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Living in
Portland.
About
Life in Portland
This is a city that's genuinely in transition—part quiet suburban bedroom community, part industrial hub shaped by the petrochemical plants across the bay in Corpus Christi. If you're moving here, understand that your job market is either directly or indirectly tied to that industrial base; companies like Cheniere Energy, Chemours, and OxyChem anchor the regional economy with hundreds of permanent jobs plus construction waves that can be significant. Your commute will usually be short (under 21 minutes on average), which is real quality-of-life benefit when you're living in a place with genuine summer heat (low-to-mid 90s with coastal humidity) and tropical weather systems that dump rain from late summer into fall.
Portland at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
34.7 yrs
Poverty Rate
9.0%
Foreign-Born
10.8%
Broadband Internet
95.5%
of households
Population Growth
+1.9%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics10.8% foreign-born, most often from Cuba
Who lives in Portland: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Portland, the largest foreign-born group is from Cuba (46.2%), and 18.7% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
25.8%
of residents
65 and Older
13.9%
of residents
Households with Kids
32.4%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
24.9%
of households
Married Couples
51.6%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.71
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 12% above TX average
Rent, home values, and income in Portland
In Portland, rent runs 12% above the TX average, and home values are 17% below the TX average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
48.3%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
18.8%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
92.7
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$4,376
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
63.1%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1987
median year built
Vacant Homes
11.6%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $269,720 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.8 pts above TX average
Unemployment in Portland
Unemployment in San Patricio County, which includes Portland, is 0.8 percentage points higher than the TX average.
Unemployment rate
Portland: San Patricio County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
San Patricio County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Portland Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute20.5 min avg
How Portland residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Portland, most residents drive alone to work (81%), and 76% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 14 mi
Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP)
Regional airport · few flights373k passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 65% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Portland runs 65% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
115.4
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
932.4
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Portland Police Department
Natural DisastersDrought most common — 19 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Moderate
85.4 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
San Patricio County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In San Patricio County, which includes Portland, the most common type is drought, with 19 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19 | Drought | None reported |
| 2024 | 20 | Heat | $1.3M |
| 2023 | 23 | Heat | $70,000 |
| 2022 | 12 | Drought | $350,000 |
| 2021 | 19 | Flash Flood | $650,000 |
| 2020 | 11 | Drought | $175,000 |
| 2019 | 5 | Drought | $10,000 |
| 2018 | 8 | Flood | $275,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
21 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
San Patricio County, county-wide
Air Quality53 median AQI — Moderate
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Nueces County, TX (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 15 miles from Portland) is typically moderate — acceptable for most people, but can affect those unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Median AQI
53
Good Days
148
per year
Moderate Days
209
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Nueces County, TX (15 mi away)
Climate92°F summers, 49°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Portland has hot summers (avg high 92°F) and warm winters (avg low 49°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
80°/64°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
92°/76°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
82°/65°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
68°/49°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
34.7"
Annual Snowfall
0.3"
Hot Days/Year
113
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
4
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
82
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66°F | 47°F | 1.39" |
| Feb | 70°F | 51°F | 1.35" |
| Mar | 75°F | 58°F | 2.26" |
| Apr | 81°F | 63°F | 1.97" |
| May | 86°F | 71°F | 3.25" |
| Jun | 90°F | 75°F | 3.46" |
| Jul | 92°F | 76°F | 2.46" |
| Aug | 93°F | 77°F | 2.77" |
| Sep | 89°F | 73°F | 5.36" |
| Oct | 84°F | 66°F | 2.74" |
| Nov | 75°F | 56°F | 2.02" |
| Dec | 68°F | 49°F | 1.90" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Portland
Uninsured
16.8%
of residents
No hospitals inside Portland's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 8.6 mi away · Corpus Christi
The Corpus Christi Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 10 mi away · Corpus Christi
Driscoll Childrens Hospital
Childrens · ER available · 10.2 mi away · Corpus Christi
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education14.9:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Portland
Portland's student/teacher ratio is 14.9:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 25.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
5
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
25.7%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
14.9:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Portland (within 15 miles)
Public · 2-year · 9,501 students · in-state tuition $3,440 · 24% graduate · median earnings $42,857 (10 yrs after entry)
Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi
12.1 mi awayPublic · 4-year · 8,034 students · in-state tuition $9,748 · 45% graduate · median earnings $55,480 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Padre Island National Seashore, 58 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Portland
Portland has 1 nearby national park or recreation area, closest being Padre Island National Seashore (58 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Padre Island National Seashore
National Seashore
58 mi awayPublic Libraries in Portland
Bell/Whittington Public Library
2400 Memorial Pkwy, Portland
Cities Near Portland
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Portland?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Portland FAQ
Is Portland, Texas affordable?⌄
Portland's median rent is $1,577/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $83,865/year. Median home value is $234,800.
Is Portland, Texas safe?⌄
Portland's violent crime rate was 115 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 932 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Portland, Texas?⌄
San Patricio County, which includes Portland, has an unemployment rate of 5.0%, which is slightly above the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Portland, Texas?⌄
The cost of living in Portland is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,577/month and median household income is $83,865/year. The median home value is $234,800. About 48% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Portland, Texas?⌄
The average commute in Portland is 21 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from