Before you decide to relocate to Oregon, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in Oregon that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2018-2022 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 76 places in Oregon with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Oregon for 2024.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Oregon For 2024
What’s the most expensive place to live in Oregon? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Lake Oswego is the most expensive place to live in Oregon.
Milton-Freewater (the cheapest place to live in Oregon) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Oregon and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Oregon For 2024
/10
Population: 40,457
Cost Of Living Index: 147
Median Income: $127,252
Average Home Price: $880,600
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.9x
More on Lake Oswego: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Lake Oswego is 147. The median income in Lake Oswego comes in at $127,252 and the average home value is $880,600 for 2024.
/10
Population: 24,381
Cost Of Living Index: 139
Median Income: $126,108
Average Home Price: $682,410
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.4x
More on Happy Valley: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Happy Valley is 139. The median income in Happy Valley comes in at $126,108 and the average home value is $682,410 for 2024.
/10
Population: 27,167
Cost Of Living Index: 135
Median Income: $134,116
Average Home Price: $759,031
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.7x
More on West Linn: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in West Linn is 135. The median income in West Linn comes in at $134,116 and the average home value is $759,031 for 2024.
/10
Population: 21,401
Cost Of Living Index: 131
Median Income: $64,767
Average Home Price: $543,829
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.4x
More on Ashland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Ashland is 131. The median income in Ashland comes in at $64,767 and the average home value is $543,829 for 2024.
/10
Population: 25,992
Cost Of Living Index: 129
Median Income: $83,210
Average Home Price: $637,996
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.7x
More on Wilsonville: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Wilsonville is 129. The median income in Wilsonville comes in at $83,210 and the average home value is $637,996 for 2024.
/10
Population: 27,804
Cost Of Living Index: 127
Median Income: $105,542
Average Home Price: $637,027
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.0x
More on Tualatin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Tualatin is 127. The median income in Tualatin comes in at $105,542 and the average home value is $637,027 for 2024.
/10
Population: 20,286
Cost Of Living Index: 125
Median Income: $109,770
Average Home Price: $628,898
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.7x
More on Sherwood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Sherwood is 125. The median income in Sherwood comes in at $109,770 and the average home value is $628,898 for 2024.
/10
Population: 55,161
Cost Of Living Index: 124
Median Income: $101,354
Average Home Price: $601,645
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.9x
More on Tigard: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Tigard is 124. The median income in Tigard comes in at $101,354 and the average home value is $601,645 for 2024.
/10
Population: 99,442
Cost Of Living Index: 122
Median Income: $82,671
Average Home Price: $728,806
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.8x
More on Bend: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Bend is 122. The median income in Bend comes in at $82,671 and the average home value is $728,806 for 2024.
/10
Population: 8,292
Cost Of Living Index: 122
Median Income: $70,791
Average Home Price: $691,118
Home Price To Income Ratio: 9.8x
More on Hood River: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Hood River is 122. The median income in Hood River comes in at $70,791 and the average home value is $691,118 for 2024.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Beaver State For 2024
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Oregon are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I have to spend to live there?
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Oregon to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 76 places in Oregon that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in Oregon according to the data is Lake Oswego. We updated this article for 2024. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Oregon.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Oregon For 2024
Well, there you have it, the places in Oregon that have the highest cost of living, with Lake Oswego ranking as the most expensive city in the Beaver State.
The most expensive cities in Oregon are Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, West Linn, Ashland, Wilsonville, Tualatin, Sherwood, Tigard, Bend, and Hood River.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Oregon according to the data:
