Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Portland grades B− overall, 46th of 175 graded towns in Tennessee, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools rank ahead of 93% of Tennessee towns and natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 88% of the country. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 86% of U.S. towns. Portland has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Moye Boarding House and Scattersville Public School. 12% of residents are 65 or older in Portland, below both the Tennessee town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%).
Where Portland beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Portland Gateview Elementary School | PK–5 | 552 |
| Watt Hardison Elementary | K–5 | 429 |
| J W Wiseman Elementary | PK–5 | 336 |
Moye Boarding House11,480 counted in 2010 and 13,156 in 2020; an estimated 13,658 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Portland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 579 in 1910, 13,156 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1878 and 2 maps from 1956 on.
3 places 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 Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Portland.
Portland carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Tennessee (mostly tornadoes), fares better on crime within Tennessee than nationally and trades workers with Nashville and other neighbors.
Its public schools are run by the Sumner County school district. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Gateview Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 552 | B+ |
| Portland High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,151 | C+ |
| J W Wiseman ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 336 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
Within Tennessee it is less healthy than 60% of the 176 graded towns: much of Tennessee scores lower on these measures.
33% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Portland. Portland beats the Tennessee average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 22% of adults report frequent mental distress in Portland.
| Portland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 29% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 39% | 35% |
| What stands out | Portland | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.3% | 14.6% |
| More smokers | 20.9% | 17.3% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 22.1% | 19.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 94% of Tennessee towns, with expected losses of about $140 per resident a year; that rating is what its A− for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Portland is 15 of 100. Since 1978, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Portland.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
3.6 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Richland Park, 98 acres with 1.3 miles of trail.
| Portland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.3% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Richland Park | 1.3 mi | 98 |
| 2. Meadowbrook Park | — | 14 |
| 3. Portland City Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
January nights average 27.6°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 80% of Tennessee places with climate records; July afternoons average 88.2°.
Portland has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. About 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Portland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 88°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 28°F | 29°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Portland has about as many jobs (7,422) as working residents, but only 1,126 people both live and work here.
Jobs based in Portland grew to 7,422 in 2023, 1,319 more than in 2013. Portland’s average trip to work is 29 minutes. The top destinations are Nashville (23%), Gallatin (14%) and Hendersonville (5%).
| Portland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 7.1% | 9.6% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $73,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 15.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 74% of Tennessee’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 115 to 86 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Portland; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Portland residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
City in Tennessee, United States
Portland is a city in Sumner and Robertson counties in Tennessee. The population was 11,486 in 2010 according to estimates by the U.S. census bureau and in 2020 the population was 13,156. Portland is a part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Portland.
Orlinda has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Orlinda reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Portland with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Portland grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #46 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades D for health, B for safety and A for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.9 years of the area's median household income ($85,447 across the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro 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.