When it comes to the cheapest places to live in Oregon, most people envision places with high-end vegan eateries, elitist Portlanders, and affluent nature enthusiasts.
Affordable living in the Beaver State is far from this stereotype.
To find the cheapest places to live in Oklahoma, we use Saturday Night Science and Census data on home prices, incomes, and cost of living. Real estate is a critical factor in the cost of living, and Oregon has plenty of cities where cheap, quality homes are available.
So, let’s start a real estate version of Oregon Trail, where we’ll substitute dollars saved for dysentery.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Oregon
What is the cheapest place to live in Oregon? Milton-Freewater is the cheapest place to live in Oregon after crunching data from the US Census in terms of median housing costs, median income, and overall cost of living,
If you care about home values, cost of living, and high quality of life, grab a vegan spinach smoothie and read on.
Check out some more reading about Oregon and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Oregon For 2024
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Population: 7,137
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 89
Median Income: $46,372
Median Home Price: $214,651
Median Rent: $725
We’re kicking off our tour of Oregon’s most affordable cities with Milton-Freewater, a city of 7,137 in Umatilla County, a place renowned for its wine.
Before you think Milton-Freewater has nothing going on besides drinking, keep in mind it’s also a naturally beautiful place to live. There are hiking trails and campgrounds at Harris Park, so you’ll always be able to get into the great outdoors with ease.
The overall cost of living in Milton-Freewater is 25% below the statewide average, but in terms of housing, it’s nearly half as expensive. Milton-Freewater enjoys the cheapest median rent and cheapest median home prices in Oregon.
Your typical Milton-Freewater home sells for $214,651, while rent goes for around $725. And it’s not like things are cheap in Milton-Freewater just because the local economy is bad. On the contrary, Milton-Freewater has a low unemployment rate, and the median household income is $46,372.
More on Milton-Freewater: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 17,005
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 90
Median Income: $67,931
Median Home Price: $282,990
Median Rent: $895
Pendleton is yet another Umatilla County city to make the cut as one of the cheapest places to live in Oregon. Buying a home in Pendleton will set you back about $282,990, which on an income of $67,931 is no sweat at all. Pendleton also has the second best rent to income ratio in the state, so if you’re not ready to commit to a mortgage, Pendleton still has you covered.
Not to mention that if you’re a rodeo competitor, you’ll alway have a side gig ready for you at the Pendleton Round Up rodeo.
More on Pendleton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 11,610
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 90
Median Income: $39,750
Median Home Price: $286,357
Median Rent: $739
Oregon might be one of the states with the highest rent in America, but apparently Ontario hasn’t gotten the memo. The median rent in Ontario is a measly $739, which is far below the national and statewide average. But that’s not really why Ontario is on this list. It’s because the city has the sixth cheapest homes in Oregon, with a median price tag of $286,357. Taken with Ontario’s median income of $39,750, and the city is safely in the top ten in Oregon for home price to income ratio.
Ontario is located in eastern Oregon, about an hour northwest of Boise, Idaho.
More on Ontario: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 10,110
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 90
Median Income: $54,063
Median Home Price: $239,601
Median Rent: $776
Baker City ranks as the fourth least expensive city in Oregon, with the second cheapest homes on the market statewide. Homes in Baker City go for a median price of $239,601. Combine that with a median income of $54,063, and Baker City has the second best home price to income ratio in Oregon.
And if you always died playing the Oregon Trail computer game as a kid, you can pick up some tips on surviving at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.
More on Baker City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 7,433
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 90
Median Income: $56,413
Median Home Price: $271,351
Median Rent: $1,013
Oregon might not be the cheapest state in America, but try telling that to the folks in Umatilla. Homes in Umatilla go for the third lowest prices in the state, and nowhere in Oregon will you pay a smaller percentage of your income on housing.
And you’ll get that quintessential Oregon outdoors-goodness at Hat Rock State Park, complete with trails, a pond for fishing, and resident eagles. Sounds like a good deal to me. The median home price in Umatilla is $271,351 and the median income is $56,413. Umatilla is also incredibly affordable for renters; with a median rent of $1,013/month, the city has the cheapest rent you’ll find anywhere on this list.
That doesn’t mean that Umatilla has skimped on safety though. In fact, it’s the second safest place in Oregon.
Umatilla is located in the northeastern part of Oregon, across the Columbia River from Washington.
More on Umatilla: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 19,267
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 93
Median Income: $65,502
Median Home Price: $330,704
Median Rent: $961
A close neighbor of Umatilla, Hermiston ranks as the sixth least expensive city in Oregon.
Like Umatilla, Hermiston has plenty of outdoor recreation activities to keep you busy on a budget. As far as jobs, the city’s main industries are food processing and distribution, so if you’ve got experience in the field, it should be no sweat locking down a job in Hermiston. Hermiston has strong affordability numbers across the board, but really stands out in terms of inexpensive rent. At a median rent of $961, Hermiston residents pay less than half the average rent in Oregon and the pay the ninth smallest percentage of their income on rent statewide.
More on Hermiston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 13,097
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 94
Median Income: $52,039
Median Home Price: $273,962
Median Rent: $910
La Grande, located in eastern Oregon, ranked seventh for affordability, with a 94 overall cost of living that’s 16.8% lower than the state standard. The city’s real estate market is enticing, with a $273,962 median home value.
Some of the best things to do in and around La Grande include visiting Hilgard Junction State Park, checking out the Eastern Oregon Fire Museum, and exploring Wallowa Lake.
More on La Grande: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 7,494
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 96
Median Income: $52,500
Median Home Price: $341,687
Median Rent: $878
Madras is the eighth cheapest in Oregon. The cost of living index comes in at 96, below the state and national average.
Found in Jefferson County, Madras features a housing market that is the 11th cheapest, with median rents sitting at $878.
If you’re looking for something cheap to do nearby, check out Cove Palisades State Park, Erickson Aircraft Collection, and Lavender Farms.
More on Madras: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
As a native American from warm springs rezervation next to madras I know a lot of people drop out of school who start…probably what brought % down
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Population: 26,222
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $58,916
Median Home Price: $403,723
Median Rent: $1,300
Woodburn, located in northern Oregon’s Marion County between Portland and Salem, ranks ninth for cost-effectiveness. Proximity to Interstate 5 and various state routes offers easy access to nearby Portland without having to pay Portland prices. Instead, the median home value is $403,723 and median rent is $1,300. These compare favorably to a $58,916 median income, ensuring that residents can visit Portland whenever the need arrives.
More on Woodburn: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 10,915
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $63,904
Median Home Price: $403,041
Median Rent: $1,118
Seated in Crook County, Prineville should be synonymous with savings in Oregon. With a modest 10,915 population, you can afford to relax and unwind at Prineville Reservoir State Park, tour the Cada Dia Cheese Farm, or learn local history at the A.R. Bowman Museum on the cheap.
The average monthly rent is $1,118, and residents’ $63,904 median income means more money to spend on things other than housing.
More on Prineville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cheapest places to live in Oregon FAQs
The county in Oregon with the lowest cost of living is Clackamas County. The average living wage in Clackamas County is $100,740 according to MIT data. Clackamas County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Oregon as a whole. Childcare costs $16,564 a year in Clackamas County for two children compared to the Oregon average of $15,236. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $18,432 per year in Clackamas County compared to $15,603 on average in Oregon.
The cost of living in Oregon is 7.0% higher than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Oregon is $96,003 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Oregon household is $65,667.
The cheapest housing market in Oregon is Ontario. The average home value in Ontario is $121,600, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Oregon is $336,700, almost 2.8 times higher than Ontario.
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Beaver State for 2024
Determining affordability for places in Oregon boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 for Oregon using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Oregon to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 76 places in Oregon that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Oregon with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Milton-Freewater.
We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in Oregon.
