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Cost of Living in Portland, Oregon

Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Portland, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.

Population
635,109
Median household income
$91,478
Cost of living (US = 100)
105.4
Unemployment rate
5%

Is Portland a good place to live?

Portland sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 97 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job.

A typical worker in Portland keeps $7,577 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job

  • Cost of living5% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
  • Rent$1,677 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
  • Taxes$4,034 of state income tax on a typical wage, plus $50 of local income tax

Cost of living in Portland

Prices in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area run 5% above the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 25% above the US average.

  • Housing25% above the US average
  • Goods (food, clothing, cars)5% above the US average
  • Utilities7% above the US average
  • Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
  • All items5% above the US average

Monthly budget for one person

CostMonthlyYearly
Rent, 1-bedroom$1,677$20,124
Food$519$6,228
Transportation$411$4,932
Healthcare$353$4,236
Utilities$279$3,348
Total before taxes$3,239$38,868

Rent by apartment size

Monthly rentPortlandWhole metro area
Studio$1,568$1,527
1 bedroom$1,677$1,633
2 bedrooms$1,926$1,878
3 bedrooms$2,616$2,550
4 bedrooms$3,142$3,069

Living in Portland

How Portland compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).

MeasurePortlandUS
Median household income$91,478$81,604
Median home value$588,200$360,600
Median rent paid$1,648$1,487
Households renting49.3%34.7%
Unemployment rate5%4.6%
Living below the poverty line13%12.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher54.5%36.9%
Median age39 years39.2 years
Average commute, one way24.4 minutes27.2 minutes
Working from home24.6%13.3%
Commuting by public transit7%3.7%

Home internet

6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Portland, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, Quantum Fiber, AT&T. Fiber reaches 71.5% of homes and 81.9% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in Portland

Pros and cons of living in Portland

Pros

  • Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 24.4 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
  • Remote-work friendly. 24.6% of workers work from home, against 13.3% nationally.
  • Highly educated workforce. 54.5% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 36.9% nationally.
  • Higher incomes. Median household income is $91,478, against $81,604 nationally.

Cons

  • Local income tax. Residents also pay Metro Supportive Housing Services tax and Multnomah County Preschool for All tax and Multnomah County Preschool for All tax (second tier) and City of Portland Arts Education and Access Tax income tax: $50 on a typical wage.
  • Higher state income tax. $4,034 on a typical wage of $60,690, or 6.6%.
  • Higher cost of living. Prices are 5% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
  • Pricey homes to buy. The median home is worth $588,200, against $360,600 nationally.

What your job keeps in Portland

Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.

Typical worker in Portland, OR
Typical salary
$60,690
Federal income tax
−$5,103
Payroll taxes
−$5,068
State income tax
−$4,034
Local income tax
−$50
Rent, 1-bedroom
−$20,124
Everyday costs
−$18,734
You keep$7,577

a year, or $631 a month

Pay: BLS OEWS Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.

From $60,690 gross, deductions leave $7,577 a year.
Salary$60,690Federal income tax−$5,103Payroll taxes−$5,068State income tax−$4,034Local income tax−$50Rent, 1-bedroom−$20,124Everyday costs−$18,734You keep$7,577

What the most common jobs keep here

The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area.

JobMedian payYou keep
Software engineer$156,000$63,821
Registered nurse$130,310$50,247
Project manager$108,340$37,241
Electrician$105,090$35,261
Accountant$92,200$27,667
Teacher$84,450$22,947
Carpenter$73,710$16,287
Social worker$72,019$15,225
Truck driver$63,800$9,815
Nursing assistant$50,350$138

Other jobs, A–Z

What each keeps in Portland on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.

  • Auto mechanic $7,404
  • Civil engineer $35,986
  • Data scientist $49,855
  • Dental assistant $7,001
  • Dental hygienist $46,203
  • Dentist $94,957
  • Diesel mechanic $15,207
  • Financial analyst $42,684
  • Firefighter $23,386
  • HVAC technician $10,866
  • Lawyer $63,450
  • Licensed practical nurse $22,375
  • Lineman $52,909
  • Mechanical engineer $35,219
  • Medical assistant $4,375
  • Nurse practitioner $65,416
  • Occupational therapist $39,530
  • Paralegal $17,368
  • Paramedic $16,997
  • Pharmacist $70,909
  • Pharmacy technician $6,066
  • Physical therapist $35,967
  • Physician assistant $68,135
  • Plumber $32,777
  • Police officer $30,712
  • Radiologic technologist $35,090
  • Respiratory therapist $32,179
  • Speech-language pathologist $36,820
  • Veterinarian $51,022
  • Welder $8,556

Local income tax: Assumes a Portland resident in Multnomah County (small parts of the city are in Washington and Clackamas counties). Preschool for All rates rise by 0.8 points from 2027.

Compare Portland with other cities

Compare Portland with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.

Moving to Portland

45 licensed interstate movers are based in Portland, and 32 more elsewhere in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).

Questions people ask

Is Portland, OR a good place to live?

Portland sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 97 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job. The typical worker here earns $60,690 and keeps $7,577 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.

What is the cost of living in Portland?

Prices in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area are 5% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,677 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,561 a month.

How much do you need to earn to live in Portland?

A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $50,200 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area earns $60,690.

What is the average rent in Portland?

HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,568 for a studio, $1,677 for a 1-bedroom and $1,926 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Portland at $1,648 a month (2024).

Does Portland have a state or city income tax?

Yes. On a typical wage of $60,690, Oregon state income tax comes to about $4,034 a year. Portland residents also pay Metro Supportive Housing Services tax and Multnomah County Preschool for All tax and Multnomah County Preschool for All tax (second tier) and City of Portland Arts Education and Access Tax income tax, about $50 on the same wage.

What internet providers serve Portland?

6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Portland, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, Quantum Fiber, AT&T. 71.5% of homes can get fiber and 81.9% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).

Sources and method

Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.

Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate