Cost of Living in Oregon

(Last Updated – 03/2023)

From the ocean-crashing western coastline to the high desert in the east — and of course with all the wacky weirdness of Portland in between — Oregon is less of a hidden gem than it used to be.

But newcomers (or those who hope to be) may wonder how much they can expect to spend to live in the Beaver State.

We’ve gathered all the data so you can get your wallet as ready for boulder-strewn beaches and evergreen forests as you are.

What’s the Average Cost of Living in Oregon?

Average Cost of Living in Oregon: $47,779 per year

Oregon may be one of the most beautiful states in the union, but unfortunately, it’s not one of the cheapest. Per MERIC’s 2022 cost of living index , Oregon is 45th. Only Massachusetts, California, New York, Hawaii, Maryland, Alaska, and Washington, D.C., are more expensive.

To put that in perspective, neighboring Washington state scores 40th on MERIC’s index, and Idaho is only 28th.

Here’s how the individual cost categories break down, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ 2021 Personal Consumption Expenditures by State report.

Category	Average Annual Per-Capita Cost in Oregon
Housing and Utilities	$8,924
Health Care	$7,956
Food and Beverage (non-restaurant)	$4,104
Gas and Energy Goods	$1,030
All Other Personal Expenditures	$25,765

Housing Costs in Oregon

Average Housing Costs in Oregon: $998 to $1,699 per month

The typical home value in Oregon, per February 2023 data from Zillow, is $474,097 — whereas the average sale price of an existing home in the U.S. is $359,000, according to January 2023 data from the National Association of Realtors®.

Of course, where in Oregon you live matters a great deal when it comes to the price of purchasing a home. Here’s what the breakdown looks like by city, with home values as of January 2023 from Zillow:

Oregon City	Typical Home Price
Portland	$524,593
Salem	$411,241
Eugene	$430,256
Medford	$413,000
Bend	$610,397
Albany	$380,406
Roseburg	$320,658
Corvallis	$494,938
Hermiston	$280,023
Grants Pass	$377,317
Klamath Falls	$276,835
Coos Bay	$330,402
Ontario	$321,175
Newport	$467,472
Astoria	$485,220
La Grande	$274,875
The Dalles	$368,268
Prineville	$411,449
Brookings	$445,531
Hood River	$630,673

While which metro area you’re in will also affect rent prices (spoiler alert: Portland, as cool as it is, is also spendy), here are the average rent figures, per 2021 U.S. Census Bureau data:

•  Median monthly mortgage cost: $1,840

•  Median studio rent: $1,058

•  Median one-bedroom rent: $1,114

•  Median two-bedroom rent: $1,253

•  Median three-bedroom rent: $1,569

•  Median four-bedroom rent: $1,688

•  Median five-bedroom (or more) rent: $1,820

•  Median gross rent: $1,282

Recommended: Portland Housing Market: Trends and Prices

Utility Costs in Oregon

Average Utility Costs in Oregon: $383 per month

Of course keeping a roof over your head is only one part of maintaining a household in Oregon — or anywhere else for that matter. From electricity to cable and internet, here are the average monthly utility costs in this part of the PNWonderland.

Utility	Average Oregon Bill
Electricity	$106
Gas	$77
Cable & Internet	$112
Water	$88

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price, 2021; Inspirecleanenergy.com; DoxoInsights, U.S. Cable & Internet Market Size and Household Spending Report 2022; and Rentcafe.com, What Is the Average Water Bill?

Groceries & Food

Average Grocery & Food Costs in Oregon: $327 per person, per month

No matter where you are, you’ve gotta fill your belly — and whether you’re into seafood or vegan fare, the eats are top-notch in Oregon.

But how much does the average person spend on groceries here?

As mentioned, the average per-capita grocery expenditure in Oregon is $4,104, the Bureau of Economic Analysis says. If you divide that by 12, it comes out to $342 per month, per person — or $1,368 for a family of four, depending on your appetites.

Again, of course, the exact figure also depends on where in the state you live. The Council for Community and Economic Research helpfully calculates the cost of living for major U.S. cities, usually ranking metro areas by the overall cost of groceries. Unfortunately, only two Oregon metro areas were studied in the 2022 data, which were Portland and Eugene. Portland’s grocery item index number was 107.9, and Eugene’s was 107.5, which are both fairly high numbers, though lower than Seattle’s 125.1.

To put that into perspective: According to the same data set, a gallon of milk costs about $2.88 in the Portland area, while you can expect to pay $2.75 for a dozen conventional eggs.

Transportation

Average Transportation Costs in Oregon: $5,316 to $15,073 per year

Getting around is another important cost to factor in. While major cities like Portland have public transportation resources, there are many smaller, rural communities in this wide-open Western state that rely on personal vehicles to get around. Your exact yearly transportation cost will, of course, vary based on your circumstances, but here’s some helpful 2023 data from the MIT’s Living Wage Calculator based on your family and circumstances.

Family Makeup	Average Annual Transportation Cost
One adult, no children	$5,316
Two working adults, no children	$9,561
Two working adults, three children	$15,073

Health Care

Average Health Care Costs in Oregon: $7,956 per person, per year

Oregon is well known for its opportunities for outdoor recreation and sport — which can help people stay stronger and healthier but can also result in costly injuries.

