Housing Value★★★★★★★★★★2.5 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Living in Portland, OR
Explore Portland and see how it fits the life you want to build.
641,165
Population
Clackamas, Multnomah & Washington Counties
Counties
City
Place Type
Oregon
State
OrdinancesLocal Rules
Overall Match7.2 / 10
Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.
Portland at a Glance
Key facts and current data
Population641,165
Median Household Income$90,919
Median Home Value$581,500
Median Gross Rent$1,655
Median Age38.8
Average Household Size2.2
Unemployment5.8%
Work From Home28.5%
Homeownership52.0%
Housing Vacancy5.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.
Portland is a major population center where neighborhood choice can substantially change the day-to-day relocation experience. Housing costs are high relative to local household income, making affordability one of the more important factors to examine before relocating here.
Experience the Area
Experience Life in Portland Before You Move
Explore Short-Term Stays in Portland →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate
NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Portland and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.
NarrowTheList Ratings
Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.
Housing & Cost of Living in Portland
Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau
Median Home Value$581,500
Median Gross Rent$1,655
Homeownership52.0%
Housing Vacancy5.9%
Home values are relatively high compared with local household income, so purchase affordability deserves close attention. Renters make up a substantial share of the local housing market.
Jobs, Income & Remote Work
Employment and household-income context for Portland, OR
Median Household Income$90,919
Unemployment5.8%
Work From Home28.5%
The reported unemployment rate is in a middle range. Working from home is relatively common among employed residents.
Population & Household Profile
Who lives in Portland and how households are structured
Population641,165
Median Age38.8
Average Household Size2.2
Portland is a large population center with enough scale for conditions to differ substantially across neighborhoods.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.
Climate & Weather in Portland
Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context
NOAA climate normals for Portland point to warm summers, cool winters, a wetter annual rainfall pattern and occasional snowfall.
Average Summer High80.3°F
Average Winter Low37.3°F
Annual Rainfall44.9 in.
Annual Snowfall3.6 in.
Seasonal Life in Portland
What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.
Spring
Spring is a good time to see how wetter conditions affect drainage, yards, commuting and the usability of outdoor spaces.
Summer
Summer is warm enough that shade and cooling still matter, but the typical high is below the extreme-heat range seen in many hotter U.S. markets.
Fall
Fall can be one of the best seasons for comparing neighborhoods because daily routines are active while temperatures transition away from summer conditions.
Winter
Winter is generally cool with limited snowfall. Heating needs still matter, but snow-related disruption should be less central than in colder markets.
Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.
County Intelligence
Portland & Its Counties
Medium
Foreclosure Activity
Portland spans Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties.
Living in a community that crosses county lines can make location within Portland especially important. Property taxes, housing characteristics, public services and other county-level factors may vary depending on which part of the community you call home.
Current NarrowTheList data for Portland shows a population of about 641,165. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.
Foreclosure Activity: Medium. Current signal uses NarrowTheList foreclosure-opportunity data until direct county delinquency and foreclosure datasets are connected.
For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.
County relationship
Clackamas County, Multnomah County and Washington County
How NarrowTheList uses it
NarrowTheList connects Portland with all 3 of its counties rather than assigning the community to only one. As additional county data becomes available, those differences can be compared alongside city-level information to help identify which parts of the area may better fit your priorities.
For someone considering a move to Portland, the available data currently points to housing affordability that deserves careful budgeting. These signals are most useful when considered alongside the specific neighborhood, commute and housing type that fit the household making the move.
Nearby Cities & Communities
Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.