Demand-Backed Comparison

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

People have logged this comparison 154 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.

PhiladelphiaPortland
Philadelphia
Photo by Jimmy Woo on Unsplash

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

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: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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

Biggest tradeoff: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on daily convenience, weaker on safety.

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
Population1,573,916652,503
Population Density11.9k /sq mi4.8k /sq mi
Center Elevation39 ft(12 m)39 ft(12 m)
Housing & Wealth
Median Home
$227,453
$516,539
Median Rent
$1,701
$1,722
Median Income$57,537$71,498
Rent Burden35%29%
Climate & Risks
Days with 5+ Hours of Sun290 days/yr262 days/yr
Avg. High66°F63°F
Avg. Low48°F46°F
Comfort Score61/100Good73/100Great
Temp Swing45°F39°F
Annual Precipitation49"(124 cm)36.92"(94 cm)
Annual Snowfall13"(33 cm)4.2"(11 cm)
Air Quality
Typical: 492024 modeled avg · 40 days > 100
Typical: 322024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100
Infrastructure & Lifestyle
Transit Score
100
93
Safety Score48 / 10055 / 100
School Rating6/105.9/10
Flood Risk (FEMA)
minimalMinimal Risk
moderateModerate Risk
Central Tract Wildfire Risk
minimalMinimal
minimalMinimal
Internet Access
Fiber: 95%Cable: 100%
Fiber: 76%Cable: 99%
Demographics
Median Age34.8 years38.3 years
College Educated34%53%
Remote Workers14%22%
Nature Access
Local Nature & Reserves
Finding...
Finding...
Scouting & Local Help
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner.
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Philadelphia vs Portland: Cost, Climate, Housing & Daily Life | WhyThere