Sherwood vs Vancouver

Which is the better fit for you?

Sherwood, OR
61
Area Score
Top 42% nationally
Vancouver, WA
55
Area Score
Bottom 38% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Sherwood 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 Sherwood to Vancouver

It stays in this browser and is never sent anywhere.

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 Vancouver against $1,922 in Sherwood.
The median home
23% less
$462,400 in Vancouver against $602,100 in Sherwood.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F colder
Normal January lows are 34°F in Vancouver against 36°F in Sherwood; July highs are 81°F against 83°F (summers 2°F cooler).

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

Sherwood
Vancouver
Opportunity: Sherwood is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
55 · Bottom 46%
vs
54 · Bottom 46%
Growth: Vancouver is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
43 · Bottom 33%
vs
57 · Top 35%
Climate: Sherwood is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs
73 · Top 36%
Physical resilience: Vancouver is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 45%
vs
65 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
53 · Bottom 25%
vs
53 · Bottom 25%
Schools: Sherwood is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
81 · Top 10%
vs
12 · Bottom 5%
Access: Vancouver is the more favorable of the two.
Access
88 · Bottom 36%
vs
90 · Bottom 42%
Economic stability: Sherwood is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
80 · Top 4%
vs
58 · Top 50%

Measured values

MetricSherwoodVancouverSource period
Population20,307195,3002024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$109,966 — more favorable$81,3382024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$49,988 — more favorable$45,6362024 ACS 5-Year
Population density4,123/sq mi4,002/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$602,100$462,4002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$2,131$1,702 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,922$1,922FY2026
Cost of living index106.7106.72023
Homeownership rate72.3%50.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate5.0%3.9% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−0.8% — more favorable−1.2%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher49.9% — more favorable32.3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate3.9% — more favorable10.0%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)521,29812 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents2.66.6 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−16.1%+17.9%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high83°F81°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low36°F34°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation39.5"37.5"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport20 mi3 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute26.3 min24.6 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age36.737.92024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools7632024-25 school year
Students per teacher20.217.8 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency66.0%36.4%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency78.1%51.1%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility22.7%53.8%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.

Oregon and Washington do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.

Physical risk tradeoff

Sherwood

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Vancouver

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.

Sherwood
—
Sherwood: Your Score
61
Area Score
Vancouver
—
Vancouver: Your Score
55
Area Score

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

Full profiles: Sherwood, OR · Vancouver, WA · How this is calculated: methodology