Population 845 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Portland
Household size in Portland
| Period | Portland | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.33 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.35 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.29 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.43 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.11 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Portland run small, averaging 2.43 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. That is in line with the rest of Iowa. Household size has climbed from 2.33 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Portland
| Period | Portland | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.6 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.4 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.1 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.0 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.5 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Portland skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.0, against 40.1 nationally.
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 Portland
| Period | Portland | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.9% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.0% of households in Portland, 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 Portland
Renters in Portland
| Period | Portland | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.5% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.4% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.5% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.1% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −9.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Portland rent their homes (28.1%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Iowa as a whole looks much the same. About four in ten owners (40.0%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
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 Portland
| Period | Portland | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.8% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Portland: 11.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Portland
| Period | Portland | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Portland was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Iowa as a whole, where the median home dates to 1971.
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 Portland
| Period | Portland | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $590 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $580 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $765 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $959 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$369 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Portland pays $959 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 25.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Portland
Bachelor's degrees in Portland
| Period | Portland | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.0% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.4% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.4% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.0% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Portland (28.0%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Portland
| Period | Portland | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.4% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.3% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.3% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Portland have finished high school as nationally: 90.3%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Iowa as a whole (93.0%).
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 Portland
| Period | Portland | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.9% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 0.8% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.9% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.3% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Portland has been low: just 0.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Portland compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | 2.43 | 42.0 | 4.0% | 28.1% | 11.3% | 1981 | $959 | 28.0% | 90.3% | 0.3% |
| Mason City | 2.09 | 45.0 | 11.1% | 34.0% | 12.6% | 1960 | $896 | 22.7% | 94.2% | 3.2% |
| Hanford | 2.34 | 46.6 | 5.9% | 4.8% | 4.3% | 1963 | $553 | 37.6% | 90.5% | 2.2% |
| Rock Falls | 2.67 | 35.6 | 7.6% | 10.2% | 12.2% | 1946 | $811 | 16.3% | 97.1% | 3.2% |
| Freeman | 2.68 | 37.3 | 5.0% | 39.5% | 2.3% | 1961 | $524 | 38.0% | 98.1% | 1.2% |
| Emery | 2.39 | 41.7 | 7.0% | 32.4% | 10.4% | 1964 | $666 | 30.5% | 96.5% | 1.7% |
| Nora Springs | 2.57 | 43.6 | 5.5% | 13.6% | 10.5% | 1950 | $773 | 26.4% | 96.5% | 1.4% |
| Plymouth | 2.56 | 37.9 | 7.0% | 12.0% | 11.0% | 1945 | $798 | 14.8% | 97.0% | 3.0% |
| Cartersville | 2.44 | 48.1 | 5.9% | 8.5% | 9.6% | 1958 | $635 | 29.9% | 93.7% | 5.1% |
| Rockwell | 2.38 | 44.0 | 9.2% | 22.1% | 8.3% | 1969 | $614 | 21.4% | 97.3% | 1.7% |
| Manly | 2.48 | 40.8 | 8.9% | 30.4% | 16.5% | 1957 | $679 | 18.2% | 96.2% | 3.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: West Point, OH · Burkeville, TX · Burlington Junction, MO · Cairo, IN · Caldwell, AR · Campbellsville, TN · Cason, TX · Castleton, VA · Catawba, WI · Cecil, AL
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 Portland. 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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