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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Hillsboro: high income, low cost — a rare combo. Hillsboro earns above the national median ($103,207 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 109 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 cities share it.
107,730 residents · Oregon
Dive into Hillsboro's numbers: cost index 109 (2 points below national average), rent $1,869/month, income $103,207, and a home price of $516,726. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 102, while Housing runs 109. With 107,730 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
630,498 residents · Oregon
The way we see it, Portland earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 100 cost index sits 11 points below the national baseline, and the $88,792 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $524,251 — $56,881 above the national median, reflecting the metro premium. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 100, while Healthcare trails at 100.
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, Housing (index 93) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 99) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $71,900 and homes at $432,341 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons (that's pre-tax, of course).
110,685 residents · Oregon
Here's Gresham by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 93. Rent: $1,594/month — for better or worse — . Income: $73,608/year. Home price: $463,410. Population: 110,685. The strongest category is Housing at 93; the most expensive is Healthcare at 99. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $3,612 per year vs. the national median. This is where the math gets real for actual people.
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. That's a reasonable number. On the category level, Healthcare (index 103) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 116) 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: Hillsboro — cost index 109, rent $1,869/mo, income $103,207
Hillsboro: high income, low cost — a rare combo
4 of 5 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Hillsboro: high income, low cost — a rare combo. Hillsboro earns above the national median ($103,207 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 109 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 cities share it.
Hillsboro breaks the usual trade-off between income and cost of living. Most affordable cities pay less — but Hillsboro delivers a median household income of $103,207 (28% above the national median) while keeping costs 2 points below national average. That's a rare combination shared by only 40 of the 288 cities we track.
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, Healthcare (index 102) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 109) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $103,207 and homes at $516,726 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
Before celebrating, check the next metric: Across Oregon, the average cost of living index is 102 — 9 points below the national median. Known for Portland premium contrasting with inland bargains, the state offers 5 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,752/month. That's $143 less than the national average of $1,895. This is an advantage that compounds over time.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. And depending on your situation, 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 (we double-checked this one).
Hillsboro ranks #1 in Oregon for this analysis with a cost index of 109 and median income of $103,207.
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.
Hillsboro (ranked #1) has a cost index of 109 and rent of $1,869/mo, while Eugene (ranked #5) has a cost index of 116 and rent of $1,988/mo — a 7-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 Hillsboro is $1,869/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $26 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Hillsboro is $516,726, which is 5.0× 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.