Cumberland County, ME

This county of 319,407 residents needs 8,416 more housing units over the next five years. Cumberland County is a CDBG-entitlement community, see how the ROAD to Housing Act could change that funding. Cumberland County is part of the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System.

Housing snapshot

Population
319,407 (2026)
Households
134,316
Median household income
$107,265 (2026)
Typical home value
$531,610
Owner-occupied
60%
Five-year housing need
8,416 units

Comparison to other Maine counties

Cumberland County: $107,265 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$61K >$107K
Cumberland County: 1.46 jobs to household ratio
<0.62 >1.46
Cumberland County: Permits since 2021 represent 5.6% of housing
<1.1% >6.5%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

The typical home in Cumberland County, ME is valued at $531,610, well above the Maine average of $294,704. At a median household income of $107,265 in Cumberland County, ME, affordability is stretched, with households needing roughly $24,141 more to comfortably afford the typical home.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

Cumberland County, ME has a population of roughly 308,827, growing modestly at 0.8% per year.

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

With roughly 134,316 households, Cumberland County, ME is growing modestly at 0.8% per year.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

In Cumberland County, ME, detached single-family accounts for 63% of the housing stock. Homeownership is the norm in Cumberland County, ME, with 60% of units owner-occupied.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, Cumberland County, ME needs 8,416 new units over the next 5 years.

4,599
Units needed to keep up with expected growth
Projected total household growth from 2026 to 2031.
3.4%
Projected household growth rate
Expected increase in total households from 134,316 in 2026 to 138,915 in 2031.
3,817
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
826
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 1.1 per 1,000 units.
927
Ownership vacancy adjustment
Owner-occupied vacancy is 0.5%. This is below the minimum stable target of 1.5%.
2,017
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 2.9%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
47
Substandard housing adjustment
Substandard housing rate is 1.02%. This is above National avg. of 0.98%.
8,416
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
1,683
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
5.5%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
1.1%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

Build Now Act: how could CDBG funding change?

The Build Now Act (Section 213 of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act) ties a CDBG entitlement community's grant to how much housing it is building. This is a CommunityScale estimate from public ACS data, not HUD's official determination — HUD calculates from Census Master Address File block counts.

How do these communities compare to each other?