Topics
Portland Neighborhoods: A description of
the area from an apartment renter's perspective.
Random Facts and Observations About
Portland, Oregon
Frequently-Asked Questions About Moving to Portland
Questions? Click here to contact Andrew, the author of
this page.
Craigslist is a great
resource for Portland stuff. Try their listings for Apartments For Rent or Shared Housing (roommates) ads. You might also try
the Craigslist
Housing Forum to ask questions from other Portlanders about housing.
Oregonlive
(Oregonian) Classifieds On-line!
Willamette Week classified
on-line (WW is the city's largest weekly "freebie" paper)
City of Portland Maps -
aerial photos, crime stats, neighborhood info, etc. - great resource!
For Rent, the glossy national
"apartment guide" - good mostly for larger complexes in the suburbs or
the downtown highrises.
Links
This page is intended for people moving to Portland, Oregon, from out of town who are looking to find a place to rent! It may be of interest to folks planning to move here and buy a home also.
My Suggestions
Thinking about moving to Portland? Before you do anything, I suggest you do the following:
- Buy a Portland MAP. Even better, buy a Thomas Guide (map book). This is a terrific map book you will use after you get here, anyway, and it will help you pinpoint apartments you might be considering from far away. (Mapquest helps too, but there's nothing like having the real thing.)
- Buy a copy of the Sunday Oregonian newspaper from your local bookstore. You can try Oregonlive (a partner site to the Oregonian), but somehow having a real paper in your hands is better, I think.
- Compare the cost of living.Try this site from BestPlaces.net to compare Portland to your city.
How do I find a place?
The first question you must ask is where you want to live (remember - location, location, location...). Unless you have the freedom or desire to commute long distances, chances are you'll want to pick a place that's close to work or school or some other constraint. If you won't have a car or don't want to drive, you'll want to live near a bus or light rail (MAX) line.
After you decide location, you'll need to ask questions like what kind of place do you desire? This may be tempered by your ability to afford monthly rent, so as much as you might want a 2 BR/Bath apartment with skylights and garage, don't expect to find it for $600/month.
You've also got to weigh what's important to you in an apartment. Is having a washer/dryer in a newer apartment complex in the suburbs more desirable than living in an older place in a cool, funky neighborhood? It varies with each person.
What are rent prices like in Portland?
Don't ask me that! :-) Seriously, it varies by area, and it changes more often than I care to update this page. I suggest you survey available apartments using the resources below to get an idea of what apartments go for in the areas you wish to live.
In general, Portland is not outrageous - certainly affordable compared to San Francisco and New York, but it's no longer the cheapest city to live, either. As of September 2001, as just an example, 1 BR apartments in SE Portland could be had for around $500/month give or take a hundred (on up). For studios figure $100 less, maybe as low as $300/month for a tiny studio that was once someone's basement. Decent 2 BR places in SE might be $750-$1000/month in the trendy "Hawthorne" area.
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