Oregon Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Oregon for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Oregon.
The cheapest cities in Oregon are Milton-Freewater, Pendleton, Ontario, Baker City, Umatilla, Hermiston, La Grande, Madras, Woodburn, and Prineville.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Oregon according to the data:
- Lake Oswego
- Happy Valley
- West Linn
For more Oregon reading, check out:
Cheapest Places To Live In Oregon
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milton-Freewater | 7,137 | 89 | $46,372 | $214,651 | $725 |
| 2 | Pendleton | 17,005 | 90 | $67,931 | $282,990 | $895 |
| 3 | Ontario | 11,610 | 90 | $39,750 | $286,357 | $739 |
| 4 | Baker City | 10,110 | 90 | $54,063 | $239,601 | $776 |
| 5 | Umatilla | 7,433 | 90 | $56,413 | $271,351 | $1,013 |
| 6 | Hermiston | 19,267 | 93 | $65,502 | $330,704 | $961 |
| 7 | La Grande | 13,097 | 94 | $52,039 | $273,962 | $910 |
| 8 | Madras | 7,494 | 96 | $52,500 | $341,687 | $878 |
| 9 | Woodburn | 26,222 | 101 | $58,916 | $403,723 | $1,300 |
| 10 | Prineville | 10,915 | 101 | $63,904 | $403,041 | $1,118 |
| 11 | Sweet Home | 9,852 | 101 | $56,783 | $345,316 | $1,055 |
| 12 | The Dalles | 15,988 | 102 | $59,714 | $376,552 | $925 |
| 13 | Sutherlin | 8,513 | 102 | $48,610 | $334,639 | $1,048 |
| 14 | Lebanon | 18,587 | 103 | $53,246 | $377,909 | $1,183 |
| 15 | Coos Bay | 15,949 | 103 | $53,331 | $329,613 | $916 |
| 16 | Independence | 9,981 | 103 | $73,361 | $395,971 | $1,410 |
| 17 | Winston | 5,618 | 103 | $51,182 | $297,819 | $1,094 |
| 18 | Roseburg | 23,657 | 104 | $50,297 | $344,982 | $974 |
| 19 | Tillamook | 5,215 | 104 | $53,711 | $449,832 | $1,081 |
| 20 | Dallas | 16,945 | 105 | $67,935 | $447,818 | $1,131 |
| 21 | St. Helens | 14,015 | 105 | $77,475 | $407,724 | $1,223 |
| 22 | Grants Pass | 39,131 | 106 | $53,941 | $398,971 | $1,086 |
| 23 | Cottage Grove | 10,583 | 106 | $60,219 | $386,561 | $987 |
| 24 | Salem | 175,754 | 107 | $67,540 | $418,511 | $1,224 |
| 25 | Springfield | 61,740 | 107 | $60,982 | $399,498 | $1,126 |
| 26 | Central Point | 19,123 | 107 | $79,731 | $399,880 | $1,247 |
| 27 | Monmouth | 11,054 | 107 | $61,282 | $446,850 | $1,125 |
| 28 | North Bend | 10,250 | 107 | $67,841 | $360,467 | $946 |
| 29 | Molalla | 10,147 | 107 | $77,442 | $478,905 | $1,403 |
| 30 | Stayton | 8,210 | 107 | $72,639 | $434,159 | $1,058 |
| 31 | Warrenton | 6,254 | 107 | $69,400 | $492,143 | $1,199 |
| 32 | Creswell | 5,607 | 107 | $85,126 | $455,141 | $1,229 |
| 33 | Philomath | 5,429 | 107 | $80,599 | $496,750 | $1,374 |
| 34 | Veneta | 5,177 | 107 | $58,825 | $422,592 | $1,351 |
