Jobs, pay and daily life in Portland, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Portland is a city in Maine with 68,854 residents. The median household earns $79,540 a year and the median rent is $1,577 a month, which is 23.8% of the median household income. It is part of the Portland-South Portland, ME metropolitan area, where BLS counts 288,480 jobs.
How Portland compares. Among the 40 largest places in Maine, Portland is #1 by population, #3 for college degrees (#1 = most), #3 for remote work (#1 = most), #38 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Cumberland County, is #1 of 16 counties for average pay ($71,351).
Portland has 68,854 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 5.0% of the population of Maine. It covers 22 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,197 people per square mile. The median age is 37.8, 16% younger than the state median (37.8 against 44.8).
The median gross rent is $1,577 a month (rent plus utilities), 38% above the state median ($1,577 against $1,139). Over a year that is 23.8% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $489,600, which is 6.2 times the median household income ($79,540); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 46.9% of households own their home, 37% below the state average (46.9% against 74.3%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Portland-South Portland, ME metropolitan area has 288,480 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $56,960 a year, 12% above the national median ($56,960 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (31,590 jobs, median $49,810); food preparation and serving related (26,880 jobs, median $38,170); sales and related (24,590 jobs, median $41,150). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (1.5 times) and personal care and service (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($113,880) and architecture and engineering ($99,200). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Cumberland County was 2.7%. 70.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Cumberland County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 53.9% drive alone, 2.6% use public transit, 11.0% walk, 24.8% work from home. 8.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 40% below the state average (8.8% against 14.5%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
59.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 65% above the state share (59.7% against 36.2%). 11.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 190% above the state share (11.8% against 4.1%). The poverty rate is 11.2%, 4% above the state rate (11.2% against 10.8%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 67°F (19.3°C), and the coolest is Jan at 30°F (-1.3°C). About 1,363 mm (54 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Oct is the wettest month (145 mm) and Aug the driest (94 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: South Portland (5 miles, rent 15% higher); Oak Hill (8 miles, rent 11% higher); Westbrook (10 miles, rent 12% lower); Old Orchard Beach (11 miles, rent 21% lower). Rent differences are against Portland; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Maine (185) →State guide: MaineCountry guideCumberland CountyMaine rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 185 federal postings open in Maine (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 8,510 | 1.18 | $37,320 | $32,950 | $51,330 | +5% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 8,150 | 1.02 | $38,580 | $35,790 | $46,940 | +8% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 8,040 | 1.12 | $35,300 | $31,190 | $42,990 | +13% |
| General and Operations Managers | 7,160 | 1.10 | $105,390 | $54,920 | $205,660 | -0% |
| Registered Nurses | 6,970 | 1.11 | $88,470 | $78,430 | $106,040 | -9% |
| Cashiers | 5,610 | 0.98 | $36,210 | $31,120 | $41,050 | +10% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 5,070 | 1.20 | $44,070 | $31,130 | $87,790 | +25% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 4,950 | 0.94 | $38,930 | $33,190 | $55,080 | +4% |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,310 | 0.94 | $47,040 | $34,530 | $62,630 | +5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,820 | 0.93 | $40,460 | $35,940 | $53,610 | +10% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,480 | 0.72 | $47,910 | $36,780 | $64,930 | +7% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 3,440 | 0.90 | $59,900 | $43,780 | $72,800 | +2% |
| Nursing Assistants | 3,380 | 1.26 | $48,180 | $41,280 | $58,790 | +14% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 3,180 | 1.80 | $46,670 | $35,320 | $58,260 | +19% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 3,170 | 1.20 | $48,770 | $38,490 | $60,210 | +33% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,930 | 0.92 | $52,000 | $42,180 | $68,910 | +9% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 2,830 | 1.10 | $76,770 | $48,600 | $95,590 | +20% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 2,730 | 1.04 | $46,560 | $38,570 | $54,830 | +25% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 2,670 | 1.05 | $54,610 | $43,520 | $71,990 | +8% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 2,610 | 1.25 | $55,550 | $43,200 | $77,110 | +14% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 690 | 1.08 | $442,790 | $211,690 | $442,790 | +67% |
