Living in Portland, ME
Small city in Maine
Portland is a small city in Maine, home to about 69,000 people, with 350,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Portland a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 77°F
- Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
- Low natural disaster risk: 10 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Easy flying: PWM is 2 mi away
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Higher taxes: about $1,982 state income tax per resident, 1.24% property tax
- Smaller job market: about 350,000 people live within 31 mi
- Fewer family amenities than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Portland ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Portland: common questions
What is the cost of living in Portland?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $563k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,590 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 102, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Portland?
Maine collects about $1,982 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.24% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Portland safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.6× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Portland?
Portland has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 35°F and summer days around 77°F, with roughly 69″ of snow a year.
Does Portland get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and hurricanes: 10 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.34 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Portland?
The nearest major airport is PWM, about 2 mi away.
How Portland scores
Each bar compares Portland with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Portland right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.