Compare towns
Falmouth vs Portland
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Falmouth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).
Portland has the most renters (53.1% rent).
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 | Falmouth | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 12,755Lowest |
68,854Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47±3.8Highest 5% above ME |
37.8±0.8Lowest 16% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 24.2%±3.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.4%±1.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 72.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.7%±0.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Portland and Falmouth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $150,919±$24kHighest 102% above ME |
$79,540±$4kLowest 6% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $767,500±$55kHighest 159% above ME |
$489,600±$13kLowest 65% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,120±$441Highest 86% above ME |
$1,577±$35Lowest 38% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,742Highest 155% above ME |
$5,601Lowest 84% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.4%±9.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±3.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Portland and Falmouth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
11.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
46.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1946Lowest 31 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 8% below ME |
19 minLowest 21% below ME |
| Work from home | 33.6%±5.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
24.8%±1.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #3 of 133 in ME | #133 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Falmouth Public Schools | Portland Public Schools · Baxter Academy for Technology and Science |
| High school in town | Falmouth High School | Portland High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
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.