Portland, OR vs Springfield, MA
Moving from Portland to Springfield? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($552,022 → $376,017 median home) and taxes.
Portland vs Springfield 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 Portland, OR, you'd need about $91,898 in Springfield, MA (−$8,102).
Livability — Portland, OR: 55 · Springfield, MA: 60 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 1,540 sqft in Portland vs 2,260 sqft in Springfield ($325 vs $221 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Portland, OR | Springfield, MA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $21,564 | $23,292 | +$1,728 |
| Groceries | $5,240 | $4,938 | −$302 |
| Transportation | $3,680 | $3,210 | −$470 |
| Utilities | $1,704 | $3,180 | +$1,476 |
| Insurance | $900 | $1,800 | +$900 |
| Taxes | $14,382 | $15,617 | +$1,235 |
| Total | $47,470 | $52,036 | +$4,566 |
Side by side
| Metric | Portland, OR | Springfield, MA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 106.7 | 98.1 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.06% | 5.93% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 5.2% | 9.4% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 38 | 38 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $6.07 | $5.58 |
| Median home price | $552,022 | $376,017 |
| Home price ÷ income | 6.1× | 5.3× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | -1.1% | 2.7% |
| Price per square foot | $325 | $221 |
| Median rent | $1,797 | $1,941 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 10.8% | 11.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 0.00% | 6.25% |
| Capital gains tax | 9.90% | 9.00% |
| Property tax rate | 0.92% | 1.59% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,600 | $8,200 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $15,000 | $21,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | 2.25% |
| Avg commute (min) | 26 | 23 |
| Home insurance / yr | $900 | $1,800 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $650 | $800 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $600 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 15.8 | 29.4 |
| Gas $/gal | 4.10 | 3.30 |
| Violent crime /100k | 340 | 330 |
| Avg summer high °F | 82 | 82 |
| Avg winter low °F | 34 | 22 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 4 | 4 |