Portland, OR
Census place 4159000 · pop 641,165
Nicknamed the 'City of Roses' and home of Powell's, one of the world's largest independent bookstores.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$581,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
52.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.48 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-0.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
96/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.3% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
6 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
12.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
24 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
0.99% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,725/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
11.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$90,919 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
93.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
7.1% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
28.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
53.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
16.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
30 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Portland: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Portland, OR a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Portland scores 49/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is air quality (aqi) and its weakest is housing cost. Oregon overall ranks #31 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Portland, OR expensive to live in?
- Portland has a median home value of $581,500 and typical rent around $1,725/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Portland, OR?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($581,500) — 15/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Portland, OR best at?
- Its strongest measured area is air quality (aqi) (30 AQI) — 95/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Nicknamed the 'City of Roses' and home of Powell's, one of the world's largest independent bookstores.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.