Compare towns
Portland vs Bangor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
Towns like PortlandLewiston
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Portland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.3%).
Bangor has the most affordable homes ($220k median).
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 | Portland | Bangor |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 68,854Highest |
31,938Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 37.8±0.8Lowest 16% below ME |
41±1.3Highest 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.4%±1.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±1.7Highest 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+ | 16.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.9%±1.9Highest 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+ | 59.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.7%±0.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $79,540±$4kHighest 6% above ME |
$59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $489,600±$13kHighest 65% above ME |
$219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,577±$35Highest 38% above ME |
$1,055±$43Lowest 7% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,601Highest 84% above ME |
$3,076Lowest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.5%±6.5Highest 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 | 11.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 46.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
47.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1946Lowest 31 yrs older than ME |
1954Highest 23 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minHighest 21% below ME |
17 minLowest 33% below ME |
| Work from home | 24.8%±1.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #133 of 133 in ME | #37 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Portland Public Schools · Baxter Academy for Technology and Science | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 |
| High school in town | Portland High School | Bangor High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.4Highest |
13.3Lowest |
| 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.