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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $30K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. We ran the numbers on 5 cities in Oregon using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Gresham comes out…
110,685 residents · Oregon
A closer look at Gresham: the cost index of 107 breaks down to a Utilities index of 98 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 117 (weakest). Median rent is $1,594/month — 16% below the national median — while household income sits at $73,608, meaning locals spend about 26% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room (that's pre-tax, of course).
177,432 residents · Oregon
What does daily life actually cost in Salem? Start with the 27% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Utilities (index 97) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 113) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $71,900 and homes at $432,341 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
630,498 residents · Oregon
The #3 spot goes to Portland, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,710/month — saving renters $2,220 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 102, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 128. At a 23% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
107,730 residents · Oregon
What does daily life actually cost in Hillsboro? Start with the 22% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 104) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 134) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $103,207 and homes at $516,726 round out a profile that ranks #4 for clear reasons.
177,899 residents · Oregon
What does daily life actually cost in Eugene? Start with the 37% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Utilities (index 104) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 133) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $63,836 and homes at $467,032 round out a profile that ranks #5 for clear reasons.
#1 Ranked: Gresham — cost index 107, rent $1,594/mo, income $73,608
0 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $30K
0 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $30K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $30K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. We ran the numbers on 5 cities in Oregon using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Gresham comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
0 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $30K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $30K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market.
A closer look at Gresham: the cost index of 107 — we had to double-check this one — breaks down to a Utilities index of 98 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 117 (weakest). Median rent is $1,594/month — 16% below the national median — while household income sits at $73,608, meaning locals spend about 26% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
The way we see it, on a $30K salary, the key number is $750/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Gresham ($1,594/mo, 64%), Salem ($1,600/mo, 64%), Portland ($1,710/mo, 68%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $21,367 to $21,367/year across these top picks (that's pre-tax, of course).
Straight up: Zooming out, Oregon — Portland premium contrasting with inland bargains. The 5 cities we track here average a cost index of 110 and median income of $80,269. It lands right near the national baseline, which makes the differences between individual cities all the more important. The typical rent runs $1,752/month, which is $143 less than the national median.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $30K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market.
The race is tight: Gresham, Salem, Portland, Hillsboro, Eugene are all within 6 points of each other. At this level, differences in rent, taxes, or a single category can sway the decision.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Gresham | 9.9% | 0% | 0.87% | $21,367 |
2Salem | 9.9% | 0% | 0.87% | $21,367 |
3Portland | 9.9% | 0% | 0.87% | $21,367 |
4Hillsboro | 9.9% | 0% | 0.87% | $21,367 |
5Eugene | 9.9% | 0% | 0.87% | $21,367 |
We calculate what percentage of a $30K gross salary goes to median rent. Cities where rent consumes less of your paycheck rank higher. We also factor in estimated take-home pay after federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Gresham ranks #1 in Oregon for this analysis with a cost index of 107 and median income of $73,608.
Yes. On a $30K salary in Gresham, rent would consume about 64% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Gresham (ranked #1) has a cost index of 107 and rent of $1,594/mo, while Eugene (ranked #5) has a cost index of 113 and rent of $1,988/mo — a 6-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Gresham is $1,594/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $301 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 9.9% state income tax, estimated take-home on $30K in Gresham is approximately $21,367/year ($1,781/month). After median rent of $1,594/month, you'd have roughly $2,239/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Gresham is $463,410, which is 6.3× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Oregon has a 9.9% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 0%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.87%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.