Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Portland earns a D, ranked 672nd of 745 in New York, mostly because of incomes and schools. The median household income is $66K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. Its public schools trail 85% of New York towns on state tests and graduation. In its favor, natural-hazard risk is low. 20% of residents live below the poverty line in Portland, above both New York’s towns (9.5%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Brocton Arch is on the National Register of Historic Places. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 69% of U.S. towns.
Where Portland beats most towns.
4,827 counted in 2010 and 4,309 in 2020; an estimated 3,926 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 8.7% since 2020, after 10.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Portland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,162 in 1820, 4,366 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1867 and 4 maps from 1900 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in 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 Portland.
Portland has commutes shorter than most of New York and has property taxes about half the New York norm.
The median property tax bill is $3,066, against $6,582 across New York, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Portland home is worth about $179,000, up 6.4% in a year, 66% below the New York typical home. The median rent in Portland is $753 a month.
| Portland | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $753 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Brocton Central School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brocton Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 234 | C− |
| Brocton Middle High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 252 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
12 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Lake Erie State Park, at 219 acres.
| Portland | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. College Lodge Forest | 3.4 mi | 118 |
| 2. Lake Erie State Park | — | 219 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Portland.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Portland has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Portland’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 1,350 working residents takes 19 minutes, against 32.6 across New York. Jobs based here grew from 755 in 2013 to 1,031.
Most working residents leave Portland for work: only 14% work in town. Since 2013, Portland has added 276 jobs, to 1,031 in 2023. The top destinations are Dunkirk (11%), Pomfret (8%) and Westfield (7%).
| Portland | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Portland beats the New York average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 15% of adults report frequent physical distress in Portland.
| Portland | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Portland | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.9% | 6% |
| More smokers | 15.6% | 11.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.8% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Portland
About 4 of every 100 Portland residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Town in New York, United States
Portland is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 4,366 according to the 2020 census. The town is on the shore of Lake Erie southwest of Dunkirk.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Portland.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | #672 | D | B | — | C− | C+ |
| Pomfret | #612 | C− | C− | — | C+ | B |
| Westfield | #477 | C+ | B+ | — | B− | C |
Portland, Pomfret and Westfield report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Portland with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Portland grades D overall, better than 12% of U.S. towns and #672 of 745 in New York. It grades C+ for health and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.1 years of the area's median household income ($58,351 across the Jamestown-Dunkirk, NY area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
