City safety & data profile

South PortlandME

South Portland, ME is a 26K-resident city in Cumberland County with a median household income of $86,838.

Cumberland County, Maine. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for South Portland, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. South Portland has a population larger than 56% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $441,200.

Data updated 2026-07-20

26K
Population
Top 44%
By size
$86,838
Median income
$441,200
Median home
6.9%
Poverty rate

The read on South Portland

South Portland posts a median household income higher than 57% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 43%
by median income, US cities

Where South Portland income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$86,838 Top 43% higher than 57% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. ME $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading South Portland, ME beyond the headline numbers

South Portland sits inside Cumberland County, Maine, at roughly 43.64°N, -70.24°W. Population 25,556, $86,838 median household income. Median home value $441,200, median rent $1,812. Poverty rate 6.9%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: South Portland's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 30.9%, then short sleep duration at 30.6%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for South Portland from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
25,556
South Portland
Median Income
$86,838
+28% vs avg
Median Home Value
$441,200
+94% vs avg
Median Age
40.9
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Cumberland County) - South Portland's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
309K+9%
Median Income
$95,677+67%
Median Home Value
$451,200+87%
Poverty Rate
7.3%-36%
Unemployment
3.1%-50%

Economics

Economics indicators for South Portland, ME
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,812/mo
Poverty Rate
6.9% -51% vs avg
Unemployment 2.6%
Bachelor's Degree+ 51.7%
Work From Home 19.5%
Public Transit 0.4%

Population

White 79.9%
African American 7.2%
Asian 3.4%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.5%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
30.9%
Short Sleep Duration
30.6%
Obesity
27%
Binge Drinking
17.7%
Physical Inactivity
17.6%
Frequent Mental Distress
17.5%
Current Asthma
12.2%
Frequent Physical Distress
12.1%
Current Smoking
11.4%
Diabetes
8.7%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 69.3%
Annual Checkup 79.4%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
7.1%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.6%
Stroke
2.8%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of South Portland, ME? ▼
South Portland, ME has a population of 25,556 people, located in Cumberland County, Maine.
What is the median household income in South Portland? ▼
The median household income in South Portland, ME is $86,838 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 6.9%.
What is the median home value in South Portland? ▼
The median home value in South Portland, ME is $441,200. Median rent is $1,812/month.
What are the top health concerns in South Portland? ▼
The top health indicators in South Portland include High Blood Pressure (30.9%), Short Sleep Duration (30.6%), Obesity (27%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in South Portland? ▼
The median age in South Portland, ME is 40.9 years. 51.7% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

South Portland, ME is located in Cumberland County, Maine. With a population of 26K and a $86,838 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and short sleep duration. Safety alerts for the South Portland area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Maine

Real-time AQI for every monitored Maine location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Portland, ME 67K South Portland Gardens, ME 24K Westbrook, ME 18K West Scarborough, ME 28K Saco, ME 19K Biddeford, ME 21K Brunswick, ME 15K Auburn, ME 23K
All cities in Maine → Compare South Portland vs Portland → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using South Portland's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the South Portland area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare South Portland against Maine peers on any ranking lens. Explore Maine

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Cumberland County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.