VarroExplore other towns

Portland, ME

Yarmouth is part of the Portland area. This page covers the whole metro.

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Portland

Cross Insurance Arena exterior view
Cross Insurance Arena exterior view · Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Fitzpatrick Stadium Portland, Maine
Fitzpatrick Stadium Portland, Maine · Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Fort Gorges in Portland, Maine
Fort Gorges in Portland, Maine · Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Hadlock Field, Portland Sea Dogs
Hadlock Field, Portland Sea Dogs · Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Longfellow Square, Portland, ME
Longfellow Square, Portland, ME · Photo: Hugh C. Leighton, Public domain
Photo of Portland
Park Street
Park Street · Photo: Motionhero, CC BY-SA 3.0
Portland MEskyview
Portland Harbor Fore River
Portland High School
Portland High School · Photo: BMRR, CC BY-SA 3.0
Portland Maine Custom House
Portland Maine Custom House · Photo: BrianAdler, Public domain
Portland Transportation Center
Portland Transportation Center · Photo: Metrodogmedia, CC0
More towns near Portland
Ranks the towns around it by your budget and what you love doing.
Portland hasn't been added yet

Sign in (free) to add it. It takes about a minute, and then anyone can read it.

Where it is
Portland
Portland in Maine
Maine in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the Portland area.

13
grocery stores
149
restaurants
33
coffee shops
78
parks
39
playgrounds
11
libraries
2
movie theaters
9
live theaters
12
museums
17
bookstores
7
gyms
43
bars
3
pharmacies
2
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of the Portland area.

Bike lanes and bike paths
25 miles
more than most U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
89 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 60,074 rented homes in the Portland area, 84% rent for under $2,000 a month and 97% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 24%
$1,000 to $1,499: 33%
$1,500 to $1,999: 26%
$2,000 to $2,499: 10%
$2,500 to $2,999: 4%
$3,000 or more: 3%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in the Portland area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $2,000 to $2,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $3,000 to $4,497 where landlords also ask for last month.

Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,000 to $1,499, that's a yearly income of about $36,000 to $53,964.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Moving to Maine: before and after

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Maine DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Maine voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

Portland High School
Portland High School · Photo: BMRR, CC BY-SA 3.0

17 public school districts in this county, with about 36,073 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Portland Public Schools · Portland
6,476 students · 10.6 students per teacher · 17 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Rsu 14 · Windham
3,155 students · 12.5 students per teacher · 6 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
South Portland Public Schools · South Portland
3,081 students · 11.4 students per teacher · 8 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Scarborough Public Schools · Scarborough
2,891 students · 11.2 students per teacher · 6 schools · grades K to 12
Gorham Public Schools · Gorham
2,737 students · 12.7 students per teacher · 5 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Maine keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$252/week
about $13,100 a year
$207/week
about $10,800 a year
Toddler (2)$252/week
about $13,100 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$261/week
about $13,600 a year
$190/week
about $9,900 a year
School-age$158/week
about $8,200 a year

For an infant at a center: $252/week here, $234 across ME, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 11% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Maine →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

8 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Portland. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

University of Southern Maine · Portland
Public, 4-year · 7,528 students · $10,920 in-state, $27,104 out-of-state
Southern Maine Community College · South Portland
Public, 2-year (community college) · 7,205 students · $3,797 in-state, $6,677 out-of-state
Unity Environmental University · New Gloucester
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 6,359 students · $12,640 a year
Bowdoin College · Brunswick
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 1,850 students · $64,910 a year
Saint Joseph's College of Maine · Standish
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 1,463 students · $42,834 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$539,862
What a typical home sells for across the Portland area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 2% above the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $102 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 101.9 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 1 hr 58 min at rush hour
To downtown Boston, MA, 110 miles. About 1 hr 52 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
25 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
1 within 15 miles
The nearest is about 8.5 miles from the town center (FirstLight).
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), loaded July 2026
Homeowners insurance
About $1,335 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in ME. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
2 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
21 per 100,000 people a year
66 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. ME average: 25.8 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 17.2 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 2,413 people without housing in the Maine Statewide area (16 counties): 2,132 in shelters and 281 outside, down from 2,702 in 2024. ME: 17.2 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$92,983
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
1.11% of home value a year
About $1,110 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 9.15%
ME's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

More towns in Maine →

Did this page help you decide whether to visit Portland, ME or cross it off?