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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 1 points on the cost index. Hillsboro, Portland, Gresham, Salem, Eugene are all within striking distance. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — become the tiebreakers.…
#1 Ranked: Hillsboro — cost index 114, rent $1,869/mo, income $103,207
Top 5 separated by only 1 points
3 of 5 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 1 points on the cost index. Hillsboro, Portland, Gresham, Salem, Eugene are all within striking distance. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — become the tiebreakers. Here's the full breakdown.
In plain English: a closer look at Hillsboro: the cost index of 114 breaks down to a Utilities index of 104 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 134 (weakest). Median rent is $1,869/month — 1% below the national median — while household income sits at $103,207, meaning locals spend about 22% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
Bottom line: Hillsboro leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers. Not even close to the national average.
107,730 residents · Oregon
A closer look at Hillsboro: the cost index of 114 breaks down to a Utilities index of 104 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 134 (weakest). Median rent is $1,869/month — 1% below the national median — while household income sits at $103,207, meaning locals spend about 22% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
630,498 residents · Oregon
Why Portland ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 111 on the cost index, residents save roughly 1% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,710/month while the median household pulls in $88,792/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 102, though Housing (128) lags behind. Home prices average $524,251 — $56,881 above the national median.
110,685 residents · Oregon
Gresham is one of the cheaper options here. And most of the time, rent is $1,594/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 107. Income sits at $73,608. That alone makes it worth considering (your mileage may vary — literally).
177,432 residents · Oregon
Salem earns its position at #4 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 105 cost index sits 7 points below the national baseline, and the $71,900 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $432,341 — $35,029 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 97, while Housing trails at 113 (that's pre-tax, of course).
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. And from what we can tell, 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.
Value ratio = median household income ÷ cost of living index. A higher ratio means each dollar of income buys more locally. This captures purchasing power better than looking at income or cost alone. 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.
Hillsboro ranks #1 in Oregon for this analysis with a cost index of 114 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 114 and rent of $1,869/mo, while Eugene (ranked #5) has a cost index of 113 and rent of $1,988/mo — a 1-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.