Memphis, TN vs Portland, OR
Moving from Memphis to Portland? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($247,229 → $552,022 median home) and taxes.
Memphis 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 Memphis, TN, you'd need about $116,060 in Portland, OR (+$16,060).
Livability — Memphis, TN: 70 · Portland, OR: 55 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 4,045 sqft in Memphis vs 1,540 sqft in Portland ($124 vs $325 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Memphis, TN | Portland, OR | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $17,292 | $21,564 | +$4,272 |
| Groceries | $4,715 | $5,240 | +$525 |
| Transportation | $3,130 | $3,680 | +$550 |
| Utilities | $1,608 | $1,704 | +$96 |
| Insurance | $2,200 | $900 | −$1,300 |
| Taxes | $5,158 | $14,382 | +$9,225 |
| Total | $34,103 | $47,470 | +$13,367 |
Side by side
| Metric | Memphis, TN | Portland, OR |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 91.9 | 106.7 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.84% | 5.06% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -0.6% | 5.2% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 56 | 38 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.23 | $6.07 |
| Median home price | $247,229 | $552,022 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.0× | 6.1× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 0.1% | -1.1% |
| Price per square foot | $124 | $325 |
| Median rent | $1,441 | $1,797 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 7.6% | 10.8% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.55% | 0.00% |
| Capital gains tax | None | 9.90% |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 0.92% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $6,600 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,000 | $15,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 24 | 26 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $900 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,500 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $650 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $350 | $600 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 14.9 | 15.8 |
| Gas $/gal | 2.95 | 4.10 |
| Violent crime /100k | 600 | 340 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 82 |
| Avg winter low °F | 30 | 34 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |