Overall
105.4
Above avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Cost-of-living indicators for Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 105.4
- Overall RPP
- #27
- of 387 metros
- 125.1
- Rents RPP
- $95K
- $100K national buys
Portland ranks #27 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has risen 6.7 points since 2008.
- rising since 2008
- similar cost to Anchorage
The verdict
Portland is more expensive than 93% of U.S. metros, an overall cost index of 105.4, 5.4% above the national average, led by rents at 125.1.
- top 7%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 105.2
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 107.0
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $94,858 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $105,421.
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Portland's overall RPP fell -1.3 points, from 106.7 in 2023 to 105.4 in 2024. The largest category movement was services, changing from 90.9 to 107.0. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending upward, increasing by 6.7 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2009, when the index jumped 3.6 points from the year before.
Portland overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.7 |
| 2009 | 102.3 |
| 2010 | 101.6 |
| 2011 | 101.9 |
| 2012 | 104.3 |
| 2013 | 103.0 |
| 2014 | 102.1 |
| 2015 | 103.7 |
| 2016 | 101.5 |
| 2017 | 103.8 |
| 2018 | 107.3 |
| 2019 | 106.4 |
| 2020 | 105.8 |
| 2021 | 105.4 |
| 2022 | 108.8 |
| 2023 | 106.7 |
| 2024 | 105.4 |
Housing-led cost profile
How Portland's cost structure works
Housing is the defining pressure in Portland: rents index at 125.1, the furthest component above the national benchmark. The overall index of 105.4 places Portland in the top quartile for cost; the rent line explains why a similar headline RPP can still require a different housing budget.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, Corvallis, OR, Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA. They resemble Portland across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Portland's overall index has risen by 6.7 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Portland vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
105 Top 7% higher than 93% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Portland cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
125.1 RPP
- Services
Services
107 RPP
- Overall
Overall
105.4 RPP
- Goods
Goods
105.2 RPP
What this shows Portland's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 125.1 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 107.0. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Portland's cost comes from
Metros near Portland's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Portland (Portland, this metro): goods RPP 105.2, rents RPP 125.1
- Anchorage: goods RPP 107.3, rents RPP 109.9
- Bremerton: goods RPP 105, rents RPP 129.6
- Boulder: goods RPP 96.1, rents RPP 157
- Manchester: goods RPP 97.7, rents RPP 134.2
- Stockton: goods RPP 105.2, rents RPP 115.6
- Denver: goods RPP 101, rents RPP 146.9
Price Index Summary
Goods
105.2
Above avg
Services
107.0
Above avg
Rents
125.1
Expensive
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$105,421
in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$52,711
$75,000 nationally
$79,066
$125,000 nationally
$131,776
$150,000 nationally
$158,132
$200,000 nationally
$210,842
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
F
9/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability F
9th percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
OR-relative analysis
Goods prices places Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA near the bottom of OR's metros
Among the 8 OR metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ranks #8 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#8 of 8
0th percentile in OR
Services prices
#2 of 8
75th percentile in OR
Rent prices
#1 of 8
88th percentile in OR
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within OR only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (105.4 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (125.1 here).
Other OR Metros
Corvallis, OR 104.0 Salem, OR 103.6 Bend, OR 103.6 Albany, OR 102.1 Eugene-Springfield, OR 101.6 Medford, OR 101.4
View all OR metros → Cheapest in OR → Most expensive in OR →
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Portland's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Goods 102.4 · Services 110.2 · Rents 118.2 Corvallis, OR
Goods 105.3 · Services 108.6 · Rents 114.4 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA
Goods 105.0 · Services 100.6 · Rents 115.0 Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Goods 99.8 · Services 112.3 · Rents 135.1 Bellingham, WA
Goods 105.0 · Services 99.9 · Rents 112.9 Ann Arbor, MI
Goods 93.7 · Services 98.2 · Rents 125.3
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA's index of 105.4.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Shareable data card
Take this cost snapshot with you
Download the data card or share this exact metro record. The card uses the same BEA-derived values shown above.
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
Compare to Other Metros
What this means for Portland
How to read Portland's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $94,858 in Portland. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 125.1, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Portland head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 105.4, meaning it is 5.4% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 105.2, services at 107.0, and rents at 125.1. It ranks #27 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $105,421 in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA. Conversely, $100K earned in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA has the purchasing power of $94,858 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
Rents in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA are indexed at 125.1, which is 25.1% above the national average. This is significantly higher than typical U.S. rents.
Is Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA's overall cost index changed by +6.7 points (from 98.7 to 105.4). The cost of living has been trending upward.
What costs the most in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The priciest category in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA is rents at 125.1, 25.1% above the national average. The most affordable category is goods at 105.2, 5.2% above average, still the lowest of the three categories.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Anchorage, Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, Boulder. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA's 105.4.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.