South Portland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
South Portland
Sanford
Opportunity
77 · Top 11%
vs68 · Top 26%
Growth
45 · Bottom 40%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs60 · Bottom 13%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 6%
vs78 · Top 27%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 22%
vs88 · Top 36%
Schools
86 · Top 6%
vs43 · Bottom 38%
Access
53 · Bottom 5%
vs70 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
75 · Top 17%
vs62 · Top 48%
Measured values
| Metric | South Portland | Sanford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,930 | 22,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,838 | $72,524 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,723 | $39,027 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,236/sq mi | 466/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $441,200 | $280,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,812 | $1,152 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.1% | 71.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 2.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.7% | 24.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 10.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 23 | 63 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -28.1% | -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 | 75 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.6 min | 30.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.9 | 42.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.14 | 13.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 87.9% | 76.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 88.6% | 76.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 31.6% | 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
South Portland
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Sanford
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
South Portland
68
Your Score
71
Area Score
Sanford
65
Your Score
65
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: South Portland, ME · Sanford, ME · How this is calculated: methodology