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 Portland vs Burlington on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 17 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.
PortlandBurlington
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 | 66,881 | 42,452 |
| Center Elevation | 62 ft(19 m) | 200 ft(61 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $540,162 | $501,228 |
| Median Rent | $2,311 | $2,143 |
| Median Income | $71,498 | $64,931 |
| Rent Burden | 39% | 40% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Sunny Days | 279 days/yr | 268 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 57°F | 56°F |
| Avg. Low | 42°F | 41°F |
| Comfort Score | 47/100Mixed | 41/100Challenging |
| Temp Swing | 44°F | 50°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49"(124 cm) | 45"(114 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 43"(109 cm) | 48"(122 cm) |
| Air Quality | AQI 38 (Avg)11 days > 100 | AQI 36 (Avg)0 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Transit Score | 54 | 48 |
| Safety Score | 77 / 100 | 67 / 100 |
| School Rating | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | N/A |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 53%Cable: 92% | Fiber: 97%Cable: 100% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 37.6 years | 27.4 years |
| College Educated | 58% | 60% |
| Remote Workers | 18% | 14% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner. | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Portland | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Burlington |
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