute time of 25.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Portland-South Portland, ME is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

    Housing

    Property

    $420,000
    Median Property Value 2024
    ±$4,614
    $175,751
    Median Property Taxes
    ±$2,932

    The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Portland-South Portland, ME the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

    The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Portland-South Portland, ME compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Rent vs Own

    73.2%
    Homeownership
    2024
    63%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2024

    In 2024, 73.2% of the housing units in Portland-South Portland, ME were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 73.1%.

    This chart shows the percentage of owner in Portland-South Portland, ME compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Equity

    Household Income

    Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
    $92,175
    Median Household Income
    ± $1,533
    240k
    Number of Households
    ± 3,846

    In 2024, the median household income of the 240k households in Portland-South Portland, ME grew to $92,175 from the previous year's value of $88,602.

    The following chart displays the households in Portland-South Portland, ME distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Wage Distribution

    The closest comparable wage GINI for Portland-South Portland, ME is from Maine.
    0.439
    2024 Wage GINI in Maine
    0.439
    2023 Wage GINI in Maine

    In 2024, the income inequality in Maine was 0.439 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.15% growth from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Maine was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Maine in comparison to the national average.

    This chart shows the number of workers in Maine across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2024
    1. Drove Alone (67.3%)
    2. Worked At Home (19.6%)
    3. Carpooled (7.04%)

    In 2024, 67.3% of workers in Portland-South Portland, ME drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (19.6%) and those who carpooled to work (7.04%).

    The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Commute Time

    25.1 minutes
    Average Travel Time

    Using averages, employees in Portland-South Portland, ME have a shorter commute time (25.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.08% of the workforce in Portland-South Portland, ME have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

    The chart below shows how the median household income in Portland-South Portland, ME compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Car Ownership

    2 cars
    Average Number

    The following chart displays the households in Portland-South Portland, ME distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Portland-South Portland, ME have 2 cars.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Poverty

    Poverty & Diversity

    7.65% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Portland-South Portland, ME (42k out of 550k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Females 75+.

    The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Portland-South Portland, ME is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

    The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

    View Data
    Save Image