Op-Ed: The Cost of Urbanization: Tourism in the Portland Community

By Hilina Gugsa March 17th, 2026

In the small city of Portland, the tourism population has drastically increased in the last few decades. Residents of Portland are now seeing the effects of tourism and are beginning to express their concerns. With the sudden increase of the non-local population, many worry housing and local communities are being pushed out for touristic profits. 

For Portland, Maine, tourism is an essential economic category. So much so that it’s considered a cornerstone of the city’s economy, generating over $2.7 billion in visitor spending and supporting roughly 21,400 jobs in the Greater Portland region just in 2023. But even with the positive growth that tourism is raking in, it also has slowly escalated the housing crisis as developers have begun to focus more on the temporary visitors over the locals living in the city. 

This pattern isn’t a staple just for Portland, Maine but also a side effect of when a city develops. 

According to Annals of Tourism Research, through an extensive amount of research done to cities and towns around the world they noticed that, “When residents must move because of rising tourism activity and housing affordability issues, tourism development becomes counterproductive." 

Tourism to many seems irrelevant and sometimes even positive but to the residents who live in Portland today, it has had a direct impact on their lives. One of those ways is the increased cost of living. 

For some background from Redfin, in 2019 the average cost of a house was $315,500, now 7 years later, the average cost of a house is between $530,000 and $630,000, with some reports showing high-end, popular areas exceeding $1 million.

Shelby Lamontagne lived in Portland from 2015 to 2022 but moved due to the lack of affordable apartments that allowed pets. She observed that many properties are being converted into Airbnbs and hotels, which she believes monopolizes the housing market and worsens affordability. Shelby feels that current political issues make it difficult to expect change, as there is too much support for wealthy interests. She suggests that creating restrictions and increasing housing availability for those in need could reduce homelessness and related social problems. Despite challenges, she acknowledges ongoing efforts to demand change.

Katie Munn lived in Portland from 2002 to 2018, she notes that the city has become more popular with people moving from out of state, especially after the pandemic. She finds Portland's housing market unaffordable and unsustainable, which personally affected her decision to move to the Auburn area. Katie mentions that many of her friends have also moved to surrounding communities and often complain about Portland for that same reason. She observes that tourism in Portland has increased, driven by the booming restaurant scene and the city's cultural attractions, making it a popular destination for the temporary visitors and less targeted for the enjoyment of the locals. 

 Munn also stated that, “I think that [the housing industry has gotten] kind of out of control and it's unsustainable. It’s become clear that [Portland is] targeting more of the older generation, because those are the ones that have stable finances and are able to buy more.”

Charles Stolz has lived in Portland since 1978, He discusses demographic changes, including people of color and LGBTQ+ acceptance. Charles expresses concerns about housing affordability, noting wealth disparities and homelessness.

Stolz pointed out that “[If you walked] on the streets of downtown Portland, there is the library, the post office, and countless hotels lined up next to each other.” This can be supported by Expedia’s listing the 2026 number of hotels in the areas exceeding 2000, all of which includes hotels, B&Bs but not the AirBnBs around the downtown area. 

To many locals, moving out of Portland isn’t the goal they are seeking, but it’s the reality many are facing. Tourists may fill the city for a moment, but it’s the locals who give Portland its meaning. Forgetting that risks losing the very community that makes this place worth visiting.