Portland

Most affordable Portland suburbs

Ranked on what a household actually pays: the in-house cost-of-living index at 55%, the median home value against the metro at 25% (lower is better here), and the share of households already stretched by housing costs at 20%.

Updated Sep 2026·43 suburbs considered, 10 listed
1
The Columbia County Courthouse in St. Helens overlooks the Columbia River with Mt. St. Helens in the distance.
St. Helens$394k median · 30.3 min commute
Cost of living A−Housing FEmployment D+
71
Affordability
overall 46 D
2
Shown is the Orchards Branch of the United States Post Office for Vancouver, Washington. Photograph taken on 2020-03-08T20:04:21Z.
Orchards$462k median · 25.5 min commute
Cost of living B+Housing D+Employment D+
69
Affordability
overall 60 C
3
Pioneer Hall at Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon. Taken from the northwest.
McMinnville$433k median · 20.8 min commute
Cost of living A−Housing FEmployment F
68
Affordability
overall 61 C
4
IMG_6644
Troutdale$456k median · 23.9 min commute
Cost of living B+Housing DEmployment D+
67
Affordability
overall 54 C−
5
Canby, OR
Canby$529k median · 24.7 min commute
Cost of living B+Housing D+Employment C−
67
Affordability
overall 59 C
6
The historic Fred Vonder Ahe House and Summer Kitchen (built 1869), located at 625 Metzler Avenue in Molalla, Oregon, United States, is listed on the US Nationa
Molalla$447k median · 28.3 min commute
Cost of living B+Housing D−Employment C−
67
Affordability
overall 50 D+
7
Southern entrance sign to East Minnehaha, an area designated a Clark County Neighborhood Association in Minnehaha, Washington, USA. The sign is located on NE 40
Minnehaha$448k median · 20.2 min commute
Cost of living B−Housing D+Employment D+
66
Affordability
overall 61 C
8
Oatfield$569k median · 26.1 min commute
Cost of living B+Housing CEmployment D+
66
Affordability
overall 65 C+
9
TV Hwy in w:Aloha, Oregon, USA looking east at w:Mount Hood
Aloha$484k median · 25.4 min commute
Cost of living BHousing D+Employment C
65
Affordability
overall 68 B−
10
w:Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center in w:Cornelius, Oregon.
Cornelius$453k median · 28.7 min commute
Cost of living BHousing DEmployment C−
65
Affordability
overall 52 D+
This list's weighting
Cost of living 55%Median home value (lower is better) 25%Cost-burdened households 20%
Other Portland lists
Best Portland suburbs for familiesBest Portland suburbs for schoolsShortest commutes to Downtown PortlandMost walkable Portland suburbsBest Portland suburbs for young professionalsHow we score Portland suburbs →

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: St. Helens (Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives · Attribution); Orchards (Steven Baltakatei Sandoval · CC BY-SA 4.0); McMinnville (DerRichter · CC BY-SA 3.0); Troutdale (Jeff Muceus from Gresham, Oregon, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0); Canby (Kingofthedead · CC BY-SA 4.0); Molalla (Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0); Minnehaha (Steven Baltakatei Sandoval · CC BY-SA 4.0); Aloha (M.O. Stevens · Public domain); Cornelius (M.O. Stevens · CC BY-SA 3.0).