Living in Portland, OR

Crime in Portland runs a bit below the national average. The violent crime index is 77 (100 is the U.S. baseline), with property crime at 178. That puts it in a decent spot — not the safest metro in the country, but meaningfully better than the midpoint. Neighborhood choice still matters, especially if you have kids or walk home late. FBI Uniform Crime Report data.

By most measures, yes. The median rent of $1,596/month against a median household income of $88,792/year works out to a 21.6% rent-to-income ratio. Financial planners generally want that number under 30%, so Portland clears the bar with room to spare. You'll have breathing space for savings, car payments, and the occasional splurge. Numbers from Census ACS 2023.

The average worker in Portland spends about 18 minutes getting to the office. Driving solo is the default (50.5%), with 25.3% working remotely and 7.3% on public transit. It's a fairly typical commute — not a selling point, not a dealbreaker.

Not particularly. The climate risk score is 27/100, which puts Portland in the low-risk tier. Earthquake, Wildfire, and Flood are the most relevant hazards, but none of them are frequent concerns. Standard insurance should have you covered. It's one less thing to worry about if you're comparing this city to higher-risk metros along the coast or in tornado alley. Data from FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA.

Mixed. The city-wide graduation rate is 82.0% and classrooms average 19 students per teacher. Some schools here are legitimately excellent — strong test scores, engaged communities, good resources. Others struggle. The gap between the best and worst is wider than you might expect. Do your homework on individual schools rather than relying on the city-wide number.

A bit less than you'd pay in most U.S. cities. The average monthly utility bill in Portland is around $200 (covering electric, gas, water, sewer), compared to a national average of $230. That $30 monthly savings won't change your life, but it's a nice perk — especially if you're coming from a more expensive market.

Good, overall. The median AQI sits at 42, which falls within the EPA's "Good" category, and Portland logs 262 clean-air days annually. PM2.5 is the main pollutant. Occasional spikes happen — wildfire smoke, temperature inversions, or high-ozone days — but they're the exception, not the rule. Check AirNow.gov during allergy season or summer heat waves.

Moderate to light. The total effective tax rate in Portland — combining income, property, and sales taxes — is about 9.0%. Sales tax is 0.0%. That's below the national midpoint. Whether you feel the difference depends on your income bracket and whether you own property, but on the whole, Portland won't surprise you with an outsized tax bill.

Yes. Portland's water system scores 91/100 in our analysis — zero health-based violations on record, and the lead risk rating is "low." It meets or exceeds all EPA standards. You can fill a glass from the faucet without thinking twice. A basic pitcher filter can improve taste if you're particular, but it's not a safety concern.

Everything on this page is built from public government sources: rent and income figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023); commute and transportation data from Census ACS tables B08303 and B08006; crime rates from the FBI Uniform Crime Report; climate risk assessments using FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA storm records; air quality measurements from the EPA's Air Quality System database; water quality compliance data from EPA records and the EWG Tap Water Database; school data from the National Center for Education Statistics; utility cost estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. We refresh each dataset monthly through an automated pipeline and cross-check for anomalies. No surveys, no user-submitted guesses — just official federal data presented in a way that's actually useful for people researching a move.