What kinds of homes are in Portland, ME?

Name: Types of homes in Portland, ME, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Portland, ME has 36,559 (±793) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 1,697 homes per square mile of land.

36.0% are detached single-family houses.

26.5% are in buildings of two to four units.

32.6% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 36,559 (±793)
Detached houses: 36.0%
2–4 unit buildings: 26.5%
5+ unit buildings: 32.6%

Homes in Portland by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Portland	Cumberland County	Maine	United States
Single-family, detached	36.0% (±1.7 points)	63.3%	70.0%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	4.6% (±0.7 points)	4.9%	2.6%	6.2%
2 units	9.6% (±1.1 points)	5.8%	4.7%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	16.9% (±1.5 points)	7.0%	5.5%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	11.0% (±1.3 points)	4.6%	3.7%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	6.0% (±0.8 points)	3.2%	1.8%	4.3%
20 or more units	15.6% (±1.2 points)	7.2%	3.6%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.2% (±0.2 points)	4.0%	8.2%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.0% (±0.1 points)	0.0%	0.1%	0.1%

In Portland, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is higher than in Cumberland County (15.0%).

It is also higher than in Maine (9.1%).

It is higher than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Portland

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Portland
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Portland	—	32.6% (±1.9 points)	—
Long Island	3.4 mi	3.3% (±7.3 points)	Lower
Cape Elizabeth	4.6 mi	0.4% (±1.2 points)	Lower
South Portland	5.0 mi	25.9% (±3.5 points)	Lower
Falmouth (community)	6.2 mi	20.3% (±8.5 points)	Lower
Falmouth Foreside	7.0 mi	2.5% (±5.9 points)	Lower
Oak Hill	8.2 mi	18.7% (±5.9 points)	Lower
Scarborough	8.6 mi	12.7% (±3.1 points)	Lower
Falmouth	8.7 mi	7.0% (±1.8 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Long Island, ME (3.3%), Cape Elizabeth, ME (0.4%), South Portland, ME (25.9%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Cumberland County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	Portland	32.6% (±1.9 points)
2	South Portland	25.9% (±3.5 points)
3	Westbrook	21.1% (±4.5 points)
4	Freeport	15.6% (±6.5 points)
5	Brunswick	14.1% (±2.6 points)
6	Scarborough	12.7% (±3.1 points)
7	Yarmouth	12.2% (±4.2 points)

Showing 7 of 28 places in Cumberland County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Portland

How many homes are in Portland?

Portland, ME has an estimated 36,559 (±793) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Portland houses or apartments?

36.0% are detached houses and 4.6% attached houses, while 59.1% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Portland?

26.5% of homes in Portland are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Portland city, Maine

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Portland city, Maine (place:60545, in state:23).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.