Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
New Portland Wire Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places. New Portland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where New Portland beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 421 in 1810, a peak of 1,620 in 1840, 765 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 3 maps from 1930 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in New Portland, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in New Portland.
94% of households live in a home they own in New Portland.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The top destinations are Skowhegan (9%), Carrabassett Valley (8%) and Anson (6%). In New Portland, the average commute is 32 minutes, where Maine’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. For residents locally, the share who live below the poverty line is 15%. The median commute is under 26 miles.
| New Portland | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 12% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
For New Portland, the midsummer high is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In New Portland, 23% of residents are under 18. Children under 18 are 23% of residents (18% statewide); people 65 and older are 18% of residents (22% statewide). The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 28%, against 36% across Maine.
| New Portland | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 23% | 18% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 18% | 22% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.4 years | 44.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 32% | 29% |
59% women, 41% men
About 69 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±5.2 points). Across Maine, 50.7% of residents are women. Among residents 35 to 44, 82% are women (ME 50%).
| New Portland | ME | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.8% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.4% | 8.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.8% | 8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.7% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.2% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.6% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.9% | 15.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 13.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.7% | 8.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.2% | 5.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.9% | 30.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 23% | 18.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.2% | 10.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.4% | 22.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.4% | 13.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Households in New Portland have drawn federal disaster aid in 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2023. Expected losses in New Portland break down as 42% from inland flooding and 32% from cold waves. The national flood insurance program has paid one claim locally since 1987.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
New Portland beats the Maine average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. Among adults locally, 42% have high blood pressure. Only 8 of the 144 Maine towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than New Portland. In New Portland, 13% of adults binge drink, and 15% have diabetes.
| New Portland | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | New Portland | ME |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.9% | 15.5% |
| More adults getting a yearly checkup | 84% | 81.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.8% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The biggest park or preserve is New Portland Lions Fair, at 27 acres.
| New Portland | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. New Portland Lions Fair | — | 27 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of New Portland; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 New Portland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Where New Portland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Maine, United States
New Portland is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. It is perhaps best known for its Wire Bridge, a cable suspension bridge completed in 1866 that is the last remaining bridge of its type in Maine, and possibly the U.S. Much of North New Portland's Main Street burned to the ground in the fire of 1919, including a hotel. The annual town fair draws large crowds from around, and is held in September. The population was 765 at the 2020 census. The town was given to the residents of Falmouth (now Portland) by the Massachusetts legislature to repay them for their loss when the British fleet burned Falmouth in 1775.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
New Portland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
