Why Move to Portland, Oregon?
Nestled into the picturesque banks of the Willamette and the Columbia rivers in the shadow of Mt. Hood lies one of the coolest, most coveted areas in the U.S. — Portland, Oregon. Officially known as the City of Roses and, unofficially, as the City of Hipsters, this largest city in the state of Oregon was very nearly named Boston, but thanks to a fortuitous coin flip, Portland will never be known as the Beantown of the West Coast.
This city of 640,000 came to prominence as a shipbuilding powerhouse, but the scale of technology in this near-coastal metropolis has shrunk quite a bit since WWII. Now it’s micro-processing giants like Intel that call this trend-setting city home, along with active apparel leaders like Nike and Columbia Sportswear, who cater to residents’ laidback, outdoorsy lifestyle.
But PDX is also known for its artsy side, of course. Locals hawk their handmade, off-the-wall wares at the Portland Saturday Market, while the Portland Art Museum and art galleries in the Pearl District showcase homegrown and imported talent from all over the world. No city has better mastered the art of beer than Portland, and there are nearly 70 places to grab a pint in this town that has pledged to keep things weird.
And that yen for the yowzah has made the city a beacon for the offbeat. Every day is a chance for cosplay in Portland, whether you’re attending the 80s Prom at the Kennedy School Hotel, throwing back meters of mead with latter-day Vikings at the Wyrd Leatherworks, burning up the asphalt in the PDX Adult Soapbox Derby or taking the costume off entirely for the annual World Naked Bikeride.
The 6.5-ton elephant in the room, of course, is Portlandia. No, not the TV show, the Portlandia statue. It’s hard to imagine that a 50-foot-tall woman could hide in plain sight, but the Portland Building’s pièce de resistánce does just that. Three stories in the air, Lady Commerce conceals her stature by crouching, but her arm is outstretched just like her East Coast copper repoussé cousin, the Statue of Liberty, only Portlandia wields a trident instead of a torch.
If you’re in the market for a creative, hi-tech city where everything is way beyond ordinary, see why people are relocating to the City of Roses. Learn about Portland’s job market, real estate, neighborhoods, public transportation and best attractions below, and get a feel for life in this Pacific Northwest beauty in our Moving Guide to Oregon.
Understanding Cost of Living in Portland
Like other major cities in the Pacific Northwest and Silicon Valley, Portland is not an inexpensive place to live. It now costs nearly twice as much to own a home in Portland as it does in the average U.S. market, which may be one reason that the city’s population decreased by nearly 20,000 people since the pandemic. But Portland’s half-a-million-dollar price tag won’t give you half the sticker shock you’d suffer in places like San Francisco, San Jose or Seattle. 53.3% of Portland residents own their own homes, compared to just 38.6% in San Fran and 36.6% in LA, and rent in Portland averages $1,530 per month, compared to the $2,000-plus you’ll pay in any of the other three markets.
Real estate isn’t the only thing you’ll be spending more on in Portland, though. Food, transportation and personal insurance/pensions all come at a higher premium in Portland. Healthcare, fortunately, costs about the same as the U.S. average.
One bright side is that income levels are higher in Portland than in many other American metros. The median household income in the city is roughly $86,000 — $10,000 above the national and state averages. But this is a far cry from the median in Seattle and the Bay area, where household incomes now range from $116,068-$136,689.
Navigating Portland’s Job Market
Thanks to inflation, rising interest rates and queasy recovery from the pandemic, the job market in the City of Roses is a little thorny. Many industries in Portland took a big hit in 2023, but none bigger than the Information sector. Like other silicon-centric cities, Portland is tech-centric, and the 10% contraction in Information was compounded by a 6% loss of construction jobs and a 5% loss in professional and business services.
The only sectors to experience growth between 2023 and 2024 were the tiny mining and logging industry — whose 10% expansion added a whopping 100 jobs to the labor pool — and the already sizable education and health services sector, which grew by 4%.
The metro Portland area’s non-farm labor market has 1.2 million workers, and the largest sectors — trade, transportation and utilities; education and health services; and professional and business services — each employ more than 190,000 residents. The government, manufacturing, leisure and hospitality industries also support substantial personnel, and nearly 400,000 Portlanders work in these sectors. The loss of both blue and white-collar jobs in the past 12 months has driven unemployment rates to nearly 5%, roughly a point over the U.S. average and putting the city in the bottom third of American metros for market health.
So, that’s the bad news. But there is good news on the horizon. Bloomberg reports that the tech-finance slump is easing, and that likely means a more stable job market. And, in a city like Portland, with its diverse roster of companies from tech to life sciences to apparel, workers have more industries to work in. The city’s biggest employers include Providence Health & Services, Intel, Oregon Health & Science University, Nike and Legacy Health and Columbia Sportswear is also headquartered here, along with industrial/aerospace manufacturer Precision Castparts (PCC) and grocery conglomerate Fred Meyer.
