Portland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Gresham
Portland
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 16%
vs47 · Bottom 31%
Growth
29 · Bottom 16%
vs36 · Bottom 25%
Climate
78 · Top 22%
vs78 · Top 22%
Physical resilience
61 · Top 47%
vs61 · Top 48%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 18%
vs61 · Bottom 21%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 46%
vs63 · Top 44%
Measured values
| Metric | Gresham | Portland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 112,378 | 641,165 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $77,795 | $90,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,786 | $57,029 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,769/sq mi | 4,803/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $458,700 | $581,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,586 | $1,655 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.8% | 52.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.3% | 53.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.0% | 12.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 212 | 1,639 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -38.4% | 3.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.7" | 36.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.8 min | 26.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 38.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 22 | 131 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.52 | 17.04 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 84.8% | 70.8% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Gresham
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Portland
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Gresham, OR · Portland, OR · How this is calculated: methodology