Cost of living in Portland research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Portland is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Maine, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Portland is 111, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Portland is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Portland ranks as the #24 cheapest in Maine out of 29.
Portland ranks as the #4,219 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Portland is $341,700.
The median income in Portland is $66,109.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Portland has an overall cost of living index of 111, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Maine, Portland has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Maine's index of 112.
The standard of living in Portland ranks as #24 most affordable out of the 29 places we measured in Maine. By definition, that implies Portland ranks as the #5 most expensive place in the Pine Tree State.
For more reading on life in Portland, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Portland. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Portland is 109.
The Groceries index in Portland is 100.
The Health index in Portland is 116.
The Housing index in Portland is 125.
The Transportation index in Portland is 103.
The Utilities index in Portland is 108.
Living Expense | Portland | Maine | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 111 | 112 | 100 | |
Services | 109 | 114 | 100 | |
Groceries | 100 | 101 | 100 | |
Health | 116 | 97 | 100 | |
Housing | 125 | 120 | 100 | |
Transportation | 103 | 116 | 100 | |
Utilities | 108 | 104 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Maine, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Portland is $341,700.
The Median Rent in Portland is $1,278.
The Median Income in Portland is $66,109.
The Home Value To Income in Portland is 5.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Portland is 0.23x.
Statistic | Portland | Maine | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $341,700 | $212,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,278 | $927 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $66,109 | $63,182 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.2x | 3.4x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Portland. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
South Portland, ME has a cost of living index of 113, 1.0x Portland.
Saco, ME has a cost of living index of 109, 1.0x Portland.
Westbrook, ME has a cost of living index of 105, 0.9x Portland.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Portland |
---|---|---|---|
South Portland, ME | 26,428 | 113 | 1.0x |
Saco, ME | 20,203 | 109 | 1.0x |
Westbrook, ME | 20,074 | 105 | 0.9x |
Old Orchard Beach, ME | 8,954 | 106 | 1.0x |
Gorham, ME | 7,378 | 112 | 1.0x |
Yarmouth, ME | 6,043 | 121 | 1.1x |