The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Oregon For 2024


The most expensive cities in Oregon are Lake Oswego and Happy Valley for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Before you decide to relocate to Oregon, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.

These are the places in Oregon that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.

We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2018-2022 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 76 places in Oregon with more than 5,000 people.

After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Oregon for 2024.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Oregon For 2024

  1. Lake Oswego
  2. Happy Valley
  3. West Linn
  4. Ashland
  5. Wilsonville
  6. Tualatin
  7. Sherwood
  8. Tigard
  9. Bend
  10. Hood River

What’s the most expensive place to live in Oregon? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Lake Oswego is the most expensive place to live in Oregon.

Milton-Freewater (the cheapest place to live in Oregon) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.

And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Oregon and the most expensive cities in the country:

The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Oregon For 2024

Lake Oswego, OR

Source: Wikipedia User Esprqii | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 40,457
Cost Of Living Index: 147
Median Income: $127,252
Average Home Price: $880,600
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.9x
More on Lake Oswego: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Lake Oswego is 147. The median income in Lake Oswego comes in at $127,252 and the average home value is $880,600 for 2024.

Happy Valley, OR

Source: Wikipedia User Esprqii | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 24,381
Cost Of Living Index: 139
Median Income: $126,108
Average Home Price: $682,410
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.4x
More on Happy Valley: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Happy Valley is 139. The median income in Happy Valley comes in at $126,108 and the average home value is $682,410 for 2024.

West Linn, OR

Source: Wikipedia User Tesint at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 27,167
Cost Of Living Index: 135
Median Income: $134,116
Average Home Price: $759,031
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.7x
More on West Linn: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in West Linn is 135. The median income in West Linn comes in at $134,116 and the average home value is $759,031 for 2024.

Ashland, OR

Source: Wikipedia User Visitor7 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 21,401
Cost Of Living Index: 131
Median Income: $64,767
Average Home Price: $543,829
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.4x
More on Ashland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Ashland is 131. The median income in Ashland comes in at $64,767 and the average home value is $543,829 for 2024.

Wilsonville, OR

Source: Wikipedia User M.O. Stevens | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 25,992
Cost Of Living Index: 129
Median Income: $83,210
Average Home Price: $637,996
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.7x
More on Wilsonville: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Wilsonville is 129. The median income in Wilsonville comes in at $83,210 and the average home value is $637,996 for 2024.

Tualatin, OR

Source: Wikipedia User M.O. Stevens | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 27,804
Cost Of Living Index: 127
Median Income: $105,542
Average Home Price: $637,027
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.0x
More on Tualatin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Tualatin is 127. The median income in Tualatin comes in at $105,542 and the average home value is $637,027 for 2024.

Sherwood, OR

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 20,286
Cost Of Living Index: 125
Median Income: $109,770
Average Home Price: $628,898
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.7x
More on Sherwood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Sherwood is 125. The median income in Sherwood comes in at $109,770 and the average home value is $628,898 for 2024.

Tigard, OR

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 55,161
Cost Of Living Index: 124
Median Income: $101,354
Average Home Price: $601,645
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.9x
More on Tigard: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Tigard is 124. The median income in Tigard comes in at $101,354 and the average home value is $601,645 for 2024.

Bend, OR

Source: Wikipedia User Cacophony | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 99,442
Cost Of Living Index: 122
Median Income: $82,671
Average Home Price: $728,806
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.8x
More on Bend: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Bend is 122. The median income in Bend comes in at $82,671 and the average home value is $728,806 for 2024.

Hood River, OR

Source: Wikipedia User Sam Beebe | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 8,292
Cost Of Living Index: 122
Median Income: $70,791
Average Home Price: $691,118
Home Price To Income Ratio: 9.8x
More on Hood River: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Hood River is 122. The median income in Hood River comes in at $70,791 and the average home value is $691,118 for 2024.

Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Beaver State For 2024

Map Of The Cheapest Places To Live In Oregon
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Oregon are:

  1. How much money do I make?
  2. How much do I have to spend to live there?

You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.

For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.

With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 around incomes and costs. They are:

  • Overall Cost Of Living Index
  • Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
  • Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
  • Median Home Price

You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Oregon to figure out which is the most expensive.

You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.

So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 76 places in Oregon that have more than 5,000 people.

The place with the highest cost of living in Oregon according to the data is Lake Oswego. We updated this article for 2024. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Oregon.

Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Oregon For 2024

Well, there you have it, the places in Oregon that have the highest cost of living, with Lake Oswego ranking as the most expensive city in the Beaver State.

The most expensive cities in Oregon are Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, West Linn, Ashland, Wilsonville, Tualatin, Sherwood, Tigard, Bend, and Hood River.

Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Oregon according to the data:

  1. Milton-Freewater
  2. Umatilla
  3. Baker City

For more Oregon reading, check out:

Most Expensive Cities In Oregon

Rank City Cost Of Living Population Median Income Average Home Price Home/Income Ratio
1 Lake Oswego 147 40,457 $127,252 $880,600 6.9x
2 Happy Valley 139 24,381 $126,108 $682,410 5.4x
3 West Linn 135 27,167 $134,116 $759,031 5.7x
4 Ashland 131 21,401 $64,767 $543,829 8.4x
5 Wilsonville 129 25,992 $83,210 $637,996 7.7x
6 Tualatin 127 27,804 $105,542 $637,027 6.0x
7 Sherwood 125 20,286 $109,770 $628,898 5.7x
8 Tigard 124 55,161 $101,354 $601,645 5.9x
9 Bend 122 99,442 $82,671 $728,806 8.8x
10 Hood River 122 8,292 $70,791 $691,118 9.8x
11 Portland 121 646,101 $85,876 $523,622 6.1x
12 Beaverton 120 97,554 $88,899 $534,974 6.0x
13 Corvallis 119 60,050 $61,610 $530,933 8.6x
14 Hillsboro 118 106,612 $98,891 $527,280 5.3x
15 Canby 117 18,127 $91,823 $566,045 6.2x
16 Oregon City 116 37,418 $90,174 $587,025 6.5x
17 Seaside 116 7,142 $44,087 $493,204 11.2x
18 Brookings 116 6,719 $79,109 $485,283 6.1x
19 Eugene 115 176,755 $61,481 $464,226 7.6x
20 Newberg 114 25,379 $87,873 $519,518 5.9x
21 Sandy 114 12,592 $98,341 $500,027 5.1x
22 Gladstone 113 11,996 $88,043 $504,640 5.7x
23 Silverton 113 10,439 $75,167 $518,976 6.9x
24 Gresham 112 113,525 $69,437 $451,470 6.5x
25 Medford 112 85,539 $65,647 $392,181 6.0x
26 Forest Grove 112 26,160 $77,977 $512,087 6.6x
27 Milwaukie 112 21,195 $78,676 $502,721 6.4x
28 Fairview 112 10,515 $78,407 $456,132 5.8x
29 Lincoln City 112 9,790 $54,210 $500,282 9.2x
30 Talent 112 6,256 $51,215 $418,800 8.2x
31 Troutdale 111 16,150 $86,307 $469,436 5.4x
32 Astoria 111 10,184 $69,463 $480,872 6.9x
33 Albany 110 56,348 $69,777 $413,665 5.9x
34 Keizer 110 39,122 $75,753 $434,715 5.7x
35 Redmond 110 34,191 $72,798 $504,145 6.9x
36 Newport 110 10,319 $57,511 $480,287 8.4x
37 Eagle Point 110 9,735 $83,625 $454,585 5.4x
38 McMinnville 109 34,432 $65,318 $466,521 7.1x
39 Cornelius 109 13,245 $83,051 $471,048 5.7x
40 Florence 109 9,384 $57,568 $417,088 7.2x
41 Scappoose 109 8,003 $96,339 $474,121 4.9x
42 Junction City 108 6,831 $70,411 $464,983 6.6x
43 Salem 107 175,754 $67,540 $418,511 6.2x
44 Springfield 107 61,740 $60,982 $399,498 6.6x
45 Central Point 107 19,123 $79,731 $399,880 5.0x
46 Monmouth 107 11,054 $61,282 $446,850 7.3x
47 North Bend 107 10,250 $67,841 $360,467 5.3x
48 Molalla 107 10,147 $77,442 $478,905 6.2x
49 Stayton 107 8,210 $72,639 $434,159 6.0x
50 Warrenton 107 6,254 $69,400 $492,143 7.1x
51 Creswell 107 5,607 $85,126 $455,141 5.3x
52 Philomath 107 5,429 $80,599 $496,750 6.2x
53 Veneta 107 5,177 $58,825 $422,592 7.2x
54 Grants Pass 106 39,131 $53,941 $398,971 7.4x
55 Cottage Grove 106 10,583 $60,219 $386,561 6.4x
56 Dallas 105 16,945 $67,935 $447,818 6.6x
57 St. Helens 105 14,015 $77,475 $407,724 5.3x
58 Roseburg 104 23,657 $50,297 $344,982 6.9x
59 Tillamook 104 5,215 $53,711 $449,832 8.4x
60 Lebanon 103 18,587 $53,246 $377,909 7.1x
61 Coos Bay 103 15,949 $53,331 $329,613 6.2x
62 Independence 103 9,981 $73,361 $395,971 5.4x
63 Winston 103 5,618 $51,182 $297,819 5.8x
64 The Dalles 102 15,988 $59,714 $376,552 6.3x
65 Sutherlin 102 8,513 $48,610 $334,639 6.9x
66 Woodburn 101 26,222 $58,916 $403,723 6.9x
67 Prineville 101 10,915 $63,904 $403,041 6.3x
68 Sweet Home 101 9,852 $56,783 $345,316 6.1x
69 Madras 96 7,494 $52,500 $341,687 6.5x
70 La Grande 94 13,097 $52,039 $273,962 5.3x
71 Hermiston 93 19,267 $65,502 $330,704 5.0x
72 Pendleton 90 17,005 $67,931 $282,990 4.2x
73 Ontario 90 11,610 $39,750 $286,357 7.2x
74 Baker City 90 10,110 $54,063 $239,601 4.4x
75 Umatilla 90 7,433 $56,413 $271,351 4.8x
76 Milton-Freewater 89 7,137 $46,372 $214,651 4.6x
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.