What is the cost of living like in Portland? Isn the income tax really high?
Yes, Oregon has a high income tax rate (9% – ouch!), but you must also consider that Oregon has no sales tax. Plus, your state income tax is deductible on your federal tax return. And fees for things like car registration are low. In overall “tax burden”, I think Oregon is about average among the 50 states. Compare the cost of living in Portland to where you live now at BestPlaces.net The cost of living in Oregon – aside from housing – is about average for the US, probably a bit cheaper than California. The cost of renting isn’t terribly above average, either (maybe a tad) – figure about $400-$500/month for a typical studio; $550-$750+ for a 1-BR, $600-$900+ for a 2-BR place (more in the hottest neighborhoods like NW Portland). But the cost of real estate in Portland has been exploding the last decade or so. Where Portland once had a very affordable housing market, relatively speaking, today it no longer does. On the other hand, Portland still has the cheapest real estate market on the
