Portland was ranked the eighth best place to live by US News & World Report, which praised Maine’s largest city for its quality of life, “fairly steady” job market, proximity to quality health care and relatively low crime rate.
The magazine gushed about Portland’s “artful living,” Casco Bay, and local entrepreneurs. It noted, though, that the popularity of Portland puts it “at a crossroads.”
“The new development is often met with opposition, while demand for affordable housing is high. An aging rental and housing stock combined with a tight market on mid-tier units have left middle-income earners struggling to settle in Portland,” US News said.
As the Boston Globe pointed out, Portland outranked Boston in the latest 2022-23 US News list. Boston was ranked 18th and did well on quality of life, but not so well on affordability.
US News analyzed 150 of the most populous communities. Here are the US News top 10:
- Huntsville, Ala.
- Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Green Bay, Wis.
- Boulder, Colo.
- San Jose, Calif.
- Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
- Fayetteville, Ark.
- Portland, Maine
- Sarasota, Fla.
- San Francisco
Read other data we’ve monitored here:
Percentage increase of Maine drug overdose deaths in 2021 was 12th highest in US
The top 10 high schools in Maine
