Cumberland County · Maine · Northeast · 69k residents
Portland, ME: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Portland: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Maine median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,425/wk. Maine's corporate income tax rate is 8.93%. Commercial electricity averages 18.2¢/kWh.
Compare Portland side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,425/wk
Corporate income tax
8.93%
Bachelor's degree or higher
59.7%
Commercial electricity
18.2¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Portland's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
82/100
Heating
Ranks Portland's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| Median home value | $520,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $340 |
| Property tax rate | 1.3% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,700/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,000/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.85% |
| Sales tax | 5.5% |
| Corporate income tax | 8.93% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,425/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.7% |
| Commercial electricity | 18.2¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 55.9/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $128,710 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $88,470 |
| Wage: General manager | $105,390 |
| Wage: Customer service | $47,910 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $38,930 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $59,900 |
| Wage: Electrician | $71,660 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $37,320 |
| Cost of living index | 113 |
| Groceries index | 107 |
| Utilities | $200/mo |
| Transit pass | $55/mo |
| Gas price | $3.30/gal |
| Healthcare index | 108 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,400/mo |
| Median household income | $69,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% |
| Population | 69k |
| Crime index | 32/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 |
| Walkability | 62/100 |
| Disaster risk | 77/100 |
| Avg. commute | 21 min |
| Sunny days / year | 203 days |
| July high | 80°F |
| January low | 16°F |
| Annual snowfall | 69 in |
| Home price YoY | -0.9% |
| Home price MoM | -0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +3.3% |
| Rent MoM | +0.3% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +0.9% |
| Building permits YoY | +233.1% |
| Ocean coast | 4 mi |
| Big lake | 20 mi |
| Mountains | 67 mi |
| Major airport | 98 mi |
| Ski resort | 63 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- South Portland, ME · 27k
- Westbrook, ME · 21k
- Saco, ME · 21k
- Biddeford, ME · 22k
- Brunswick, ME · 18k
Similar size
- Lewiston, ME · 38k
- Bangor, ME · 32k
- Auburn, ME · 25k
- Sanford, ME · 22k
- Augusta, ME · 19k
Real listings in Portland
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Portland a good place to run a business?
- Maine's corporate income tax rate is 8.93%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,425/wk; commercial electricity averages 18.2¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Portland, ME?
- Portland indexes at 113 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,000/mo and a median home value of $520,000.
- How much does a house cost in Portland?
- The median home value in Portland is $520,000 (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Portland?
- A two-bedroom in Portland rents for about $2,000/mo.