What it's like to live in Portland
Portland is a small city in Tennessee with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Portland deals with commute times longer than most cities, college degree attainment below the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Portland compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Portland
Based on Portland's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,282
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,640 a year
- 53% of Portland renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$56,440
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $28,220
- Homes cost 3.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 19% below US
$1,141/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,141 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $282,200. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $282,200 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Sumner County is 3.0%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Sumner County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 54% below US
153 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 487/100k · Portland Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 11% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 29°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 58% below US
15% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Mammoth Cave National Park (47 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Portland's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,141/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Portland
All Tennessee guides →Moving to White House →
12 mi away · pop. 14,631
Rent $1,426/mo · Income $90,019
Compare with Portland →Moving to Hendersonville →
20 mi away · pop. 63,091
Rent $1,653/mo · Income $97,200
Compare with Portland →Moving to Springfield →
20 mi away · pop. 19,255
Rent $1,139/mo · Income $59,465
Compare with Portland →Not sure Portland is the one?
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