Portland’s Neighborhoods: Finding Your Perfect Fit
Bisected by the Willamette River and bound by the Columbia, Portland is divided into six quadrants — yes, two more than any four-sided shape ever bargained for — and those geographic areas have more than 90 distinct neighborhoods. This city of 635,067 may be comparable in population to Seattle and San Francisco, but it has nearly double the land area of its Washington rival and nearly three times as much space as San Fran. This means that PDX residents have far more space to share and explore, particularly in the forested Northwest quadrant, where you’ll find the Pearl.
The Pearl District has made itself one of Portland’s most sought-after neighborhoods by transforming its aging warehouse district into an artsy gem. Cocktail bars and breweries might be just a few steps from the door to your spacious loft, as will patisseries, tea bars and oodles of international restaurants. Anchored by shops like Powell’s Books and longstanding art spaces like Augen Gallery and Froelick Gallery, the Pearl is also known for greenspaces like Tanner Springs Park, which was once a contaminated wetland and is now an urban bioswale, capturing and filtering city rainwater for the park’s grateful flora and fauna, humans included. A well-appointed but tiny condo in the Pearl starts in the low $300s, but anything with three bedrooms will likely be upwards of $1 million. If you’re looking for single-family homes near the area, try the Northwest District or Goose Hollow.
Downtown Portland has a mix of glassy high-rises, historic brick walk-ups and nifty rehabs, and prices here range dramatically. You’ll be able to find suitable one- and two-bedroom condos from the $300s to the $500s, but the luxurious views of the city or river come at luxury prices, many at a million and up. Wherever you live in this area of the Southwest quadrant, you’ll have easy access to Portland State University and destinations like the Portland Art Museum and Poets Beach in South Waterfront Park.
Across the Willamette in the eco-centric area of North Portland is the village-esque district of St. Johns. This cozy hamlet between the riverways is just northwest of the University of Portland but worlds away from traditional urban life. St. Johns is adjacent to the Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area, which gives you an easy way to get reacquainted with Mother Nature and that cobwebbed kayak you’ve had hanging in your basement. And what St. Johns lacks in scale it makes up for in laid-back style at restaurants like Paiku, which makes a killer wild boar hash and a memorable honey sage French toast and even offers Friday picnic packages. You’ll find cool, timber-frame houses straight out of a storybook, contemporary, multi-family units and well-maintained ranch houses and single-families, with prices running from $300,000-$800,000.
In the inland neighborhood of Laurelhurst in Portland’s Northeast Quadrant, you’ll find some of the most quintessentially Portland architecture in the city. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this beloved area is filled with cottages so charming you’ll be almost disappointed to find that not even one is made from actual gingerbread. But, since cookie stands up poorly in Portland’s frequent rains, you’ll have to settle for brick and clapboard instead. Prepare to spend between $650,000 and $850,000 to live in one of these beauties. In this residential district, Laurelhurst Park is the main attraction, and people from all over the city come to enjoy the duck pond, the public art and the annual events. There’s the beautiful and moving Portland Water Lantern Festival and lots of free events, too, like Comedy in the Park, which promises to get you laughing every Friday night of the summer.
Note: If you’re thinking of moving to Portland, Oregon it’s important to thoroughly research neighborhoods or areas in the city you might be interested in living. Before you decide where you are going to live, make sure you understand the area’s cost of living, commute time, tax rates, safety statistics and schooling information.
Transportation Tips in Portland
One of the best things about Portland is getting around. The bike-friendly culture and the robust network of public transportation options make it possible to go car-free and never look back.
Those wanting to commute on two wheels will happily find plenty of dedicated bike lanes and greenways to explore. You can plan your routes ahead of time on this city bike map. They say you never forget, but just in case, the city does offer free bike classes, if it’s been a while since you’ve gone out for a ride. These can also give you a great feel for the layout of the city and help you meet some new people.
Portland’s TriMet MAX light rail system has five lines that run from westerly Hillsboro to Gresham in the east, and from the Expo Center and Airport in the north to Milwaukie and Clackamas Town Center. All converge near Pioneer Square, and trains run every 15 minutes or less for the better part of the day. With contactless prepayment through the Hop Fastpass, the system is easy to navigate, even for newcomers, and the cars are outfitted with MERV-10 air filtration systems, so you can breathe easily. Standard fares are $2.80 for 2.5 hours or $100 for a monthly pass.
Buses supplement the light rail system, and the WES commuter rail provides weekday service along a north-south route from Beaverton to Wilsonville, connecting with buses and other regional transit systems at its five stops.
I-5 is the major interstate in the metro Portland area, which runs north-south, connecting to the 405 bypass in town on the western side of the city, and the 205 outside of town to the north. I-84 will carry you east out of the city but eventually drops far south, passing through Boise and onto Salt Lake City.
Portland International Airport (PDX) has direct flights to 70 worldwide destinations, from Hawaii to Iceland, so it’s easy to soak up some sunshine or bask in the northern lights when you need a break from Portland’s glorious gloom.
Embracing Portland’s “Weird” Culture
Portland is a city that prides itself on its oddities and eccentricities, its pocket-sized parks, its food cart pods and its eyebrow-raising shops. This volcanic city has a lot going for it, both weird and worldly, but there’s a scene for every type in Portland, even if you hew closely to the straight and narrow.