| Chief Executives | 600 | 1.59 | $176,000 | $79,760 | $510,100 | -18% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 700 | 0.56 | $167,100 | $106,330 | $226,730 | -5% |
| Pharmacists | 620 | 1.04 | $140,620 | $89,940 | $166,550 | -0% |
| Financial Managers | 1,550 | 0.99 | $138,590 | $85,340 | $261,690 | -17% |
| Marketing Managers | 860 | 1.18 | $135,380 | $98,060 | $229,660 | -19% |
| Managers, All Other | 710 | 0.61 | $135,130 | $83,640 | $210,490 | -5% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 720 | 1.21 | $130,240 | $107,820 | $165,090 | -2% |
| Lawyers | 1,360 | 0.97 | $129,990 | $78,990 | $226,030 | -19% |
| Software Developers | 1,460 | 0.47 | $128,710 | $83,760 | $185,130 | -5% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,180 | 1.07 | $127,650 | $79,490 | $246,080 | +3% |
| Engineers, All Other | 510 | 1.78 | $123,780 | $80,290 | $155,150 | +1% |
| Construction Managers | 740 | 1.04 | $117,260 | $62,390 | $171,650 | +2% |
| Electrical Engineers | 650 | 1.77 | $113,760 | $80,740 | $161,230 | -6% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 570 | 0.70 | $113,760 | $72,850 | $172,490 | -2% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 590 | 0.96 | $113,160 | $80,110 | $131,110 | +7% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 630 | 1.15 | $107,060 | $79,600 | $136,160 | +3% |
| Project Management Specialists | 1,370 | 0.69 | $105,530 | $66,770 | $150,120 | +3% |
| General and Operations Managers | 7,160 | 1.10 | $105,390 | $54,920 | $205,660 | -0% |
| Physical Therapists | 880 | 1.77 | $102,820 | $80,750 | $122,770 | +0% |
These figures are for the whole Portland-South Portland, ME metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $56,960 (US $50,980); unemployment 2.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 27.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 16.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.1% |
| Retail trade | 10.0% |
| Manufacturing | 8.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 8.3% |
| Construction | 4.5% |
| Other services | 4.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.9% |
| Information | 2.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.0% |
| Public administration | 1.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Portland lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 308,827 | $34,616 million | $112,089 | 192,475 | 18,210 | $71,351 | +1.7% | 2.7% | 178,277 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 37,547 | 23.7% | $72,034 | 1.36 |
| Retail trade | 21,810 | 13.8% | $42,057 | 1.13 |
| Accommodation and food services | 17,711 | 11.2% | $34,759 | 1.01 |
| Professional and technical services | 14,229 | 9.0% | $111,448 | 1.06 |
| Manufacturing | 10,995 | 6.9% | $78,928 | 0.70 |
| Finance and insurance | 10,227 | 6.5% | $128,616 | 1.31 |
| Administrative and waste services | 8,574 | 5.4% | $56,727 | 0.76 |
| Management of companies | 7,362 | 4.6% | $119,319 | 2.27 |
| Wholesale trade | 7,162 | 4.5% | $95,019 | 0.94 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 5,968 | 3.8% | $54,259 | 1.03 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5,036 | 3.2% | $58,505 | 0.62 |
| Educational services | 4,866 | 3.1% | $62,669 | 1.22 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 3,245 | 2.0% | $38,449 | 1.00 |
| Real estate and rental | 3,227 | 2.0% | $67,567 | 1.08 |
| Utilities | 380 | 0.2% | $144,540 | 0.52 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 53.9% |
| Public transit | 2.6% |
| Walk | 11.0% |
| Work from home | 24.8% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 8.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $79,540 |
| Income per person | $52,781 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,577 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.8% |
| Median home value | $489,600 |
| Homeowners | 46.9% |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 101.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $56,960 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 7.15%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 59.7% |
| Born abroad | 11.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 70.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -1.3 | 30 | 103 |
| Feb | -1.1 | 30 | 103 |
| Mar | 1.4 | 35 | 110 |
| Apr | 5.7 | 42 | 121 |
| May | 10.2 | 50 | 101 |
| Jun | 15.0 | 59 | 127 |
| Jul | 18.8 | 66 | 96 |
| Aug | 19.3 | 67 | 94 |
| Sep | 16.4 | 62 | 97 |
| Oct | 11.5 | 53 | 145 |
| Nov | 6.5 | 44 | 125 |
| Dec | 2.0 | 36 | 141 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Portland | ME | 5 mi | 26,930 | $86,838 | $1,812 |
| Oak Hill | ME | 8 mi | 5,631 | $97,610 | $1,743 |
| Westbrook | ME | 10 mi | 20,775 | $85,038 | $1,392 |
| Old Orchard Beach | ME | 11 mi | 9,244 | $60,050 | $1,246 |
| Yarmouth | ME | 12 mi | 6,289 | $93,575 | $1,663 |
| Gorham | ME | 13 mi | 7,593 | $128,190 | $1,573 |
| Saco | ME | 14 mi | 20,819 | $92,241 | $1,249 |
| Biddeford | ME | 17 mi | 22,498 | $72,333 | $1,292 |
| North Windham | ME | 18 mi | 5,417 | $88,522 | $1,248 |
| Brunswick | ME | 21 mi | 17,652 | $70,722 | $1,465 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
68,854 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,577 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.8% of the median household income.
$79,540 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.7% (BLS county, Cumberland County (latest month 2026M09)).
Maine. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.