- Milton-Freewater
- Umatilla
- Baker City
For more Oregon reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Oregon
- Cheapest Places To Live In Oregon
- Most Dangerous Cities In Oregon
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Oregon
- Safest Places In Oregon
- Worst Places To Live In Oregon
Most Expensive Cities In Oregon
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Oswego | 147 | 40,457 | $127,252 | $880,600 | 6.9x |
| 2 | Happy Valley | 139 | 24,381 | $126,108 | $682,410 | 5.4x |
| 3 | West Linn | 135 | 27,167 | $134,116 | $759,031 | 5.7x |
| 4 | Ashland | 131 | 21,401 | $64,767 | $543,829 | 8.4x |
| 5 | Wilsonville | 129 | 25,992 | $83,210 | $637,996 | 7.7x |
| 6 | Tualatin | 127 | 27,804 | $105,542 | $637,027 | 6.0x |
| 7 | Sherwood | 125 | 20,286 | $109,770 | $628,898 | 5.7x |
| 8 | Tigard | 124 | 55,161 | $101,354 | $601,645 | 5.9x |
| 9 | Bend | 122 | 99,442 | $82,671 | $728,806 | 8.8x |
| 10 | Hood River | 122 | 8,292 | $70,791 | $691,118 | 9.8x |
| 11 | Portland | 121 | 646,101 | $85,876 | $523,622 | 6.1x |
| 12 | Beaverton | 120 | 97,554 | $88,899 | $534,974 | 6.0x |
| 13 | Corvallis | 119 | 60,050 | $61,610 | $530,933 | 8.6x |
| 14 | Hillsboro | 118 | 106,612 | $98,891 | $527,280 | 5.3x |
| 15 | Canby | 117 | 18,127 | $91,823 | $566,045 | 6.2x |
| 16 | Oregon City | 116 | 37,418 | $90,174 | $587,025 | 6.5x |
| 17 | Seaside | 116 | 7,142 | $44,087 | $493,204 | 11.2x |
| 18 | Brookings | 116 | 6,719 | $79,109 | $485,283 | 6.1x |
| 19 | Eugene | 115 | 176,755 | $61,481 | $464,226 | 7.6x |
| 20 | Newberg | 114 | 25,379 | $87,873 | $519,518 | 5.9x |
| 21 | Sandy | 114 | 12,592 | $98,341 | $500,027 | 5.1x |
| 22 | Gladstone | 113 | 11,996 | $88,043 | $504,640 | 5.7x |
| 23 | Silverton | 113 | 10,439 | $75,167 | $518,976 | 6.9x |
| 24 | Gresham | 112 | 113,525 | $69,437 | $451,470 | 6.5x |
| 25 | Medford | 112 | 85,539 | $65,647 | $392,181 | 6.0x |
| 26 | Forest Grove | 112 | 26,160 | $77,977 | $512,087 | 6.6x |
| 27 | Milwaukie | 112 | 21,195 | $78,676 | $502,721 | 6.4x |
| 28 | Fairview | 112 | 10,515 | $78,407 | $456,132 | 5.8x |
| 29 | Lincoln City | 112 | 9,790 | $54,210 | $500,282 | 9.2x |
| 30 | Talent | 112 | 6,256 | $51,215 | $418,800 | 8.2x |
| 31 | Troutdale | 111 | 16,150 | $86,307 | $469,436 | 5.4x |
| 32 | Astoria | 111 | 10,184 | $69,463 | $480,872 | 6.9x |
| 33 | Albany | 110 | 56,348 | $69,777 | $413,665 | 5.9x |
| 34 | Keizer | 110 | 39,122 | $75,753 | $434,715 | 5.7x |
| 35 | Redmond | 110 | 34,191 | $72,798 | $504,145 | 6.9x |
| 36 | Newport | 110 | 10,319 | $57,511 | $480,287 | 8.4x |
| 37 | Eagle Point | 110 | 9,735 | $83,625 | $454,585 | 5.4x |
| 38 | McMinnville | 109 | 34,432 | $65,318 | $466,521 | 7.1x |
| 39 | Cornelius | 109 | 13,245 | $83,051 | $471,048 | 5.7x |
| 40 | Florence | 109 | 9,384 | $57,568 | $417,088 | 7.2x |
| 41 | Scappoose | 109 | 8,003 | $96,339 | $474,121 | 4.9x |
| 42 | Junction City | 108 | 6,831 | $70,411 | $464,983 | 6.6x |
| 43 | Salem | 107 | 175,754 | $67,540 | $418,511 | 6.2x |
| 44 | Springfield | 107 | 61,740 | $60,982 | $399,498 | 6.6x |
| 45 | Central Point | 107 | 19,123 | $79,731 | $399,880 | 5.0x |
| 46 | Monmouth | 107 | 11,054 | $61,282 | $446,850 | 7.3x |
| 47 | North Bend | 107 | 10,250 | $67,841 | $360,467 | 5.3x |
| 48 | Molalla | 107 | 10,147 | $77,442 | $478,905 | 6.2x |
| 49 | Stayton | 107 | 8,210 | $72,639 | $434,159 | 6.0x |
| 50 | Warrenton | 107 | 6,254 | $69,400 | $492,143 | 7.1x |
| 51 | Creswell | 107 | 5,607 | $85,126 | $455,141 | 5.3x |
| 52 | Philomath | 107 | 5,429 | $80,599 | $496,750 | 6.2x |
| 53 | Veneta | 107 | 5,177 | $58,825 | $422,592 | 7.2x |
| 54 | Grants Pass | 106 | 39,131 | $53,941 | $398,971 | 7.4x |
| 55 | Cottage Grove | 106 | 10,583 | $60,219 | $386,561 | 6.4x |
| 56 | Dallas | 105 | 16,945 | $67,935 | $447,818 | 6.6x |
| 57 | St. Helens | 105 | 14,015 | $77,475 | $407,724 | 5.3x |
| 58 | Roseburg | 104 | 23,657 | $50,297 | $344,982 | 6.9x |
| 59 | Tillamook | 104 | 5,215 | $53,711 | $449,832 | 8.4x |
| 60 | Lebanon | 103 | 18,587 | $53,246 | $377,909 | 7.1x |
| 61 | Coos Bay | 103 | 15,949 | $53,331 | $329,613 | 6.2x |
| 62 | Independence | 103 | 9,981 | $73,361 | $395,971 | 5.4x |
| 63 | Winston | 103 | 5,618 | $51,182 | $297,819 | 5.8x |
| 64 | The Dalles | 102 | 15,988 | $59,714 | $376,552 | 6.3x |
| 65 | Sutherlin | 102 | 8,513 | $48,610 | $334,639 | 6.9x |
| 66 | Woodburn | 101 | 26,222 | $58,916 | $403,723 | 6.9x |
| 67 | Prineville | 101 | 10,915 | $63,904 | $403,041 | 6.3x |
| 68 | Sweet Home | 101 | 9,852 | $56,783 | $345,316 | 6.1x |
| 69 | Madras | 96 | 7,494 | $52,500 | $341,687 | 6.5x |
| 70 | La Grande | 94 | 13,097 | $52,039 | $273,962 | 5.3x |
| 71 | Hermiston | 93 | 19,267 | $65,502 | $330,704 | 5.0x |
| 72 | Pendleton | 90 | 17,005 | $67,931 | $282,990 | 4.2x |
| 73 | Ontario | 90 | 11,610 | $39,750 | $286,357 | 7.2x |
| 74 | Baker City | 90 | 10,110 | $54,063 | $239,601 | 4.4x |
| 75 | Umatilla | 90 | 7,433 | $56,413 | $271,351 | 4.8x |
| 76 | Milton-Freewater | 89 | 7,137 | $46,372 | $214,651 | 4.6x |