Portland is a city in Nueces and San Patricio counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 15,099 at the 2010 census. The current local population estimate is 17,268.
Geography
Portland is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.6 square miles, of which 7.0 square miles is land and 2.6 square miles is water. The city is roughly equidistant from Portland, Maine, and Portland, Oregon. In 2014 and 2015, the city annexed an additional 1.27 square miles bringing the total area to 10.87 square miles.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,827 people, 5,021 households, and 4,051 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,125.5 people per square mile. There were 5,351 housing units at an average density of 767.1 per square mile. In 2017, the Texas Demographic Center estimated the population at 21,619. There were 5,021 households out of which 47.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.6% were married couplesliving together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.30. In the city, the population was 32.6% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $48,574, and the median income for a family was $52,220. Males had a median income of $37,316 versus $25,722 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,871. About 5.8% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
History
The original 640-acre townsite of Portland was purchased by John G. Willacy in 1890. In 1891, Willacy sold the land to the Portland Harbor & Improvement Co. Portland is situated on the second highest bluff on the Gulf Coast and overlooks both Nueces and Corpus Christi bays.
Education
Portland's compulsory education is a result of the existence of Gregory-Portland Independent School District made up of W. C. Andrews Elementary School, T. M. Clark Elementary School, East Cliff Elementary School, Stephen F. Austin Elementary School , Gregory-Portland Intermediate School, Gregory-Portland Jr. High School, and Gregory-Portland High School. All students grades 9 through 12, in Portland, attend Gregory-Portland High School.
Crime
In 2010, Portland had a crime index lower than the U.S. average and half that of Texas.
Notable people
Mitch Morris, an American Actor and attorney; regular in Queer as Folk and star in the sex comedy, Another Gay Movie.
Vince Vieluf, an American Actor; star in An American Werewolf in Paris, Rat Race, Love, Inc., National Lampoon's Barely Legal, and cult favoriteGrind.
Don Williams, country singer and songwriter. Williams moved to Portland as a child from the Texas Panhandle town of Floydada and was a 1958 graduate of Gregory-Portland High School. Williams had 17 songs to reach number one on the Country charts.