| 35 | Junction City | 6,831 | 108 | $70,411 | $464,983 | $886 |
| 36 | McMinnville | 34,432 | 109 | $65,318 | $466,521 | $1,213 |
| 37 | Cornelius | 13,245 | 109 | $83,051 | $471,048 | $1,385 |
| 38 | Florence | 9,384 | 109 | $57,568 | $417,088 | $1,150 |
| 39 | Scappoose | 8,003 | 109 | $96,339 | $474,121 | $1,716 |
| 40 | Albany | 56,348 | 110 | $69,777 | $413,665 | $1,194 |
| 41 | Keizer | 39,122 | 110 | $75,753 | $434,715 | $1,268 |
| 42 | Redmond | 34,191 | 110 | $72,798 | $504,145 | $1,381 |
| 43 | Newport | 10,319 | 110 | $57,511 | $480,287 | $1,086 |
| 44 | Eagle Point | 9,735 | 110 | $83,625 | $454,585 | $1,298 |
| 45 | Troutdale | 16,150 | 111 | $86,307 | $469,436 | $1,456 |
| 46 | Astoria | 10,184 | 111 | $69,463 | $480,872 | $1,074 |
| 47 | Gresham | 113,525 | 112 | $69,437 | $451,470 | $1,452 |
| 48 | Medford | 85,539 | 112 | $65,647 | $392,181 | $1,214 |
| 49 | Forest Grove | 26,160 | 112 | $77,977 | $512,087 | $1,282 |
| 50 | Milwaukie | 21,195 | 112 | $78,676 | $502,721 | $1,441 |
| 51 | Fairview | 10,515 | 112 | $78,407 | $456,132 | $1,483 |
| 52 | Lincoln City | 9,790 | 112 | $54,210 | $500,282 | $1,134 |
| 53 | Talent | 6,256 | 112 | $51,215 | $418,800 | $1,302 |
| 54 | Gladstone | 11,996 | 113 | $88,043 | $504,640 | $1,609 |
| 55 | Silverton | 10,439 | 113 | $75,167 | $518,976 | $1,321 |
| 56 | Newberg | 25,379 | 114 | $87,873 | $519,518 | $1,570 |
| 57 | Sandy | 12,592 | 114 | $98,341 | $500,027 | $1,503 |
| 58 | Eugene | 176,755 | 115 | $61,481 | $464,226 | $1,269 |
| 59 | Oregon City | 37,418 | 116 | $90,174 | $587,025 | $1,527 |
| 60 | Seaside | 7,142 | 116 | $44,087 | $493,204 | $956 |
| 61 | Brookings | 6,719 | 116 | $79,109 | $485,283 | $1,288 |
| 62 | Canby | 18,127 | 117 | $91,823 | $566,045 | $1,327 |
| 63 | Hillsboro | 106,612 | 118 | $98,891 | $527,280 | $1,797 |
| 64 | Corvallis | 60,050 | 119 | $61,610 | $530,933 | $1,315 |
| 65 | Beaverton | 97,554 | 120 | $88,899 | $534,974 | $1,663 |
| 66 | Portland | 646,101 | 121 | $85,876 | $523,622 | $1,530 |
| 67 | Bend | 99,442 | 122 | $82,671 | $728,806 | $1,649 |
| 68 | Hood River | 8,292 | 122 | $70,791 | $691,118 | $1,318 |
| 69 | Tigard | 55,161 | 124 | $101,354 | $601,645 | $1,644 |
| 70 | Sherwood | 20,286 | 125 | $109,770 | $628,898 | $1,980 |
| 71 | Tualatin | 27,804 | 127 | $105,542 | $637,027 | $1,665 |
| 72 | Wilsonville | 25,992 | 129 | $83,210 | $637,996 | $1,715 |
| 73 | Ashland | 21,401 | 131 | $64,767 | $543,829 | $1,220 |
| 74 | West Linn | 27,167 | 135 | $134,116 | $759,031 | $1,907 |
| 75 | Happy Valley | 24,381 | 139 | $126,108 | $682,410 | $1,954 |
| 76 | Lake Oswego | 40,457 | 147 | $127,252 | $880,600 | $1,979 |