Powell’s Books is practically a city unto itself, and this independent metropolis of literature is a mecca for bookworms, poets and writers. Portland has its share of overtly quirky attractions like the Freakybuttrue Peculiarium and the Zymoglyphic Museum, and there are deliciously quirky spots, too, like the Pix-o-Matic Patisserie, where fine pastries are dispensed on demand from rehabbed vending machines. If that’s a little too modern for your taste, perhaps you’ll feel more at home in the Wyrd Leatherworks and Meadery, where it’s Medieval times all the time. Watch out for cranky, cosplaying Vikings.
Portland has plenty of “normal” destinations, too, like the brochure-worthy botanicals at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, the Native American Art Center, the Portland Museum of Art and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
The City of Roses is no wallflower when it comes to food, either. You’ll find everything from Egyptian food trucks like El Masry to Southern diners like Grits N Gravy to Vietnamese noodle houses like Mekha. Portland was named one of the nation’s Best Food Truck Cities, and there are several areas where the mobile fare is a permanent fixture, like Pioneer Courthouse Square and the Cart Blocks, where a flock of mini restaurants is waiting with bulgogi chicken, quesabirrias and cocktails on a double-decker London Bus.
America has Portland to thank for the craft beer revolution, from the longstanding taps at Culmination and Deschutes to the newer brews at Little Beast. We particularly appreciate the literal local flavor steeped in these suds, like the woodsy Pinetop West Coast IPA. There are more than 70 breweries to sample in the city, so pace yourself, and consider going on a brewery tour with an area guide, who might drive you by Migration’s Glisan Brewpub for a crunch wrap or Upright Brewing’s industrial taproom, where we’re partial to the Whiskey Barrel Porter for its noticeable rye vibes.
Don’t worry about how many Old Dirty Bastards you’ve sunk your teeth into at Voodoo Doughnuts or how many pints of Staying Hoptimistic you’ve downed at Barrel House. You’ll be glad you fueled up properly for the trails. Portland is a hilly place, and some of the slopes most worth scrambling within city limits are in Washington Park. There are 12 miles of shady trails through the Hoyt Arboretum, which offer some welcome solitude, though the more than 2,300 kinds of trees are certainly welcome company. Those looking for the spotlight should venture up to the International Rose Test Garden, which was started back in 1917 and has roughly 650 varieties of the beloved blossoms. As you wander amongst the 10,000 bushes, you’ll be treated to a spectacular view of Portland. Other Washington Park highlights: The Oregon Zoo, the Japanese Garden and the Oregon Holocaust Memorial.
Any fans of the TV series Grimm will want to set their eyes and their imaginations on the Witch’s Castle in Forest Park. Beneath the plush moss of this spooky-beautiful, stone cabin-in-ruins lies a speculative history of the sordid: tales of star-crossed lovers, murderous malcontents and… absolutely zero witches. It turns out the moniker is purely aspirational, but we’re pretty sure the building’s haunted. So, beware of the haunts, and enjoy your hike.
Mt. Tabor Park’s only known ghost is the long-dormant volcano it’s built atop. Today, this east Portland greenspace is a popular spot for picnicking, thanks to its pleasant reservoirs (none of which are molten) and its panoramic views of the city. Portland residents can also apply for a plot in the community garden here, as it’s one of more than a dozen sites in the city that offer the yardless a place to get their hands in the dirt.
Outside the city, you’ll want to hike the trails of Portland’s most famous icon — Mt. Hood — or take a guided expedition to the Columbia River Gorge to see waterfalls and lava flows. On the coast, the rocky shoreline of Cannon Beach made famous by the tween cult classic The Goonies awaits, a great day trip even if you come home without a marble bag full of jewels.
Wonderwood Springs in St. Johns brings the outdoor adventure inside with its imaginative décor and menu of magical treats, like the Marshmallow Ember Mocha and the Crown Jewel Creamsicle soda. Adjacent to the restaurant, Wonderwood’s indoor mini-golf course will likely be the most enchanting nine holes you’ll ever putt.
Conversely, the Portland Saturday Market brings the best of the indoors outside. Every weekend at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, you can polish off your riverside run with a little retail therapy, locavore-style. This is where you’ll find the wondrous, the weird and the most extra of Portland, from Alt-Butler’s home-brewed coffee liqueur to novelty boxer shorts vendors, cast bananas with human faces, homeopathic joint salves, Homes for Gnomes and “all things gourds!” And we haven’t even addressed the food vendors. Get yourself some savory sambusas from the Horn of Africa or a plate of pierogis at Taste of Poland and you will not leave this market hungry or unhappy.
Choosing the Right Moving Company for Your Relocation to Portland
When you’re ready to move to Portland, United Van Lines will be there. As America’s #1 Mover®, United Van Lines has handled more than 1 million moves for families across America. We can handle all the details of your long-distance move to Portland. United Van Lines’ full-service moving packages and custom moving options can accommodate things like packing and unpacking, storage services, debris removal, shipping your car and more.
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