Portland vs Rochester Hills
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $409,800 in Rochester Hills and $489,600 in Portland.
- Households earn more in Rochester Hills ($120,694 vs $79,540 median).
- Portland gets far more snow: 69 inches a year vs 36.
- Commutes are shorter in Portland (19 vs 24 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Portland, ME | Rochester Hills, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 69,911 | 77,539 |
| Growth since 2020 | +2.2% | +1.6% |
| People per square mile | 3,246 | 2,364 |
| Median age | 37.8 | 41.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60% | 61% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $79,540 | $120,694 |
| Median home value | $489,600 | $409,800 |
| Home value to income | 6.2× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,577 | $1,644 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 101.9 | 100.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 105.2 | 94.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $76,400 | $75,200 |
| Homeowners | 47% | 77% |
| Top state income tax | 7.15% | 4.25% |
| Combined sales tax | 5.5% | 6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.4 | 24.3 |
| Work from home | 25% | 24% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.2% | 4.1% |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 5.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 32° / 16° | 31° / 17° |
| July high / low | 80° / 61° | 82° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 48 in | 34 in |
| Snowfall per year | 69 in | 36 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 5 | 10 |
| Nights below freezing | 144 | 135 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 77.0 | 97.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 74% | 36% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.5% | +4.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +55.9% | +39.6% |
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: Portland: May to September. Rochester Hills: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Portland weather by month and Rochester Hills weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $76,400 in Portland and $75,200 in Rochester Hills. Moving from Portland to Rochester Hills, you would need about $73,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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