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
Lebanon
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs74 · Top 16%
Growth
82 · Top 4%
vs79 · Top 5%
Climate
74 · Top 30%
vs71 · Top 49%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 45%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Schools
48 · Bottom 45%
vs28 · Bottom 20%
Access
82 · Bottom 24%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
68 · Top 33%
vs58 · Bottom 44%
Measured values
| Metric | Portland | Lebanon | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,449 | 44,788 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,647 | $72,848 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,785 | $37,959 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 888/sq mi | 1,101/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $282,200 | $378,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,141 | $1,306 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.7% | 62.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.1% | 30.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 13.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 140 | 1,062 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.4 | 23.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 94.4% | -6.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 27°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 54.3" | 50.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 34 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.2 min | 29.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.8 | 35.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 38.9% | 31.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 29.3% | 27.4% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Portland
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Lebanon
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, tornado.
Full profiles: Portland, TN · Lebanon, TN · How this is calculated: methodology