Do you know best and affordable places to live in Oregon?

Number one for affordability, this city is also highly ranked when it comes to its rivers. If you’re a fisherman, you can certainly keep up this budget-friendly activity here. Not a fan of the reel? Springfield’s beautiful riverfronts also host a variety of recreational centers, parks, and other family-friendly attractions.

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No; not Dallas, Texas. Oregon has its very own Dallas; a much-less expensive city that still has a lot to offer! Get your fill of plant life with one of their beautiful botanical gardens. The Peavy Arboretum offers educational labs for both children and adults so everyone can learn about the beautiful state and their plants.

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With an average salary of just under $50,000 combined with a low cost of living, life is good for citizens of Keizer. Although you can enjoy food and fun year-round, the city of Keizer looks forward to their Iris Festival. This annual May event hosts a variety of concerts, food and drink, a carnival, and even a parade!

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With low home prices (the average home costing $173,300), Woodburn allows for families to live comfortably. The only thing that could hold someone back from living here is an allergy to flowers! Each year the city holds a month-long tulip festival. Stroll through over 40 beautiful acres of beautiful flowers and views of vineyards and mountains. With a variety of food and fun, bring your whole family, even your dogs!

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Although a city made up of over 156,000 locals, it’s tied with Springfield for cost of living. The only reason it made number five is due to its lower salary average. However, this unique place makes up for this with its wide variety of activities! Find your new favorite brewery on the Eugene Ale Trail or learn about its rich history at one of their many museums.

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Scoring in the top five for affordability for their food, this is actually the top location for finding high-quality eating. Listen up to all our foodies out there. With a variety of festivals (most of them centered around food), you’ll be able to keep both your stomach and wallet happy while living here.

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Budget friendly Lebanon lives up to its slogan “It’s easier from here.”  Instead of worrying about home affordability (average home prices rank fifth in affordability on this list) the people of Lebanon can focus on fun instead. Wondering if they have festivals too? Lebanon is home to an annual strawberry festival (they just celebrated their 108th anniversary) allows the city’s friendly people to gather for food and fun!

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Boasting the lowest average home price ($140,200) and an unemployment rate of only 7.6%, Pendleton is a very affordable place to live. Not only is this a budget-friendly home; this city also hosts the annual Pendleton Round-Up. With concerts, food, and a rodeo, you are guaranteed a good time. This event also honors the native culture, allowing all who attend to understand the city’s history.

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With an average salary of over $76,000 and low cost of living, Damascus is one nice place to live. Although it dissolved last year as a city, it is still considered a community and known for its community feel! With an endless list of family activities and farmer’s markets, the people of Damascus love to come together to enjoy their beautiful home.

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Still haven’t decided which Oregon city to call home? Take a look at the city of Salem. Although it‘s number 10 on the list overall, it’s tied for number five when it comes to cost of living. With a population of over 154,000, in this bigger city there’s always something to do! The state’s capital, Salem, is full of history, beautiful vineyards, and endless activities for its residents and visitors to enjoy.

Geographically, Oregon boasts dramatic Pacific coastlines as well as volcanic mountain ranges. Its climate spans from rainforests along the coast to semi-arid conditions in the central and southeastern regions.

The Beaver State is home to both Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the U.S., and Mount Hood, the second-most-climbed mountain in the world (next to Japan’s Mount Fuji). It has medium-to-large cities dotted along its I-5 corridor, but small towns, rural areas, and wide-open spaces compose most of the state.

What Oregonians have in common, though, is their fierce love of their state’s natural beauty and the Oregonian way of life. An Oregonian can spot a newcomer if they do any one of these things:

a) Use an umbrella. (Waterproof hooded jackets with hoods are standard gear.) b) Say Ore-gone (instead of Or-ih-gun) c) Try to pump their own gas. (State law requires attendants to do the pumping, except in rural areas.) d) Ask how much the sales tax is. (There is none.) e) Refer to the state’s wine country, the Willamette Valley, as WILL-uh-MET- instead of the Will-AM-it f) Can’t taste the difference between Starbucks and Dutch Bros coffee. g) Go to the beach expecting to swim. (Not without a wetsuit-the water is cold year-round. But the coast is fantastic for hiking and exploring tidepools.)

