Housing and tax tradeoff: Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Bellingham vs Portland on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 10 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.
BellinghamPortland
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on climate comfort, weaker on sunshine.
Potential dealbreaker: Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 91,353 | 652,503 |
| Population Density | N/A | 4.8k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 69 ft(21 m) | 39 ft(12 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $651,041 | $516,539 |
| Median Rent | $1,908 | $1,722 |
| Median Income | $64,026 | $71,498 |
| Rent Burden | 36% | 29% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 253 days/yr | 262 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 58°F | 63°F |
| Avg. Low | 44°F | 46°F |
| Comfort Score | 74/100Great | 73/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 30°F | 39°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 55"(140 cm) | 36.92"(94 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 23"(58 cm) | 4.2"(11 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 362024 modeled avg · 0 days > 100 | Typical: 372024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Transit Score | 46 | N/A |
| Safety Score | 67 / 100 | 55 / 100 |
| School Rating | 5.9/10 | 5.9/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | moderateModerate Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 15%Cable: 95% | Fiber: 76%Cable: 99% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 33.7 years | 38.3 years |
| College Educated | 46% | 53% |
| Remote Workers | 13% | 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 ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Bellingham. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor 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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