This Just In: Mainers Aren’t the Ones Buying Homes in Portland
People who were born and raised in Maine are not the majority of people looking to buy homes in Portland. Just as you might guess, more than half of those interested in houses within Portland city limits are people moving to Maine from away, reports the Press Herald.
According to Realtor.com, about 52% of interest in home listings in Portland are 20-30 somethings moving to Maine from bigger metro areas, looking to settle down and start their families. Portland's proportion of out-of-state home buyers is extremely unique and outweighs almost all other major metro areas in the U.S., Realtor.com reports.
It sat 6th in ranking for the second quarter of this year behind Charleston, South Carolina, at nearly 60 percent; followed by Boise, Idaho; Honolulu; Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida, and Columbia, South Carolina.
“For Portland in particular, (out-of-state interest) is really driven by a lot of younger, more entrepreneurially-minded professionals,” said Realtor.com Senior Economist George Ratiu. “More importantly, it’s younger people and millennials that are already in the family stage.”
For Maine, this could mean lowering the average age of the state's population, providing new replacements and businesses to fill roles left vacant by retirees.
As someone who moved here from away, I will say I love Maine and plan to stay!