City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Hillsboro | Salem | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,797/mo | $1,224/mo | 46.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $452,300 | $349,500 | 29.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $98,891 | $67,540 | 46.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 107.6 | 102.2 | 5.3% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 130.7 | 122.0 | 7.1% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 111.7 | 100.6 | 11.0% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 113.6 | 98.7 | 15.1% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Hillsboro, you'd need $80,304 in Salem to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Salem, OR is about 19.7% cheaper overall than Hillsboro, OR, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 32% lower in Salem than in Hillsboro. If you earn $80,000 in Hillsboro, you'd need about $64,243 in Salem to keep the same standard of living.