Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while Oregon trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Hillsboro at index 114 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Oregon.
#1 Ranked: Hillsboro — cost index 114, rent $1,869/mo, income $103,207
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
Premium market, smart picks: while Oregon trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Hillsboro at index 114 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Oregon.
Dive into Hillsboro's numbers: cost index 114 (2 points above national average), rent $1,869/month, income $103,207, and a home price of $516,726. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 104, while Housing runs 134. With 107,730 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Hillsboro (index 114, rent $1,869); Portland (index 111, rent $1,710); Gresham (index 107, rent $1,594). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
What's equally notable: 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.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Hillsboro | 9.9% | 0% | 0.87% | $67,282 |
2Portland | 9.9% | 0% | 0.87% | $67,282 |
3Gresham | 9.9% | 0% | 0.87% | $67,282 |
4Salem | 9.9% | 0% | 0.87% | $67,282 |
5Eugene | 9.9% | 0% | 0.87% | $67,282 |
107,730 residents · Oregon
Dive into Hillsboro's numbers: cost index 114 (2 points above national average), rent $1,869/month, income $103,207, and a home price of $516,726. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 104, while Housing runs 134. With 107,730 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
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. Not flashy. Just effective.
110,685 residents · Oregon
Here's Gresham by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And in practical terms, cost index: 107. Rent: $1,594/month. Income: $73,608/year. Home price: $463,410. Population: 110,685. The strongest category is Utilities at 98; the most expensive is Housing at 117. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $3,612 per year vs. the national median. That's the kind of stat homebuyers should print out for their mortgage meetings.
177,432 residents · Oregon
Real talk: Salem is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,600/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 105. Income sits at $71,900. Standard stuff, really.
177,899 residents · Oregon
Why Eugene ranks #5: the numbers tell a clear story. You get the picture. At 113 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 1% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,988/month while the median household pulls in $63,836/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 104, though Housing (133) lags behind. Home prices average $467,032 — $338 below the national median.
Cities are ranked by median household income from Census ACS data. We also show cost-adjusted purchasing power (income ÷ cost index) to reveal which high-income cities actually deliver the most real-world spending power. 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.