Another contrast throughout the state is the cost of living. As you might expect, Portland has the highest in the state, coming in at nearly 30% above the national average. However, there are many Oregon towns and cities that come in well below the national average while offering proximity to some of the nation’s most breathtaking scenery. For our list, we compared cities with a population of at least 10,000 according to housing costs and overall living experience.

10 cheapest places to live in Oregon in 2022.

With a population of more than 16,000, Coos Bay is the largest city on the Oregon coast. Located where the Coos River enters the Pacific Ocean’s Coos Bay, the city is a regional hub for the area known as the South Coast. Coos Bay has a mild marine climate with an average annual rainfall of 64 inches. Most of the rainfall occurs between November and January, and snow is rare.

The town itself offers stunning views of the bay, and residents are within a few minutes from oceanfront activities as well as hiking and fishing. Cape Arago State Park, which is just one mile south of Coos Bay, frequently teams with tidepool life, and it is an excellent place to spot whales, seals, and sea lions.

The nearby Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area offers some of the best ATV riding you can find anywhere, and the nationally recognized Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is less than a half-hour away.

The median home value in Coos Bay is around $190,700, and monthly apartment rentals are around $636.

Located at the northern end of Oregon’s rolling Willamette Valley, Woodburn has all of the beauty without all of the high cost of living of some of its neighboring towns.

The same climate that makes the valley good for wine also makes it good for flowers, and Woodburn residents love their flowers. There are several long-standing flower and plant operations around town, such as Al’s Garden Center, a local family-owned business since 1948. Woodburn hosts the annual Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. The Oregon Garden, an 80-acre botanical garden that is open to the public, is only 20 minutes away from town.

Woodburn’s popular annual Fiesta Mexicana event dates back to 1964, when it was first held to celebrate farm workers and the end of the harvest season.

With a diverse population of 26,078, Woodburn also is home to the huge Woodburn Premium Outlet Mall, which features brands such as Nike, Adidas, Guess, and Coach.

The median home value in Woodburn is $264,800, and monthly apartment rentals are around $935.

Once dubbed the “Queen City of the Mines,” Baker City was the first northeastern Oregon town established along the Oregon Trail. It became a major frontier trading center in the late 19th century. Whether you’re a history buff or just remember facing the perils of playing the Oregon Trail computer game as a kid, you’ll enjoy visiting the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. This 23,000-square-foot museum with many hands-on exhibits is located six miles northeast of town.

Today, with a population of just over 10,000, Baker City has a charming downtown that includes the historic Geiser Grand Hotel. Built in 1889, the hotel features stained glass ceilings, mahogany columns, and crystal chandeliers. Baker City is nestled in a fertile river valley and surrounded by forests and mountains. Numerous year-round outdoor recreational opportunities are nearby, as well as scenic train rides and drives.

The median home value in Baker City is around $155,000, and monthly apartment rentals are around $495.

Probably best known for the distinctive Hat Rock, a hat-shaped rock formation that Lewis and Clark mentioned in their journals, Hermiston is the largest city in Eastern Oregon. Now if you think that means it’s a big town, think again. Remember, Oregon’s populous cities are on the other side of the state.

This city of 18,415, however, has a lot to offer. For one thing, there are watermelons—a lot of them—and a big water tank shows off that fact with a giant watermelon painted on it, along with the motto “Hermiston—Where Life Is Sweet.”

About 1,200 acres of land in the area are devoted to watermelon farming, and the town climate allows for Hermiston melons to be hitting peak flavor just as those from other states are all but gone for the year.

In recent years, the Hermiston area has become a hub for logistics and data centers. Located near the intersection of Interstates 84 and 82, Hermiston residents are within a few hours’ drive of Seattle, Portland, Spokane, and Boise.

The median home value is around $206,900, and monthly apartment rentals are around $710.

