Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety95#48/924
Economy99#13/925
Housing26#685/925
Health86#130/925
Healthcare96#34/923
Environment57#399/917
Education98#22/925
Infrastructure92#71/925
Community91#86/925
Leisure & amenities97#31/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Portland-South Portland, ME metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Food insecurity · low9.1%
99/100Maine 11.5%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
High school diploma or higher · high96.2%
98/100Maine 94.8%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Poverty rate · low7.7%
98/100Maine 10.6%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Voter turnout · high78.4%
97/100Maine 75.6%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Physical inactivity · low17.8%
97/100Maine 23.3%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.1 /10k
96/100Maine 1.3 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Drought exposure · high87%
10/100Maine 75%United States 43%Nov 2025–Oct 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · high44.1%
10/100Maine 36.0%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Home price to income ratio · high4.6×
18/100Maine 4.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
High ozone days · high2 days
18/100Maine 1 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low23.7%
20/100Maine 21.2%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Days with unhealthy air · high1.6%
21/100Maine 0.9%2025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
7% (2021) → 87% (Nov 2025–Oct 2026)
+81 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysWorsening
1 days (2017) → 2 days (2022)
+75%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
31.1% (Dec 2021) → 44.1% (Aug 2026)
+13 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
68.6% (2010 & 2021) → 79.3% (2022 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Physical inactivityImproving
25.5% (2019) → 17.8% (2023)
−7.7 pts4 yearsUS 25.9% → 26.5%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
31.7 /100k (2021) → 19.8 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−37%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Portland-South Portland, ME metro area improved on 14 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 5 moved within the margin of error and 9 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Bachelor's++4.9 points41.0% → 45.9%
Uninsured−1.6 points7.5% → 6.0%
Gyms+26%1.6 /10k → 2.1 /10k
Real income+35%$60,424 → $81,449
Household income+31%$70,266 → $92,175

Declined4

Homicides+146%0.4 /100k → 1.1 /100k
Firearm deaths+41%7.0 /100k → 9.9 /100k
Price / income+0.8×3.7× → 4.6×
Restaurants−6.4%13.7 /10k → 12.8 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Portland-South Portland, ME metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	7.3 /10k2020	8.4 /10k2025	+14%	Improved	63%
Average commute time	25.0 min2015-2019	25.1 min2020-2024	+0.2 min	Within the margin of error	58%
Average weekly wage	$1,1062020	$1,3662025	+24%	Improved	53%
Bachelor's degree or higher	41.0%2015-2019	45.9%2020-2024	+4.9 points	Improved	90%
Broadband subscriptions	86.3%2015-2019	92.8%2020-2024	+6.5 points	Improved	19%
Child poverty rate	9.5%2015-2019	8.6%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Distance to an airport	17 mi2020	17 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	80%
Drug overdose deaths	28.6 /100k2020	19.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−31%	Improved	57%
Effective property tax rate	1.28%2015-2019	0.96%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	91%
Firearm deaths	7.0 /100k2020	9.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+41%	Declined	13%
Grocery stores	2.2 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	−3.5%	Little change	37%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.6 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	+26%	Improved	77%
High school diploma or higher	94.3%2015-2019	96.2%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Improved	56%
Home price to income ratio	3.7×2015-2019	4.6×2020-2024	+0.8×	Declined	20%
Homicide rate	0.4 /100k2020	1.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+146%	Declined	0%
Income adjusted for local prices	$60,4242019	$81,4492024	+35%	Improved	71%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4422015-2019	0.4482020-2024	+0.007	Within the margin of error	35%
Median household income	$70,2662015-2019	$92,1752020-2024	+31%	Improved	71%
New business applications	9.4 /1k2020	11.7 /1k2025	+24%	Improved	20%
Pharmacies	2.2 /10k2020	2.2 /10k2025	−2%	Little change	65%
Poverty rate	8.5%2015-2019	7.6%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Improved	46%
Property crime rate	1,026 /100k2020	876 /100k2025	−15%	Improved	16%
Public libraries	1.3 /10k2019	1.3 /10k2024	−4.5%	Little change	27%
Public transit commuters	1.0%2015-2019	0.7%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Little change	45%
Rent as share of income	28.8%2015-2019	29.3%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Rent-burdened households	46.4%2015-2019	48.0%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Restaurants and bars	13.7 /10k2020	12.8 /10k2025	−6.4%	Declined	21%
Suicide rate	16.3 /100k2020	16.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+1.2%	Little change	59%
Traffic deaths	8.4 /100k2015-2019	8.2 /100k2020-2024	−2.9%	Little change	68%
Unemployment rate	4.8%2020	2.8%2025	−2 points	Improved	22%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.5%2015-2019	6.0%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Improved	79%
Violent crime rate	97 /100k2020	93 /100k2025	−4.1%	Little change	31%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Portland-South Portland, ME metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Portland-South Portland, ME metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Portland-South Portland, ME metro area itself moved −0.4 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

562,843 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

240,027 households (±1,348)

Portland-South Portland, ME metro area
United States share

Under $25k12%27,617
$25k–50k15%35,077
$50k–75k15%36,144

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

240,027 households (±1,348)

Portland-South Portland, ME metro area
United States share

Own73%175,751
Rent27%64,276

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.8 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

297,964 workers (±2,375)

