Portland, Connecticut

Town · population 9,384 (2020 Census)

Median home: $337,400
Household income: $118,929
Jan low / Jul high: 20° / 85°
Snow a year: 43 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 8
Median age: 41.6

Portland is a town of 9,384 people, Connecticut. The median home is worth $337,400, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). It ranks more of a college town than 82% of Connecticut towns.

Portland in our rankings:

#18 in The 25 Most Affordable Small Towns in Connecticut

How Portland ranks

Percentile among Connecticut towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Connecticut towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Portland is worth $337,400, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $118,929, which is more affordable than 89% of Connecticut towns. Median rent is $1,129 a month. 83.9% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Connecticut towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Portland	Typical Connecticut town
Median home value	$337,400	$376,000
Median rent	$1,129	$1,462
Median household income	$118,929	$109,167
Home value ÷ income	2.8×	3.6×
Homeownership	83.9%	80.3%
Median year built	1961	1969
Seasonal / vacation homes	4.2%	—

Who lives in Portland

People	Portland	Typical Connecticut town
Median age	41.6	45.0
Age 65 and over	18.7%	20.6%
Under 18	22.3%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	52.1%	45.8%
Below the poverty line	3.9%	5.7%
Veterans	7.3%	—
Born outside the U.S.	6.3%	—
Work from home	18.5%	16.8%
Average commute	28.4 min	27.6 min
Homes with broadband	90.3%	93.8%

Weather in Portland

July highs average 84.6°F and January lows 20.3°F. About 42.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 42.8 inches of snow (typical Connecticut town: 39.0 in). Expect about 17 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 121 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Hartford Brainard Fld station (10.0 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Portland since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Connecticut town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on August 21, 1951 about 4.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 26, 2009.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 24, 1960.

Public schools in Portland

5 public schools with 1,223 students, about 11.1 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Portland High School	9-12	305	10.2
Gildersleeve School	2-4	269	11.7
Valley View School	PK-1	228	12.0
Portland Middle School	7-8	211	10.0
Brownstone Intermediate School	5-6	210	12.4

Towns near Portland

Portland, CT
2.2 mi · 5,813 people · home $282,300
Cromwell, CT
3.9 mi · 14,225 people · home $325,200
Lake Pocotopaug, CT
4.5 mi · 4,901 people · home $310,300
East Hampton, CT
4.6 mi · 12,717 people · home $349,000
Middletown, CT
4.9 mi · 47,717 people · home $295,300
Rocky Hill, CT
5.5 mi · 20,845 people · home $337,300
East Hampton, CT
5.7 mi · 2,960 people · home $345,800
Glastonbury, CT
6.7 mi · 35,159 people · home $445,200

Portland questions

Is Portland, Connecticut a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Portland scores better for retirees than 55% of Connecticut towns and quieter than 37%. 18.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.6).

How much does a house cost in Portland?

The median owner-occupied home in Portland is valued at $337,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $118,929, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $1,129 a month.

What is the weather like in Portland?

July highs average 84.6°F and January lows 20.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.8 inches of precipitation a year and 42.8 inches of snow.

Does Portland get tornadoes?

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Portland since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on August 21, 1951. The typical Connecticut town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Portland's Census boundary (GEOID 0913061800). Comparisons use the median of Connecticut towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.