The city of Dallas is part of the Salem metropolitan area and sits about 15 miles west of the state’s capital city. However, the comparison mostly ends there. Dallas’s quaint downtown, which features antique shops, boutiques, cafés, and murals depicting its history, has the quintessential hometown feel.

Hard to miss because of its 95-foot clock tower is the Polk County Courthouse, which was built in 1900 and is one of the state’s oldest courthouses. The 35-acre Dallas City Park has an 18-hole disc golf course, a Japanese garden, a swimming hole, and a suspension bridge.

A creekside trail for pedestrians, bicyclists, and bird-watchers connects several of the city’s 11 public parks. Dallas is also home to the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge and The Delbert Hunter Arboretum and Botanic Garden.

In case you’re wondering, the town is not named after that other one in Texas. Dallas was named in honor of George Mifflin Dallas, who served as vice president under U.S. President James K. Polk. Dallas, Oregon was incorporated with that name as a town in 1874 and then as a city in 1901.

The median home value in Dallas is $301,700, and monthly apartment rentals are around $809.

Since, as we have said, many Americans associate Oregon primarily with Portland, we will end our list with the least expensive of Portland’s suburbs, McMinnville. Some would say that McMinnville is not really a suburb, and you could definitely argue that point, since it is more than an hour’s drive away from the City of Roses. As Portland has grown, however, so has its sprawl. Either way, McMinnville is a pretty nice town in its own right.

Home to about 32,000 people, McMinnville is set in the heart of Oregon’s green, rolling wine country. Residents love that they are a short drive away from the coast, Portland, and Salem. But they also rave about their historic downtown, their farm-to-table restaurants, and the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.

McMinnville also is home to Linfield College, a private university that also has a Portland campus. In addition to its focus on local wines, McMinnville has a thriving arts scene, and it’s the host of an annual UFO festival.

The median home value in McMinnville is $321,100, and monthly apartment rentals are around $848.

Ontario lies along the winding Snake River at the border between Oregon and Idaho. With a population of 11,366, it is the largest community in the far eastern Oregon region that is known as Western Treasure Valley. Ontario is nicknamed the Gateway to Oregon, and it offers stunning views of the desert landscape.

Just northwest of town is the Farewell Bend State Recreation Area, an important and scenic point on the Oregon Trail. The wild and scenic Snake River, which, at 1,078 miles long, is the largest tributary to the Columbia River. The Four Rivers Cultural Center—named for the area’s four rivers (the Snake, the Malheur, the Owyhee, and the Payette)—offers arts, culture, and civic events as well as a small hands-on museum.

The median home value is around $159,300, and monthly apartment rentals are around $413.

One of the first things visitors ask when they enter Klamath Falls in the southwestern part of the state is, “Where are the falls?” The surprising answer is that there aren’t any, and why the city changed the name of the town in 1893 from Linkville (for its Link River) to Klamath Falls is a little uncertain. But once you get that disappointment out of the way, you can concentrate on all the things KFalls (its local nickname) does have to offer.

The city sits on the southeastern shore of Upper Klamath Lake, about 25 miles north of Oregon’s border with California. In addition to fishing, canoeing, hunting, and cross-country skiing, KFalls is known for bird watching. In fact, it is home to one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest populations of bald eagles.

With a human population of 21,536, Klamath Falls is surrounded by natural beauty. Crater Lake National Park is 60 miles away, and Mount Shasta, a massive volcano and recreational area in northern California, is a 70-mile drive away.

KFalls itself is home to The Oregon Institute of Technology, a public polytechnic university with bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

The median home value is around $168,300, and monthly apartment rentals are around $547.

Oregonians love their flannel shirts, and Pendleton is one of the main reasons why. Although the company is now based in Portland, the original Pendleton Woolen Mills was founded in this namesake town in 1909. You can still tour the mills today as well as watch someone handcrafting a Western saddle at the Hamley & Co. store.

Located in the foothills of Oregon’s Blue Mountains, Pendleton has many businesses that have been operating for more than a century. For example, you can still grab a hearty breakfast at Rainbow Café, which opened in 1883 as the State Saloon and Banquet.

