Bethany vs Gresham

Which is the better fit for you?

Bethany, OR
65
Area Score
Top 27% nationally
Gresham, OR
47
Area Score
Bottom 13% nationally

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Bethany receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Bethany to Gresham

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 106.7 against 106.7 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
The same
HUD benchmarks it at $1,922 in Gresham against $1,922 in Bethany.
The median home
39% less
$458,700 in Gresham against $751,700 in Bethany.
The weather you would swap
Winters 3°F milder
Normal January lows are 37°F in Gresham against 34°F in Bethany; July highs are 82°F against 82°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Bethany
Gresham
Opportunity: Bethany is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
58 · Top 46%
vs
40 · Bottom 17%
Growth: Bethany is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
54 · Top 41%
vs
27 · Bottom 12%
Climate: Gresham is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs
78 · Top 22%
Physical resilience: Gresham is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
56 · Bottom 48%
vs
61 · Top 47%
Housing affordability: Bethany is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
69 · Top 44%
vs
47 · Bottom 18%
Schools: Bethany is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
80 · Top 12%
vs
15 · Bottom 7%
Access: Gresham is the more favorable of the two.
Access
89 · Bottom 39%
vs
90 · Bottom 42%
Economic stability: Bethany is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
74 · Top 15%
vs
52 · Bottom 39%

Measured values

MetricBethanyGreshamSource period
Population33,106112,3782024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$167,735 — more favorable$77,7952024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$68,030 — more favorable$36,7862024 ACS 5-Year
Population density6,083/sq mi4,769/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$751,700$458,7002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$2,245$1,586 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,922$1,922FY2026
Cost of living index106.7106.72023
Homeownership rate66.4%55.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate5.0% — more favorable5.9%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−0.8%−0.7% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher71.7% — more favorable23.3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate3.4% — more favorable12.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)2,27321212 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents3.8 — more favorable1.912 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+15.7%−38.4%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high82°F82°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low34°F37°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation35.9"40.7"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport12 mi10 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute26.0 min — more favorable27.8 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age36.937.02024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools14222024-25 school year
Students per teacher19.9 — more favorable21.52024-25 school year
Math proficiency59.7% — more favorable29.9%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency75.3% — more favorable50.4%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility50.9%84.8%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Bethany

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Gresham

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Bethany
—
Bethany: Your Score
65
Area Score
Gresham
—
Gresham: Your Score
47
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Bethany, OR · Gresham, OR · How this is calculated: methodology