Farmington Hills vs Portland
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $354,500 in Farmington Hills and $489,600 in Portland.
- Households earn more in Farmington Hills ($104,836 vs $79,540 median).
- Portland gets far more snow: 69 inches a year vs 36.
- Portland is growing faster: +2.2% since 2020 vs -0.9%.
- Commutes are shorter in Portland (19 vs 25 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Farmington Hills, MI | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 83,291 | 69,911 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.9% | +2.2% |
| People per square mile | 2,504 | 3,246 |
| Median age | 42.6 | 37.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58% | 60% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $104,836 | $79,540 |
| Median home value | $354,500 | $489,600 |
| Home value to income | 3.4× | 6.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,551 | $1,577 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.3 | 101.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 94.7 | 105.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,200 | $76,400 |
| Homeowners | 65% | 47% |
| Top state income tax | 4.25% | 7.15% |
| Combined sales tax | 6% | 5.5% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.7 | 19.4 |
| Work from home | 23% | 25% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.2% | 4.2% |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 11.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 30° / 16° | 32° / 16° |
| July high / low | 83° / 60° | 80° / 61° |
| Precipitation per year | 33 in | 48 in |
| Snowfall per year | 36 in | 69 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 11 | 5 |
| Nights below freezing | 146 | 144 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 97.5 | 77.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 36% | 74% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.4% | +4.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +39.6% | +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: Farmington Hills: May to September. Portland: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Farmington Hills 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 $75,200 in Farmington Hills and $76,400 in Portland. Moving from Farmington Hills to Portland, you would need about $76,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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