With a population of 16,612, Pendleton takes its western roots seriously, as you can tell from the names of some of the other businesses in town: the Montana Peaks Hat Company, Heritage Station Museum, Happy Canyon Hall of Fame, and the Wildhorse Resort and Casino.

The median home value is around $193,700, and monthly apartment rentals are around $635.

Located just east of Interstate 5 from Eugene, Springfield offers many of the same amenities as its neighbor at a more affordable price. Eugene is home to the University of Oregon, so nearby Springfield residents can take advantage of the educational, sports, and cultural aspects of a bustling college environment. Both cities also are close to Oregon wine country and are just a little over 100 miles from Portland.

Springfield, which has a population of about 63,000, is home to two of Oregon’s beautiful rivers, the Willamette and the McKenzie. The city offers many riverfront trails, parks, and the other forms of year-round outdoor recreation that mark an Oregon city. You’ll also feel a definite college-town vibe with craft breweries, art galleries, festivals, and performing arts. And, if you are a fan of The Simpsons, you won’t want to miss the “Unofficial Simpsons Tour.”

The median home value is around $260,200, and monthly apartment rentals are around $836.

The Pacific Northwest is one of the most desirable places to live in the US. This region includes Oregon, whose cities and towns boast natural beauty and a pleasant climate — and affordability. If you’re on a tight budget you’ve come to the right place: Below we give an overview of the 10 cheapest places to live in Oregon.

These days it’s more important than ever to live in an economically savvy town, particularly if you’re on a fixed income. Luckily, Oregon has areas that fit the bill — plus mountains, a scenic coastline, and exciting things to do.

Oregon is listed as the 26th most populous state, and affordability is one of the main reasons. While Portland is quite popular, it’s actually not one of the most desirable cities to live in Oregon, at least in terms of affordability. Instead people are flocking to the top 10 cheapest places to live in Oregon and buy a house or rent.

The largest city on the Southern Oregon Coast, Coos Bay boasts a mild climate and a friendly community. This quaint, pretty town offers gorgeous bay views and plenty of opportunity for outdoor activities.

Enjoy hiking, fishing, biking, crabbing, and more. Nearby, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area offers ATV riding, while Cape Arago State Park is a great place to spot seals and whales.

The median home price in Coos Bay is just under $200,000, while the median income is a little under $40,000. The downside is that finding real estate in this area is hit or miss. So if you find a home you like in Coos Bay, take action quickly, especially considering its one of the cheapest places to live in Oregon.

If you’re a fan of living in a small farming, agricultural town, Sheridan is worth checking out. Located in Northwest Oregon along the Columbia River and Oregon-Washington border, Sheridan features a small, close-knit community. It’s situated between Portland and the Oregon coast, and homes in Sheridan sell for an average of $227,400.

For a small town, Sheridan boasts plenty to do. Visit museums — there’s a lot of them in the area, including the Tillamook Air Museum and the Portland Art Museum. There are also numerous parks and recreational facilities for fun outings. Or take in the serene surroundings at Huddleston Pond Park. Be sure to visit the Sheridan Days festival, which celebrates the town with carnival rides, a parade, and vendor booths.

To live comfortable in Oregon’s largest city, Portland, you need a salary of around $60,000. For areas that rank among the cheapest places to live in Oregon, you can get by on far less than that — sometimes half that! Still comfortable is the key word here, you don’t want to be pinching pennies to the detriment of your wellbeing.

Located in the high desert of eastern Oregon, Baker City is an ideal for home buyers who want a home in one of the cheapest places to live in Oregon. Close to the Elkhorn Mountains and the Powder River, Baker City offers plenty of scenic spots for hiking, camping, and fishing. The town also features cool historical buildings from the Gold Rush era.

With a median home price of $357,500, Baker City has become quite popular in the past year or so. However, the average home price here is still very affordable. There’s also a lot of job opportunities in sectors such as manufacturing, retail, and social assistance.

