Compare towns
Bangor vs Portland
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bangor has the most affordable homes ($220k median).
Portland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.3%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Bangor | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 31,938Lowest |
68,854Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+3.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Highest 8% below ME |
37.8±0.8Lowest 16% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±1.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.4%±1.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Bangor and Portland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±1.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bangor and Portland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
59.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
6.7%±0.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
$79,540±$4kHighest 6% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
$489,600±$13kHighest 65% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43Lowest 7% below ME |
$1,577±$35Highest 38% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076Lowest about the ME average |
$5,601Highest 84% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bangor and Portland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
11.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
46.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Highest 23 yrs older than ME |
1946Lowest 31 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
19 minHighest 21% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.8%±1.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #37 of 133 in ME | #133 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | Portland Public Schools · Baxter Academy for Technology and Science |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | Portland High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Lowest |
14.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.