Washington County · Oregon · West · 641k residents
Portland, OR: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Portland: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Oregon median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,732/wk. Oregon's corporate income tax rate is 7.6%. Commercial electricity averages 10.1¢/kWh.
Compare Portland side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,732/wk
Corporate income tax
7.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher
53.8%
Commercial electricity
10.1¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Portland's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
16/100
Cooling
Ranks Portland's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| Median home value | $540,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $340 |
| Property tax rate | 1% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,500/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,950/mo |
| State & local income tax | 7.98% |
| Sales tax | 0% |
| Corporate income tax | 7.6% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,732/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53.8% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.1¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 35.7/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $156,000 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $130,310 |
| Wage: General manager | $121,050 |
| Wage: Customer service | $48,650 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $44,440 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $63,800 |
| Wage: Electrician | $105,090 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $37,340 |
| Cost of living index | 116 |
| Groceries index | 106 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $100/mo |
| Gas price | $3.90/gal |
| Healthcare index | 104 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,550/mo |
| Median household income | $82,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% |
| Population | 641k |
| Crime index | 52/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 67/100 |
| Disaster risk | 96/100 |
| Avg. commute | 27 min |
| Sunny days / year | 144 days |
| July high | 82°F |
| January low | 34°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -0.7% |
| Home price MoM | -0.5% |
| Rent YoY | +1.4% |
| Rent MoM | +0.1% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -2.1% |
| Building permits YoY | -28.1% |
| Ocean coast | 65 mi |
| Big lake | 322 mi |
| Mountains | 52 mi |
| Major airport | 13 mi |
| Ski resort | 52 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Tigard, OR · 56k
- Beaverton, OR · 98k
- Tualatin, OR · 28k
- Lake Oswego, OR · 40k
- Aloha, OR · 52k
Similar size
- Eugene, OR · 180k
- Salem, OR · 179k
- Gresham, OR · 112k
- Hillsboro, OR · 108k
- Bend, OR · 103k
Real listings in Portland
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Portland a good place to run a business?
- Oregon's corporate income tax rate is 7.6%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,732/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.1¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Portland, OR?
- Portland indexes at 116 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,950/mo and a median home value of $540,000.
- How much does a house cost in Portland?
- The median home value in Portland is $540,000 (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Portland?
- A two-bedroom in Portland rents for about $1,950/mo.