One of the cheapest places to live in Oregon, Albany is known for scenic river views, thriving arts and culture scene, and historic homes along with several famous covered bridges. Albany also has lots of colorful Queen Anne Victorian homes and antique shops.

Surrounded by one of the broadest and most level stretches of the Willamette Valley, Albany offers fishing, water skiing, and off-road riding. There’s also a hot-air balloon festival every year. It’s affordable to live here, as the median home cost in Albany is $275,200.

Located just west of Portland, Hillsboro is a booming place to live, not to mention affordable. Nicknamed “The Hub City, Hillsboro has a high reputation in high-tech industries like Intel, Epson, and Yahoo!.

Boasting an active cultural scene and sequoia trees that surround the historic courthouse, Hillsboro is accessible to nearby Portland through a light rail system. There are also several well-regarded wineries here.

The largest community in northwest Oregon,  Hillsboro’s median home price is $396,122. While this may seem high, it’s quite affordable when compared to other cities close to Portland.

Located just south of Eugene, Oregon, Creswell has a very low cost of living and affordable homes. With a population of a little over 5,000 people, Creswell is a quiet, quaint retreat with a median home price of $189,500.

Close to Oregon Wine Country, it’s an ideal town for those who love camping, adventure, and serenity. Creswell also boasts an esteemed farm-to-fork dining scene as well as scenic country roads and pastures of sheep, orchards, and vineyards.

In Umatilla County in Eastern Oregon, Hermiston is popular for its watermelons. (They even use them in their branding.) The cost of living in Hermiston is well below Oregon’s state average. In fact, Hermiston’s cost of living is 11.2% lower than the U.S. average. The average home price in Hermiston is $148,200.

Along with being incredibly affordable, Hermiston has plenty of outdoor recreation activities to enjoy. Nestled in the heart of the Columbia Basin, this Oregonian town boasts plenty of parks and recreation facilities, a welcoming business climate, and a lively festival atmosphere downtown.

Dallas, Oregon (not to be confused with Dallas, Texas!) offers a sparse suburban feel as well as affordability. The median home cost in Dallas is $301,700, and the cost of living here is relatively low.

Located in Polk County, Dallas is surrounded by multiple vineyards and wineries, and the downtown area features beautiful historic buildings. Enjoy the outdoors in the area’s seven parks, including a 35-acre park with an attached arboretum.

Located in north-central Oregon in Willamette Valley, Woodburn offers a small-town atmosphere. Just 50 miles south of Portland, Woodburn takes pride in a rich culture. A small but beautiful town, it has a quaint downtown area with lots of shopping. Enjoy an exciting hot air balloon ride for views of the heart of the Willamette Valley.

Home of the Wooden Shoe Tulip farms and a month-long Tulip fest, Woodburn has a low cost of living. A home in Woodburn will cost an average of $264,800.

One of the most budget-friendly towns in Oregon, Pendleton prides itself on heritage. An old cow town that’s situated between the steep hills along the Umatilla River, Pendleton is one of the cheapest places to live in Oregon. Plus, there’s nothing short of fun things to do — there are multiple local city parks and recreational offerings, as well as a Native Cultural Museum.

Nationally famous for its annual Pendleton Roundup, the town borders the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation which contributes positively to the economy and culture of the region. The Pendleton, Oregon average home price is $162,900, making it cheap as well as an ideal place to buy a home and raise a family.

Whether you’re looking for the cheapest places to live in Oregon or a more affluent area, Oregon offers a plethora of affordable housing options. The income requirements are based on each area’s median salary. Families and individuals can qualify for affordable housing options if their gross income is 30 percent or 50 percent of the areas median gross income, depending on what they’re trying to qualify for.

Before you look at homes anywhere in Oregon, you need to know whether you can actually afford to own one. Mortgage payments are generally higher than rent in most states. And even when the prices are close, there are other costs associated with owning your home instead of renting.

Your property taxes will be added to your monthly mortgage payment. And if you put down less than 20% for a down payment, your lender will probably require you to pay for private mortgage insurance (PMI) as well.

