The Portland–South Portland–Biddeford MSA is defined as consisting of Cumberland, Sagadahoc, and York counties. Portland, South Portland, and Biddeford are the three largest cities in this area and are defined as principal cities of the MSA. Other cities in the MSA are:
As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 514,098. Ten years earlier, as of the census of 2000, there were 487,568 people, 196,669 households, and 128,201 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 96.49% White, 0.80% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population. As of the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the MSA was $43,195, and the median income for a family was $51,873. Males had a median income of $35,402 versus $26,213 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $21,851.
Combined statistical area
The Portland-Lewiston-South Portland Combined Statistical Area is made up of four counties in Maine. The statistical area includes two metropolitan statistical areas. As of the 2000 Census, the CSA had a population of 591,361.
An alternative federal government delineation of Portland's metropolitan area is the Portland–South Portland, ME Metropolitan New England City and Town Area. A New England City and Town Area is typically a finer-grained definition of a metropolitan area because it is based on cities and towns rather than entire counties. The Portland–South Portland NECTA consists of 24 cities and towns in Cumberland County, 14 cities and towns in York County, and the town of Durham in Androscoggin County. Other parts of the Southern Maine region are identified as components of other NECTAs. The towns of Sanford and Shapleigh in York County form the Sanford, Maine, Micropolitan NECTA. The Brunswick, Maine, Micropolitan NECTA consists of two towns in Cumberland County, one city and eight towns in Sagadahoc County, and three towns in Lincoln County. Two metropolitan NECTAs centered in New Hampshire, the Dover-Durham, NH-ME Metropolitan NECTA and the Portsmouth, NH-ME Metropolitan NECTA each include three York County towns. The Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan NECTA is defined as including 11 Androscoggin County cities and towns, as well as four towns in Oxford County and one in Kennebec County. Similar to a CSA, the Portland–Lewiston–South Portland Combined NECTA is defined to consist of the Portland–South Portland and Lewiston–Auburn Metropolitan NECTAs and the Brunswick and Sanford Micropolitan NECTAs. The three York County towns that are included in the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Metropolitan NECTA are, however, considered to be part of the Boston–Worcester–Providence, MA–RI–NH–CT–ME Combined NECTA. The state of Maine uses NECTAs as one basis for defining labor market areas for purposes of compiling and reporting statistics on employment and unemployment. Labor market area definitions used for the Portland area include the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Area, the Sanford Micropolitan Area, and the combination of these two areas, known as Portland–South Portland–Sanford combined statistical area.
