Population 3,523 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Ocean Avenue
Household size in Ocean Avenue
| Period | Ocean Avenue | Portland | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.05 | 2.12 | 2.37 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.97 | 2.18 | 2.36 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.01 | 2.18 | 2.35 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.08 | 2.10 | 2.30 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | −0.02 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in Ocean Avenue are small: just 2.08 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Portland as a whole looks much the same.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Ocean Avenue
| Period | Ocean Avenue | Portland | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.1 | 38.1 | 42.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.9 | 37.6 | 43.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.7 | 38.0 | 45.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.8 | 39.0 | 45.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.7 | +0.9 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 47.8, Ocean Avenue is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 41.1 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next. No other Portland neighborhood is older.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Ocean Avenue
| Period | Ocean Avenue | Portland | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.6% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.5% | 9.9% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 7.9% | 9.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 7.3% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.8% of households in Ocean Avenue, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Ocean Avenue
Renters in Ocean Avenue
| Period | Ocean Avenue | Portland | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.8% | 54.5% | 26.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 40.2% | 56.9% | 28.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 45.5% | 55.5% | 27.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.6% | 53.7% | 25.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −10.2 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.2 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Ocean Avenue rent their homes (30.6%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Nearly four in ten owners (37.8%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Only one other Portland neighborhood has a lower share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Ocean Avenue
| Period | Ocean Avenue | Portland | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 8.5% | 17.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 7.1% | 18.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 8.5% | 19.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.6% | 8.4% | 16.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +9.3 pts | −0.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Ocean Avenue: 18.6% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. No other Portland neighborhood has a higher vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Ocean Avenue
| Period | Ocean Avenue | Portland | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1952 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1951 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1955 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1954 | 1955 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | −4 | +3 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Ocean Avenue is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1954, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Portland as a whole looks much the same. Compared with other Portland neighborhoods, though, Ocean Avenue has newer homes than most.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Ocean Avenue
| Period | Ocean Avenue | Portland | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,077 | $870 | $766 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,424 | $942 | $831 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,294 | $1,104 | $919 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,839 | $1,590 | $1,230 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$762 | +$720 | +$464 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Ocean Avenue costs $1,839 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 41.8% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. No other Portland neighborhood has higher rents.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Ocean Avenue
Bachelor's degrees in Ocean Avenue
| Period | Ocean Avenue | Portland | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.9% | 42.1% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 56.3% | 44.7% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 59.6% | 51.8% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 74.9% | 59.6% | 36.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +26.9 pts | +17.5 pts | +9.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Ocean Avenue: 74.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Ocean Avenue has the highest share of college graduates of any Portland neighborhood.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Ocean Avenue
| Period | Ocean Avenue | Portland | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.2% | 90.6% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.2% | 91.3% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.9% | 92.9% | 92.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.9% | 96.5% | 94.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +5.9 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Ocean Avenue: 98.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Few Portland neighborhoods have a higher share of high school graduates: only two of 12.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Ocean Avenue
| Period | Ocean Avenue | Portland | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 5.7% | 6.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.6% | 7.5% | 7.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.9% | 2.9% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.8% | 4.0% | 3.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ocean Avenue has been low: just 0.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Ocean Avenue has the lowest unemployment rate of any Portland neighborhood. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Ocean Avenue compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Avenue | 2.08 | 47.8 | 3.8% | 30.6% | 18.6% | 1954 | $1,839 | 74.9% | 98.9% | 0.8% |
| Deering | 2.16 | 42.0 | 1.7% | 53.5% | 8.4% | 1948 | $1,721 | 65.4% | 97.5% | 2.4% |
| Oakdale | 2.04 | 34.3 | 6.0% | 60.6% | 5.5% | 1938 | $1,660 | 73.8% | 96.4% | 3.9% |
| East Deering | 2.31 | 37.1 | 3.3% | 48.9% | 8.1% | 1951 | $1,622 | 58.5% | 97.8% | 5.0% |
| Rosemont | 2.56 | 35.2 | 12.7% | 36.7% | 8.2% | 1945 | $1,768 | 68.1% | 95.9% | 12.1% |
| Parkside | 1.81 | 30.4 | 2.2% | 83.6% | 8.8% | 1938 | $1,466 | 67.2% | 96.7% | 2.9% |
| North Deering | 2.28 | 42.6 | 8.9% | 31.0% | 3.6% | 1976 | $1,682 | 56.8% | 98.1% | 3.1% |
| East End | 1.79 | 37.8 | 5.0% | 69.8% | 11.5% | 1945 | $1,726 | 63.5% | 97.0% | 2.9% |
| Riverton | 2.40 | 37.9 | 19.0% | 31.0% | 3.2% | 1972 | $1,420 | 43.1% | 99.7% | 9.5% |
| Nasons Corner | 2.21 | 42.2 | 6.1% | 30.4% | 0.9% | 1960 | $1,168 | 43.8% | 92.7% | 5.4% |
| Downtown | 1.57 | 33.4 | 1.7% | 83.5% | 14.7% | 1948 | $1,581 | 51.6% | 95.7% | 1.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Allen, Buffalo, NY · Wortendyke, Midland Park, NJ · Arena District, San Antonio, TX · Westwood, Pittsburgh, PA · Woodhaven, Fargo, ND · Wildes Corner, Warwick, RI · Woodbridge, Detroit, MI · Overlook Park, Allentown, PA · Noralto, Sacramento, CA · Overbrook, Pittsburgh, PA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Ocean Avenue. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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