You’ll also have to pay some costs that you might not have had to pay while renting: utilities, cable, garbage pickup, and any necessary repairs.

Make sure you can comfortably afford not just your mortgage but also any additional expenses before buying your first home.

If you’ve run the numbers and decided that yes, you can afford homeownership, your next step is to meet with a mortgage lender. You can discuss the different types of mortgages and decide which would be best for you. You’ll also want to be pre-approved for a mortgage before you begin house-hunting.

To get pre-approved for a mortgage, you’ll have to share your financial and employment information with the lender. They’ll require documentation such as tax forms, pay stubs, and more. Once they review and verify your information, they’ll determine whether to approve you for a mortgage. If they do, they’ll let you know your mortgage options and terms.

The lender will also issue a pre-approval letter. You can show this to sellers when you’re looking at homes, to let them know that you’re able to secure financing.

It’s more than likely that the seller will come back to you with a counteroffer. That’s just part of the negotiations. It’s up to you whether you can comfortably accept their counter, respond with your own counteroffer, or walk away.

Keep your finances in mind and don’t let yourself get carried away in the excitement of buying your first home. No matter how much you might think a house is perfect for you, if you can’t comfortably afford it, it’s time to think twice.

Remember buyers: you need to know what a home will require in order for it to be up to your expectations of build quality. Houses may need a few things fixed either prior to purchasing a home or immediately after. It’s important to be aware of these issues, as it may cause a headache further down the road after you’ve purchased the house.

Often, if the seller is motivated enough to sell the house, they might work with you and include fixes and light renovations as a stipulation in the contract for the sale of the house. Making sure you have inspectors and independent contractors to inspect the house for any major issues can help save you a headache in the long run.

You also need to be aware of the market surrounding the house. If you look around at the neighborhoods close to the home you’re considering, you may find other locations that may be a better price, closer to an important location, or simply newer than the one that you’re considering. Ensuring that you’re aware of the area and not focused on one house can help make sure that you’re making the best choice possible when putting in an offer, and not necessarily choosing the first one on the list.

Ensure you don’t bid either too high or too low on the house. Bidding too high will probably get you the house quicker, but you may end up paying over market value for the home and will probably have to recoup that cost before you can be in a suitable position to generate equity into the home.

Offer too little and the buyer may outright refuse and will greatly decrease your chances of landing the home that you want to purchase. When in doubt, consult a professional Realtor who knows the market.

Oregon is truly a beautiful state, and if you’re looking for affordability, it’s a great place to move. UpNest can help you find the right agent to help you with your Oregon home buying or home selling experience. Get a Realtor who can offer advice and assistance throughout the whole buying or selling process.

Above all, remember that your Realtor should be there to aid in your home buying process, not just to show you listings. Helping you avoid the wrong time to buy, the wrong location or the wrong house for your budget can all go a long, long way in making sure that you’re happy with the end result. Beyond that, realtors aren’t all the same, and you will need to find one that gels with your interest as a home buyer before choosing to go the length of the field with them.

UpNest, which is owned by parent company Realtor.com, uses a proprietary agent matching system that considers closed listings, location of listing, and other factors to provide the customer with 3-5 individual proposals.

The proposal includes commission information, marketing techniques, a Q&A about the agents, local trends, reviews, and more. Once agents start using UpNest’s platform, the matching system evaluates their performance with UpNest, including conversion rates and response time.

UpNest is a no-cost service for home sellers and buyers to find the best real estate agents locally. The UpNest platform allows you to compare multiple agents in your area so you can compare reviews, commission rates, previous sales, and more.

Our network agents have been carefully vetted and often offer competitive, lower than average commission rates to UpNest customers. There is no obligation to sign up with one of our network Realtors, but when you can potentially save thousands on commission – why wouldn’t you? If you’re ready to get started, just enter your zipcode below!

• Baker City. The cheapest city to live in Oregon is Baker City.
• Ontario. Ontario is the second-cheapest place to live in Oregon.
• La Grande.
• Umatilla.
• Milton-Freewater.
• Klamath Falls.
• Hermiston.
• Coos Bay.