What is the median rent in South Portland, ME?

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

The median gross rent in South Portland, ME is $1,812 (±$97) a month, according to the US Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

That is across 4,992 rented homes; gross rent is the contract rent plus the utilities and fuels a renter pays separately.

In South Portland, the median gross rent went from $1,305 in 2015–2019 to $1,812 in 2020–2024 (+38.9%).

Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years, so it rose faster than prices: a measurable increase after inflation.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Median gross rent: $1,812 (±$97)
Rented homes: 4,992 (±452)
$2,000 or more: 40.5%
Since 2015–2019: +38.9%

How much rent costs in South Portland

Share of rented homes in each gross-rent range, 2020–2024
Monthly gross rent	South Portland	Cumberland County	Maine	United States
Less than $500	7.9% (±3.6 points)	8.0%	12.2%	6.3%
$500 to $999	9.5% (±3.7 points)	10.7%	27.4%	20.2%
$1,000 to $1,499	16.8% (±3.8 points)	26.5%	31.6%	28.1%
$1,500 to $1,999	25.3% (±5.3 points)	27.4%	16.4%	21.1%
$2,000 to $2,499	23.9% (±5.3 points)	15.7%	7.1%	12.0%
$2,500 to $2,999	12.2% (±4.0 points)	6.4%	2.9%	5.5%
$3,000 or more	4.4% (±2.1 points)	5.5%	2.3%	6.8%

The most common range is $1,500 to $1,999, paid by 25.3% of renting households.

40.5% of rented homes in South Portland cost $2,000 or more a month.

South Portland against Cumberland County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	South Portland	Cumberland County	Maine	United States
Median gross rent	$1,812 (±$97)	$1,589 (±$36)	$1,139 (±$13)	$1,413
Rented homes paying rent	4,992 (±452)	38,373 (±1,293)	142,202 (±2,328)	42,849,984

In South Portland, median gross rent is higher than in Cumberland County ($1,589).

It is also higher than in Maine ($1,139).

It is higher than the national figure ($1,413).

In Cumberland County, South Portland ranks 8 of 26 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest median gross rent.

Statewide, it ranks 11 of 355.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How rent in South Portland has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Median gross rent	$1,305 (±$48)	$1,812 (±$97)	+38.9%	Up after inflation
Households that rent	36.6% (±2.6 points)	41.9% (±3.1 points)	+5.3 percentage points	Measurable increase
Rental vacancy rate	4.0% (±2.6 points)	2.6% (±2.1 points)	−1.4 percentage points	Not a measurable change

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Median gross rent in places near South Portland

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with South Portland
Place	Distance	Median gross rent	Compared with this place
South Portland	—	$1,812 (±$97)	—
Oak Hill	3.7 mi	$1,743 (±$181)	Not measurably different
Scarborough	4.8 mi	$1,956 (±$178)	Not measurably different
Portland	5.0 mi	$1,577 (±$35)	Lower
Cape Elizabeth	6.1 mi	$2,185 (±$275)	Higher
Westbrook	6.2 mi	$1,392 (±$74)	Lower
Falmouth (community)	6.5 mi	$1,573 (±$330)	Not measurably different
Dunstan	6.6 mi	$1,770 (±$168)	Not measurably different
Long Island	7.3 mi	$2,194 (±$226)	Higher

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Portland, ME ($1,577), Westbrook, ME ($1,392).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Cape Elizabeth, ME ($2,185), Long Island, ME ($2,194).

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

Median gross rent across Cumberland County, place by place

Rank	Place	Median gross rent
2	Cape Elizabeth	$2,185 (±$275)
3	Cumberland	$2,143 (±$759)
4	Falmouth	$2,120 (±$441)
5	Chebeague Island	$2,063 (±$878)
6	Scarborough	$1,956 (±$178)
7	Naples	$1,941 (±$625)
8	South Portland	$1,812 (±$97)
9	North Yarmouth	$1,708 (±$641)
10	Yarmouth	$1,693 (±$191)
11	Gorham	$1,680 (±$355)
12	Portland	$1,577 (±$35)
13	Sebago	$1,533 (±$292)
14	Brunswick	$1,469 (±$99)

Showing 13 of 26 places in Cumberland County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in South Portland

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near South Portland, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for South Portland beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near South Portland, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about South Portland

What is the average rent in South Portland, ME?

The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in South Portland is $1,812 (±$97) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.

How much has rent gone up in South Portland?

In South Portland, the median gross rent went from $1,305 in 2015–2019 to $1,812 in 2020–2024 (+38.9%).

Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years, so it rose faster than prices: a measurable increase after inflation.

How many rentals in South Portland cost more than $2,000 a month?

40.5% of rented homes in South Portland have a gross rent of $2,000 or more a month, and 7.9% cost less than $500.

Is rent in South Portland higher than in Cumberland County?

In South Portland, median gross rent is higher than in Cumberland County ($1,589).

It is also higher than in Maine ($1,139).

It is higher than the national figure ($1,413).

Is this the rent for an apartment listed today?

No: these are rents households reported paying across 2020–2024, not asking rents for vacant homes, which usually run higher.

Sources

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 South Portland city, Maine (place:71990, in state:23).

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

The 2015–2019 figures are B25064_001E, B25064_001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP04_0126E, DP04_0126M, DP04_0127PE, DP04_0127PM, DP04_0128PE, DP04_0128PM, DP04_0129PE, DP04_0129PM, DP04_0130PE, DP04_0130PM, DP04_0131PE, DP04_0131PM, DP04_0132PE, DP04_0132PM, DP04_0133PE, DP04_0133PM

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.