Housing and tax tradeoff: Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado 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.
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Compare Portland and 3 other shortlist cities on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
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.
PortlandPhiladelphiaSeattleDenver
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Seattle, Washington
Seattle, 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 | 652,503 | 1,573,916 | 737,015 | 729,019 |
| Population Density | 4.8k /sq mi | 11.9k /sq mi | 8.7k /sq mi | 4.6k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 39 ft(12 m) | 39 ft(12 m) | 184 ft(56 m) | 5,279 ft(1,609 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||||
| Median Home | $516,539 | $227,453 | $832,857 | $524,675 |
| Median Rent | $1,722 | $1,701 | $2,182 | $1,833 |
| Median Income | $71,498 | $57,537 | $116,068 | $85,853 |
| Rent Burden | 29% | 35% | 23% | 26% |
| Climate & Risks | ||||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 262 days/yr | 290 days/yr | 255 days/yr | 338 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 63°F | 66°F | 59°F | 65°F |
| Avg. Low | 46°F | 48°F | 47°F | 37°F |
| Comfort Score | 73/100Great | 61/100Good | 78/100Great | 37/100Challenging |
| Temp Swing | 39°F | 45°F | 31°F | 50°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 36.92"(94 cm) | 49"(124 cm) | 46"(117 cm) | 16"(41 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 4.2"(11 cm) | 13"(33 cm) | 12"(30 cm) | 41"(104 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 372024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100 | Typical: 492024 modeled avg · 40 days > 100 | Typical: 432024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100 | Typical: 512024 modeled avg · 30 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||||
| Safety Score | 55 / 100 | 48 / 100 | 53 / 100 | 48 / 100 |
| School Rating | 5.9/10 | 6/10 | 6.7/10 | 5.9/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | moderateModerate Risk | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 76%Cable: 99% | Fiber: 95%Cable: 100% | Fiber: 71%Cable: 99% | Fiber: 53%Cable: 99% |
| Demographics | ||||
| Median Age | 38.3 years | 34.8 years | 35.4 years | 34.9 years |
| College Educated | 53% | 34% | 67% | 54% |
| Remote Workers | 22% | 14% | 27% | 21% |
| Nature Access | ||||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... | 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 Portland. 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 Philadelphia. 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 Seattle. 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 Denver. One featured slot per city |
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