Demand-Backed Comparison

Compare Bellevue vs Portland on cost, climate, safety, and daily life

People have logged this comparison 3 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.

BellevuePortland
Bellevue
Photo by Zac Gudakov on Unsplash

Bellevue

Washington

City page
Portland
Photo by Adam Blank on Unsplash

Portland

Oregon

City page

What Stands Out

A quick read on this comparison

Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.

Housing and tax tradeoff: Bellevue, Washington

Bellevue, Washington comes out ahead here on rent burden and tax burden. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.

Biggest tradeoff: Bellevue, Washington

Bellevue, Washington is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on climate comfort, weaker on sunshine.

Potential dealbreaker: Bellevue, Washington

Bellevue, Washington needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on home prices.

Comparison Matrix

City
Route
General Info
Population150,606652,503
Population DensityN/A4.8k /sq mi
Center Elevation85 ft(26 m)39 ft(12 m)
Housing & Wealth
Median Home
$1,445,834
$516,539
Median Rent
$2,565
$1,722
Median Income$149,551$85,876
Rent Burden21%24%
Climate & Risks
Days with 5+ Hours of Sun251 days/yr262 days/yr
Avg. High60°F63°F
Avg. Low44°F46°F
Comfort Score73/100Great73/100Great
Temp Swing33°F39°F
Annual Precipitation56"(142 cm)36.92"(94 cm)
Annual Snowfall18"(46 cm)4.2"(11 cm)
Air Quality
Typical: 372024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100
Typical: 372024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100
Infrastructure & Lifestyle
Walkability4167
Transit Score
37
49

Walk Score data powered by Redfin

Safety Score80 / 10055 / 100
School Rating8.3/105.9/10
Flood Risk (FEMA)
minimalMinimal Risk
moderateModerate Risk
Central Tract Wildfire Risk
minimalMinimal
unknownNo Data
Internet Access
Fiber: 22%Cable: 99%
Fiber: 76%Cable: 99%
Demographics
Median Age38.3 years38.3 years
College Educated70%53%
Remote Workers30%22%
Nature Access
Local Nature & Reserves
Finding...
Finding...
Scouting & Local Help
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move.
Featured Local Partner
AD
Realtor
Realtor spot available
For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Bellevue.
One featured slot per city
Featured Local Partner
AD
Realtor
Realtor spot available
For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Portland.
One featured slot per city
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