Portland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Portland
Sanford
Opportunity
76 · Top 12%
vs68 · Top 26%
Growth
79 · Top 6%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs60 · Bottom 13%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 6%
vs78 · Top 27%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 18%
vs88 · Top 36%
Schools
38 · Bottom 33%
vs43 · Bottom 38%
Access
50 · Bottom 4%
vs70 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
62 · Top 47%
vs62 · Top 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Portland | Sanford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 68,854 | 22,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $79,540 | $72,524 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,781 | $39,027 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,197/sq mi | 466/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $489,600 | $280,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,577 | $1,152 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 46.9% | 71.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% | 2.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.7% | 24.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 10.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 812 | 63 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.8 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 124.9% | -44.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 15°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.1" | 41.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 79 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.9 min | 30.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.8 | 42.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.35 | 13.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 69.4% | 76.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 79.1% | 76.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.2% | 54.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Portland
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Sanford
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Portland, ME · Sanford, ME · How this is calculated: methodology