on $100k a year, leaving Portland

change
Eugene, OR cityscape

if you left portland

Eugene

or · metro 381k

photo: Tim Mossholder / pexels

a dispatch from

eugene

OR

44.05°N

123.09°W

Eugene is Track Town USA (Hayward Field is the spiritual home of American distance running), the University of Oregon, and a hippie-academic-outdoorsy culture that's been here since the '60s and isn't going anywhere. The Willamette and McKenzie rivers meet just outside town. Saturday Market downtown has been running for over 50 years. Coffee and craft beer are taken seriously. Misty in winter, glorious in summer.

metro381k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$382

lighter monthly cost than Portland

Eugene gives you room Portland doesn't. Same gross salary, lower monthly cost of living.
landable, recorded on the eugene entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,799/mo

21% cheaper than Portland(vs $2,285/mo)

02state income tax

8.75%

$104/mo more in state tax than Portland

vs 7.5% in Portland

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$382 more than Portland

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$456k

16% cheaper than Portland

vs $543k in Portland

05metro size

381k

vs 566k in Portland

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

206

pleasant days a year, in eugene.

Portland only manages 145 of those.

A similar weekend lineup to Portland.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

75/100

6% higher than Portland

vs 71/100 in Portland

Closest outdoor draw: Willamette National Forest, 47.5 mi.

·walk score®

97/100

1% lower than Portland

vs 98/100 in Portland

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

350% more than Portland

vs 2 nonstops in Portland

04 · see also

neighbors of eugene on the map of tradeoffs:

see also

pensacola

$776/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

reno

$620/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

greenville

$436/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare eugene with:

PensacolaRenoGreenville