Portland is still much cheaper than other big West Coast cities. Housing is why

December 10, 2023

By Mike Rogoway

Portland residents pay more for food, transportation, health care and homes than typical American households, according to a broad survey of regional prices.

But compared to Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and other big West Coast cities, Portland remains a bargain, according to the latest quarterly survey from a national research firm. That’s mostly because housing costs are extraordinarily high for some of Portland’s wealthier neighbors.

A comparatively low cost of living helped make Portland an attractive destination for workers in the years after the Great Recession, when the region’s population boomed. The same dynamic could help the region overcome the malaise that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, helping lure more people to the region or retain more of those already here.

If Portland can keep a lid on housing prices, that is, or if residents don’t flee cities altogether in favor of cheaper, smaller towns. See More

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