Overall
Washington feels cheaper overall
Washington has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Oregon by 1.8 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Oregon vs Washington: Cost of Living
Washington is cheaper overall by 1.8 cost-of-living points, but Washington has no state income tax, but Oregon has lower median home values.
Oregon
OR • West
117.1
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Washington
WA • West
115.3
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Oregon
117.1
Washington
115.3
Difference: 1.8 points — Washington leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.2x more for a home
Oregon has the lower median home value, while buying in Washington costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Oregon puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Oregon than in Washington, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Washington has no state income tax
Washington gives residents a cleaner paycheck-level tax advantage, while Oregon still taxes income at the state level.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Oregon
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
117.1
Regional price parity
102.6
Regular gas price
$4.988/gal
Electricity price
14.66 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,332/mo
Median home value
$426,400
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
9.90%
State sales tax
None (0%)
Property tax
0.81%
Income
Median household income
$75,313
Income after median rent
$4,944
Minimum wage
$15.05/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Legal
Washington
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
115.3
Regional price parity
106.0
Regular gas price
$5.386/gal
Electricity price
13.81 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,650/mo
Median home value
$528,300
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
None (0%)
State sales tax
6.50%
Property tax
0.81%
Income
Median household income
$90,325
Income after median rent
$5,877
Minimum wage
$17.13/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Legal
What Stands Out
- Oregon has lower median home values.
- Washington has no state income tax.
- Washington has the lower overall cost index.
- Washington has the higher median household income.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Oregon vs Washington: Cost of Living in context
Washington has a cost of living of 115.3, compared with 117.1 in Oregon. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Oregon
117.1
Washington
115.3
Difference
1.8 points
People Also Ask
Oregon vs Washington Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Oregon's cost of living?
Oregon's cost of living is 117.1.
Q What is Washington's cost of living?
Washington's cost of living is 115.3.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Oregon or Washington?
Washington is cheaper overall by 1.8 cost-of-living points, but Washington has no state income tax, but Oregon has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Oregon vs Washington
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.