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
Columbia
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs51 · Bottom 38%
Growth
82 · Top 4%
vs73 · Top 12%
Climate
74 · Top 30%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 45%
vs67 · Top 40%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs69 · Bottom 32%
Schools
48 · Bottom 45%
vs6 · Bottom 1%
Access
82 · Bottom 24%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
68 · Top 33%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Portland | Columbia | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,449 | 45,441 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,647 | $63,719 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,785 | $32,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 888/sq mi | 1,245/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $282,200 | $308,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,141 | $1,197 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.7% | 63.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.1% | 25.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 14.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 140 | 555 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.4 | 12.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 94.4% | -12.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 27°F | 27°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 54.3" | 56.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 34 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.2 min | 30.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.8 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 38.9% | 19.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 29.3% | 18.1% | 2019-20 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.
Full profiles: Portland, TN · Columbia, TN · How this is calculated: methodology