Duluth, MN vs Portland, OR
Moving from Duluth to Portland? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($264,350 → $552,022 median home) and taxes.
Duluth vs Portland at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Duluth, MN, you'd need about $122,405 in Portland, OR (+$22,405).
Livability — Duluth, MN: 68 · Portland, OR: 55 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 3,404 sqft in Duluth vs 1,540 sqft in Portland ($147 vs $325 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Duluth, MN | Portland, OR | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $16,572 | $21,564 | +$4,992 |
| Groceries | $4,846 | $5,240 | +$394 |
| Transportation | $3,375 | $3,680 | +$305 |
| Utilities | $1,776 | $1,704 | −$72 |
| Insurance | $2,200 | $900 | −$1,300 |
| Taxes | $14,852 | $14,382 | −$470 |
| Total | $43,621 | $47,470 | +$3,849 |
Side by side
| Metric | Duluth, MN | Portland, OR |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 87.2 | 106.7 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.41% | 5.06% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 39 | 38 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $4.96 | $6.07 |
| Median home price | $264,350 | $552,022 |
| Home price ÷ income | 3.9× | 6.1× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 6.6% | -1.1% |
| Price per square foot | $147 | $325 |
| Median rent | $1,381 | $1,797 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 12.1% | 10.8% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.10% | 0.00% |
| Capital gains tax | 9.85% | 9.90% |
| Property tax rate | 1.12% | 0.92% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,800 | $6,600 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $16,000 | $15,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.58% | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 20 | 26 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $900 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,500 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $600 | $650 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $600 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 16.4 | 15.8 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.15 | 4.10 |
| Violent crime /100k | 280 | 340 |
| Avg summer high °F | 83 | 82 |
| Avg winter low °F | 4 | 34 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 3 | 4 |