Perhaps it makes sense, then, that the 2021 Bureau of Economic Analysis Personal Consumption Expenditures by State report estimates Oregon’s annual health care spending at $7,956, or about $663 per month, per person. Once again, your total actual costs will vary depending on your lifestyle, health, location, and family makeup.

Child Care

Average Child Care Costs in Oregon: $964 to $1,580 or more per child, per month

Caring for children is costly just about everywhere in this country, and Oregon is no exception.

The good news is, the exact amount you’ll pay will depend greatly on what kind of child care you’re seeking — and in Oregon, home-based family child care, or nannying, is counterintuitively one of the least expensive options.

Here’s some data from costofchildcare.org :

Type of Child Care	Average Cost Per Month, Per Child
Infant Classroom	$1,580
Toddler Classroom	$1,375
Preschooler Classroom	$964
Home-based Child Care	$1,085

Taxes

Highest Marginal Tax Rate in Oregon: 9.90%

Oregon is well known for its progressive social agendas, at least in its major cities — so it’s no surprise that it has one of the highest income tax burdens in the United States.

Oregon’s highest marginal tax rate is 9.90%, according to the Tax Foundation’s State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets for 2023 . That’s higher than every state except New Jersey (10.75%), Hawaii (11%), and California (13.30%). Keep in mind that this figure does not include federal income tax.

Portland residents can also expect to receive a yearly bill for the Portland Arts Tax, a special fund that goes to support schoolteachers and arts-focused nonprofits in the state’s capital.

The bright side? There’s no sales tax in Oregon — even when you order things online from out of state.

Miscellaneous Costs

Enough of the pedestrian stuff. How much does it cost to have fun in Oregon?

As was touched on in the first section, the Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates the average per-capita personal expenditures in Oregon at $25,765 per year. While the specifics depend on where you are and what you’re into, here’s where some of that dough might be going (costs accurate as of March 2023).

•  Entrance fee to Crater Lake National Park, home of the deepest lake in America: $30 per vehicle for a seven-day pass in the summer. (An annual pass to the park costs $55, if you plan to visit often, and the National Park Service also hosts fee-free days for all of its properties each year.)

•  Entry to the Portland Art Museum, the seventh-oldest in the United States: $25 per adult; children 17 and under get in free.

•  Tickets to see the Portland Thorns: Starting at around $15 per seat, though they can go much higher from third-party vendors, depending when you buy them.

•  Lift tickets to ski on Mount Bachelor: Starting at $94 for a full-day adult pass, though it varies by day.

Of course, in a state known for its plethora of natural beauty, there are many wonderful recreation opportunities that are free of charge — or close to it. The vast network of hiking trails around Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge are generally free to enter, though you may need to purchase a parking pass depending on where the trailhead is, and permits may be required on popular trails during the high season.

Wandering along many of Oregon’s stunning beaches is also free (not counting the seafood you’re likely to enjoy while you visit the area), and Portland is known for its many well-manicured, free-to-enter parks, including 5,200-acre Forest Park, one of the largest urban green spaces in the nation.

Recommended: What Are the Average Monthly Expenses for One Person?

How Much Money Do You Need to Live Comfortably in Oregon?

Definitions of “comfortable” vary, so it’s impossible to say how much money you’d need to earn to feel comfortable in Oregon (or anywhere else, for that matter).

But all things considered, Oregon is a fairly spendy state by any reckoning: U.S. News and World Report Affordability Ranking , ranks it 46th, with only Alaska, Massachusetts, California, and Hawaii costlier. MERIC positioned it one below at 45th, which is to say: Living comfortably in Oregon will likely require a decent income, or some budgetary creativity.

Of course, you can tip the scale in your favor by choosing a city with a lower cost of living.

What City Has the Lowest Cost of Living in Oregon?

While the Council for Community and Economic Research only studied the Portland and Eugene metro areas in its latest cost of living index, good data exists on which Oregon cities have relatively low housing costs — which is, after all, one of the largest budget line items for most families.

According to January 2023 data from Zillow, homes are costliest in Bend ($610,397), Portland ($524,593), and Hood River ($630,673) and least costly in the following two towns.

La Grande

Situated in the northeastern quadrant of Oregon, where the lush vegetation of the Columbia River Valley gives way to the sprawling high desert of the eastern part of the state, La Grande has the lowest-priced houses in the state, Zillow’s data shows. The average home in La Grande goes for about $274,875, the company says.

La Grande has excellent access to both the Umatilla National Forest and the Wallowa Mountains, both highly sought-out recreational zones for all manner of Oregon outdoors folk. It’s also home to Eastern Oregon University, which means that residents can bank on plenty of music, art, and culture making its way through town.

Klamath Falls

A drop-dead gorgeous city straddling two epic bodies of water, Klamath Falls is nestled right at the place where Upper Klamath Lake starts pouring itself into the Klamath River, which eventually runs all the way west to the Pacific Ocean at Klamath, California. You don’t have to go that far at all, however, to enjoy the epic view: The lake offers deep blues offset by the high desert landscape, and it’s even more beautiful when it’s rimmed in snow.

With a population of just over 22,000, Klamath Falls is large enough to offer whatever resources you need but small enough to be comfortable — especially since the average home costs only $276,835.That’s less than half of the average home price in Portland … and you won’t have to deal with I-5 traffic.