Housing and tax tradeoff: Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine comes out ahead here on rent burden and tax burden. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Burlington vs Portland on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 30 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
BurlingtonPortland
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on affordability, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on rent burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 42,452 | 66,881 |
| Center Elevation | 200 ft(61 m) | 62 ft(19 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $501,228 | $540,162 |
| Median Rent | $2,143 | $2,311 |
| Median Income | $64,931 | $71,498 |
| Rent Burden | 40% | 39% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 268 days/yr | 279 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 56°F | 57°F |
| Avg. Low | 41°F | 42°F |
| Comfort Score | 41/100Challenging | 47/100Mixed |
| Temp Swing | 50°F | 44°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 45"(114 cm) | 49"(124 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 48"(122 cm) | 43"(109 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 362024 modeled avg · 0 days > 100 | Typical: 382024 modeled avg · 11 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Transit Score | 48 | 54 |
| Safety Score | 67 / 100 | 77 / 100 |
| School Rating | 6/10 | 7.9/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | N/A |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 97%Cable: 100% | Fiber: 53%Cable: 92% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 27.4 years | 37.6 years |
| College Educated | 60% | 58% |
| Remote Workers | 14% | 18% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Burlington. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Portland. One featured slot per city |
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