Demand-Backed Comparison

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

People have logged this comparison 147 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.

PortlandDenver
Portland
Photo by Adam Blank on Unsplash

Portland

Oregon

City page

Denver

Colorado

City page

What Stands Out

A quick read on this comparison

Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.

Housing and tax tradeoff: Denver, Colorado

Denver, Colorado 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: Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon 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
Population652,503729,019
Population Density4.8k /sq mi4.6k /sq mi
Center Elevation39 ft(12 m)5,279 ft(1,609 m)
Housing & Wealth
Median Home
$516,539
$524,675
Median Rent
$1,722
$1,833
Median Income$71,498$85,853
Rent Burden29%26%
Climate & Risks
Days with 5+ Hours of Sun262 days/yr338 days/yr
Avg. High63°F65°F
Avg. Low46°F37°F
Comfort Score73/100Great37/100Challenging
Temp Swing39°F50°F
Annual Precipitation36.92"(94 cm)16"(41 cm)
Annual Snowfall4.2"(11 cm)41"(104 cm)
Air Quality
Typical: 322024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100
Typical: 512024 modeled avg · 30 days > 100
Infrastructure & Lifestyle
Transit Score
93
N/A
Safety Score55 / 10048 / 100
School Rating5.9/105.9/10
Flood Risk (FEMA)
moderateModerate Risk
minimalMinimal Risk
Central Tract Wildfire Risk
minimalMinimal
minimalMinimal
Internet Access
Fiber: 76%Cable: 99%
Fiber: 53%Cable: 99%
Demographics
Median Age38.3 years34.9 years
College Educated53%54%
Remote Workers22%21%
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 Portland.
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 Denver.
One featured slot per city
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