Portland-South Portland, ME metro area
United States share

Drive alone67%200,408
Carpool7.0%20,987
Public transit0.7%2,052

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Portland-South Portland, ME employ 62,590 people. 8 pay a median above the US median and 2 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Portland-South Portland, ME by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Retail Salespersons8,510 jobs	8,510	$37,320US $35,410	+5%	1.18×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides8,150 jobs	8,150	$38,580US $35,800	+8%	1.02×
Fast Food and Counter Workers8,040 jobs	8,040	$35,300US $31,200	+13%	1.12×
General and Operations Managers7,160 jobs	7,160	$105,390US $105,770	0%	1.1×
Registered Nurses6,970 jobs	6,970	$88,470US $97,550	−9%	1.11×
Cashiers5,610 jobs	5,610	$36,210US $32,880	+10%	0.98×
Waiters and Waitresses5,070 jobs	5,070	$44,070US $35,230	+25%	1.2×
Stockers and Order Fillers4,950 jobs	4,950	$38,930US $37,330	+4%	0.94×
Office Clerks, General4,310 jobs	4,310	$47,040US $45,010	+5%	0.94×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners3,820 jobs	3,820	$40,460US $36,840	+10%	0.93×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Portland-South Portland, ME.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Portland-South Portland, ME has 19,167 employer establishments, 337 for every 10,000 residents (1.36× the US rate of 248), with 261,252 paid employees at an average annual pay of $63,041. The Census Bureau also counts 58,202 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 19,167; 58,202 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 337; US 248
Paid employees: 261,252
Average annual pay: $63,041; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Portland-South Portland, ME by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	1,627	28.6	1.85×More than typical	9,557	$67,677	4,959
Restaurants and other eating places	1,429	25.1	1.37×More than typical	21,061	$32,826	195
Ambulatory health care services	1,301	22.9	1.10×About typical	17,420	$82,971	3,087
Lessors of real estate	1,026	18	1.46×More than typical	3,809	$61,167	7,138
Construction of buildings	794	14	1.85×More than typical	3,404	$74,781	2,125
Services to buildings and dwellings	772	13.6	2.01×More than typical	3,980	$46,906	3,153
Full-service restaurants	702	12.3	1.61×More than typical	12,371	$37,520	76
Building equipment contractors	658	11.6	1.92×More than typical	4,494	$70,271	929
Offices of other health practitioners	570	10	1.65×More than typical	2,606	$50,446	2,101
Real estate agents and brokers	487	8.6	1.76×More than typical	655	$74,012	1,576
Landscaping services	467	8.2	2.34×More than typical	2,137	$56,779	1,006
Limited-service restaurants	461	8.1	1.01×About typical	5,752	$27,308	89

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 569,060 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $2.8B on contracts performed in Portland-South Portland, ME metro area: $4,885 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: $2.8B; −22% vs FY2025
Per resident: $4,885; US $2,007
Sole-source: 26%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.8%; US 8.7%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$2.3B82%
Defense Health Agency$433.6M15%
Department of the Army$24.8M0.9%
Defense Logistics Agency$20.1M0.7%
Forest Service$4.1M0.1%
Department of the Air Force$3.4M0.1%
Federal Aviation Administration$2.9M0.1%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$1.7M0.1%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

2.7BFY2017
1.1BFY2018
3.1BFY2019
2.6BFY2020
1.9BFY2021
2.5BFY2022
3.4BFY2023
3.4B

Top industries (NAICS)

Ship and boat building · 3366$2.1B75%
Insurance carriers · 5241$433.5M15%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$104.3M3.7%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$30.9M1.1%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$24.9M0.9%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$19.4M

Largest awards

CONSTRUCTION OF DDG 51 SHIPS FY23-27$6.9B
BATH IRON WORKS CORPORATION· Sagadahoc County, ME· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Aug 1, 2023 – Jun 10, 2026· N0002423C2305
FY18-FY22 DDG 51 CLASS SHIP CONSTRUCTION$5.5B
BATH IRON WORKS CORPORATION· Sagadahoc County, ME· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Sep 27, 2018 – Jun 12, 2026· N0002418C2305
FY13-FY17 DDG 51 CLASS SHIP CONSTRUCTION.$5B
BATH IRON WORKS CORPORATION· Sagadahoc County, ME· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Oct 6, 2016 – Jun 12, 2026· N0002413C2305
DDG 1000 DETAIL DESIGN

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $5B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Portland-South Portland, ME metro area: $8,722 per resident (US $12,975).

Assistance · FY2026: $5B; −4.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,722; US $12,975
Loan face value: $188.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$2.8B56%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$412.7M8.2%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$312.9M6.2%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$275.9M5.5%
93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$263M5.2%
14.195 · Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)$209.8M4.2%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$186M3.7%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$81.2M1.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

MAINE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$122.3M2.4%
AUGUSTA, ME
PORTLAND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION$39.8M0.8%
PORTLAND, ME
MAINEHEALTH$19.6M0.4%
PORTLAND, ME
FIFTH & 106TH STREET ASSOCIATES LP$18.2M0.4%
PORTLAND, ME
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE SYSTEM$16.8M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$3.4B67%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$756.8M15%
Department of Health and Human Services
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$361.4M7.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner$199.8M4.0%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Federal Highway Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

4.1BFY2021
4.1BFY2022
4.5BFY2023
4.8BFY2024
5.3BFY2025
5BFY2026

County aggregates

89%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 8, 2026, loaded Oct 8, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Portland-South Portland, ME

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Maine

Areas based in Maine, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-10-06
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M38860

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Portland-South Portland, ME metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Portland-South Portland, ME

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Maine

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought