Evanston vs Portland
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $481,200 in Evanston and $489,600 in Portland.
- Households earn more in Evanston ($96,434 vs $79,540 median).
- Portland gets far more snow: 69 inches a year vs 38.
- Portland is growing faster: +2.2% since 2020 vs -2.2%.
- Commutes are shorter in Portland (19 vs 28 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Evanston, IL | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 76,380 | 69,911 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.2% | +2.2% |
| People per square mile | 9,819 | 3,246 |
| Median age | 38.4 | 37.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70% | 60% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $96,434 | $79,540 |
| Median home value | $481,200 | $489,600 |
| Home value to income | 5.0× | 6.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,762 | $1,577 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 101.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 105.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $76,400 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 47% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 7.15% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 5.5% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.5 | 19.4 |
| Work from home | 29% | 25% |
| Take public transit | 12% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.2% | 4.2% |
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 11.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 32° / 19° | 32° / 16° |
| July high / low | 85° / 66° | 80° / 61° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 48 in |
| Snowfall per year | 38 in | 69 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 17 | 5 |
| Nights below freezing | 121 | 144 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 100.0 | 77.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 74% |
| Home prices, past year | +6.2% | +4.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +55.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Evanston: May to October. Portland: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Evanston weather by month and Portland weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,700 in Evanston and $76,400 in Portland. Moving from Evanston to Portland, you would need about $73,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Evanston and Portland
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Evanston and Portland.
Which would you pick?
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