City profile · Oregon · Census ACS 2023

Portland, OR

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Portland - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

642,715
Residents
$88,792
Median income
$557,600
Median home
$1,922
Median rent (state)

Portland - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Portland lands in the 70th percentile for household income and the 2nd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

70th
percentile, household income
87th
percentile, home value
80th
percentile, median rent
2nd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Portland, OR

642,715 people live in Portland, Oregon - a mid-sized U.S. city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $88,792 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.1%. Portland's housing stock carries a median value of $557,600, and the median resident age is 38.6 years. Educational attainment runs 53.5% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 66.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 1,700 residential building permits were authorized in Portland (Construction Slowdown), down 67% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Portland's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 6246.3 crimes per 100,000 residents, above the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 55.1°F with 36.9 inches of precipitation per year and 4.2 inches of snowfall.

Oregon carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 103.4 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,922 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Oregon's average monthly utility costs around $185 (state average). Commute times here average 18.4 minutes, with 50.5% driving alone and 25.3% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 98.5 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

642,715 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Oregon

Median Household Income

$88,792 /yr

Poverty 7.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

103.4 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Oregon average

How does Portland compare to other US cities?

Here's how Portland stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 70% higher than other cities
Home value 87% pricier than other cities
Median rent 80% pricier than other cities
Safety 2% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Oregon alone, Portland ranks #85 of 85 Oregon cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Portland's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Oregon, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

70thIncome percentile
2ndSafety percentile

70th percentile nationally for median household income · 2nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Portland's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Portland's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 30 Avg. percentile National median
Portland's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Portland's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$557,600 13th percentile more affordable than 13% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Portland $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Portland, OR Portland, OR's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Portland, OR-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Portland, OR median $88,792/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Portland, OR's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Portland, OR. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 53.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 66.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
642,715
Median Income
$88,792
Median Home Value
$557,600
Median Age
38.6
Poverty Rate
7.1%
Labor force participation
66.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
53.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
6246.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
720.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
5526.2
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
55.1°F
Annual Precipitation
36.9"
Annual Snowfall
4.2"

Schools

Total Schools
151
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
630,000 residents640,000 residents650,000 residents660,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 653,049 residents 635,109 residents ▼ -2.7%
Portland's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1,700
housing units authorized
Single-Family
815
detached homes
Multifamily
885
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 5,094
2020 1,779
2021 3,028
2022 2,197
2023 3,089
2024 1,700

Permit volume decreased 67% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
18.4 minutes
Drive Alone
50.5%
Carpool
7.0%
Public Transit
7.3%
Walk
4.8%
Work from Home
25.3%
Other
5.1%

Based on 358,354 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Oregon - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$85
avg/month
Natural Gas
$50
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$185
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Oregon state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Oregon state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Portland sits in

Cost of Living Index
103.4
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,922/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Oregon

Eugene
177,520 people
Salem
176,666 people
Gresham
112,818 people
Hillsboro
107,050 people
Bend
101,472 people
Beaverton
97,502 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Portland's 642,715 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Detroit, MI
636,644 people
Las Vegas, NV
650,873 people
Memphis, TN
629,063 people
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
627,210 people
Boston, MA
663,972 people
Washington, DC
672,079 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Portland's $88,792 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Manchester Center, VT
$88,786 median income
Herculaneum, MO
$88,778 median income
Oak Hills, PA
$88,807 median income
Kitty Hawk, NC
$88,811 median income
Rodeo, CA
$88,819 median income
La Crosse, FL
$88,819 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Portland, OR Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Portland, OR - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 70.1% 8.1% 11.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 11.3% White 70.1% Black or African American 5.8% Asian 8.1% American Indian 0.9% Native Hawaiian 0.5% Some other race 3.3% Two or more races 11.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Portland compares to nearby Oregon cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Portland (this city) 642,715 $88,792
Eugene 177,520 $63,836
Salem 176,666 $71,900
Gresham 112,818 $73,608
Census ACS 5-year FIPS OR FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Portland, OR?

What is the population of Portland, OR? +

The population of Portland, OR stands at 642,715 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Portland, OR? +

The median household income in Portland is $88,792 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Portland? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Portland; the closest available measure is the Oregon state average, a cost of living index of 103.4 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Oregon vary by metro area.

Is Portland, OR safe? +

Portland has a total crime rate of 6246.3 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Portland, OR? +

The median home value in Portland is $557,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Portland? +

Climate normals put Portland's yearly average temperature at 55.1°F, 36.9 inches of precipitation, and 4.2 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.