Should I Move To
Portland, Oregon comes in at about 646,101 residents. Cost of living comes out expensive — 12% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,530/mo, and the median household income is about $85,876. Overall, 56/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C, putting it at #296 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 112 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's expensive territory. With median rent at $1,530/mo and median household income at $85,876, housing takes about 21% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $523,100.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect four-season weather — summers near 80°F, winters around 36°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 37 inches annually. Walkability is exceptional — most residents can live without a car if they want to. Crime statistics are on the rougher end of the US distribution; the citywide aggregate hides safer pockets but the headline number isn't great. Air quality reads good (AQI 43).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Portland is a tougher sell for families. It earns 52/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Strongest on climate (95/100); weakest on safety (2/100).
On the retirees profile, Portland sits squarely in the middle. It earns 57/100 (grade C) on the retirees profile. Strongest on climate (95/100); weakest on safety (2/100).
Portland is a tougher sell for remote workers. It earns 53/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on climate (95/100); weakest on safety (2/100).
On the young professionals profile, Portland sits squarely in the middle. It earns 62/100 (grade C+) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on climate (95/100); weakest on safety (2/100).
Portland, Oregon pulls a 56/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C), currently ranked #296 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Portland's cost-of-living index is 112 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 12% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,530/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 80°F, winter averages around 36°F, with about 37 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 93/100. Walkability is exceptional — most residents can live without a car if they want to.
Portland has about 646,101 residents, 53% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 38.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Portland head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Portland stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Portland with other Oregon cities scored on UrbRank.
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