Choosing among Portland Maine neighborhoods when you’re new to town can feel like guessing. Short answer: Downtown and Bayside suit city living, Deering Center and Back Cove suit quieter streets, and prices vary widely.
This page sits inside the wider guide to living in portland maine, which looks at the city beyond its individual areas.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Average rent in Portland (Redfin, February 2024) | $2,418 |
| Median sale price in Portland (Redfin, February 2024) | $540,000 |
| Average 1-bedroom rent, Downtown | $2,450 |
| Median sale price, Oakdale | $618,750 |
| Median sale price, East Deering | $405,000 |
| Length of the Back Cove Trail | 3.6 miles (5.8 km) |
Prices and rents come from Redfin’s February 2024 Portland neighborhood guide, and the trail length comes from Wikipedia’s neighborhoods page. These figures can change, so check the sources before you rely on them.
How Portland’s neighborhoods are organized
The city’s Neighborhoods & Islands Directory lists neighborhood associations from Back Cove and Bayside to the West End and Western Promenade, plus Peaks Island. Each one represents residents on local issues, so the directory is a handy way to see what people in an area care about.
Borders are looser than they look on a map. Wikipedia notes that sources are ambiguous on the precise borders of Deering Highlands, and that Bayside is often confused with East Bayside, which sits on the opposite side of Franklin Street.
For this comparison, the areas fall into three rough groups:
- The city core: Downtown, the Old Port, the Arts District, Bayside and East Bayside.
- The residential north side: Deering Center, Deering Highlands, East Deering and Back Cove.
- The west side: Libbytown, the Western Promenade, Stroudwater and the West End.
Downtown, the Old Port and the Arts District
Redfin calls Downtown the bustling heart of Portland, with dining, shopping and entertainment. Its guide lists a median sale price of $550,000 and an average 1-bedroom rent of $2,450 for the area.
The Arts District is based around Congress Street. According to Wikipedia, it includes the Portland Museum of Art, the Maine College of Art and the State Theatre, and it mixes apartments with commercial space.
The Old Port is a historic waterfront area known for cobblestone streets and brick buildings, per Redfin. The guide lists its median sale price at $375,000, well below Downtown’s, so treat single-area medians as a rough guide rather than a promise.
Bayside and East Bayside: easy to confuse
Bayside is the downtown neighborhood between the Old Port and Back Cove, and it mixes residential and commercial properties. Wikipedia notes these details:
- Portland High School’s original building, now the school’s middle wing, was built in 1863.
- Bayside has some of the city’s earliest homes because most of it was not burned in the Great Fire of 1866.
- A Whole Foods and a Trader Joe’s are both located here.
East Bayside lies across Franklin Street. The city directory says its neighborhood organization was incorporated in May 2007 and describes the area as one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Maine, and Redfin mentions breweries and arts and dining options there. Redfin’s listed median sale price is $559,000.
Deering Center, Deering Highlands, East Deering and Back Cove
Deering Center was once its own town. Wikipedia says it separated from Westbrook in 1871 and was incorporated into Portland on March 9, 1899. Redfin describes historic homes, tree-lined streets and Mayor Baxter Woods, and lists a median sale price of $544,500.
Deering Highlands is a residential neighborhood on a hill and, per Wikipedia, almost entirely residential. Its largest institutional feature is Maine Medical Center’s Brighton Avenue Campus.
East Deering sits along the Presumpscot River, with access to the Portland Trails network, according to Redfin. Its listed median sale price of $405,000 is well under the citywide figure of $540,000.
Back Cove is off the peninsula and mostly residential, with views of the Portland skyline across the water. Its Back Cove Trail is 3.6 miles long and connects to Payson Park, a 48-acre park with ball fields, a playground and a sledding hill, as Wikipedia describes it.
Libbytown, the Western Promenade and the west side
Libbytown is just west of downtown. Redfin points to the Thompson’s Point entertainment complex and the Fore River Trail, and lists a median sale price of $510,000.
The city directory describes the other west-side areas in their own words:
- The Western Promenade neighborhood association was founded in April 1973 and focuses on the historical and cultural nature of the Bramhall Hill section.
- The Stroudwater association aims to promote the historic and village nature of its neighborhood.
- The West End association says it wants to protect the diverse character of its neighborhoods.
How do prices compare across neighborhoods?
Here are Redfin’s median sale prices as of its February 2024 guide, from highest to lowest. Redfin’s guide also lists an average 2-bedroom rent of $3,450 in Oakdale, while its citywide average rent figure is $2,418.
| Neighborhood | Median sale price |
|---|---|
| Oakdale | $618,750 |
| East Bayside | $559,000 |
| Downtown | $550,000 |
| Deering Center | $544,500 |
| Libbytown | $510,000 |
| East Deering | $405,000 |
| Old Port | $375,000 |
These medians come from Redfin’s February 2024 Portland neighborhood guide. They can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
Housing is only part of the picture, so the guide to cost of living in portland maine is the better place to weigh everyday expenses.
If you’re still deciding whether to relocate, the guide to moving to portland maine is a sensible next read before you build a shortlist.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Bayside and East Bayside?
Show answer
They sit on opposite sides of Franklin Street. Bayside lies between the Old Port and Back Cove, while East Bayside borders Bayside, the Old Port and Munjoy Hill, per Wikipedia.
Which neighborhoods are mostly residential?
Show answer
Wikipedia describes Back Cove as mostly residential and Deering Highlands as almost entirely residential. Redfin describes Deering Center as a charming residential neighborhood.
Where can you find a neighborhood association?
Show answer
The City of Portland’s Neighborhoods & Islands Directory lists the associations and describes what each one does. It also covers Peaks Island through the Peaks Island Council.
Are the prices in this guide up to date?
Show answer
The median prices and rents come from Redfin’s February 2024 guide, so they reflect that date only. Check Redfin or another current listing source before you rely on any figure.
