Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue → Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue to Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 111.1 to 105.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $579/mo.
- -$12,978
- BLS median salary lower in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
- 329 to 335
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 17.7:1 to 17.2:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $3,348
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.
Pros of Moving
- + 6% lower cost of living
- + $579/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + More affordable childcare
Cons of Moving
- - $13K lower median salary
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 111.1 to 105.4, so each dollar covers more in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro (ratio 0.95). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $579/mo ($6,948/yr) from $2,501 in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue to $1,922 in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro.
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro sits #231 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue is #324/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $12,978 lower ($92,550 → $79,572). Labor-market size: 2,057,860 tracked jobs at origin vs 1,180,420 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Washington 38 (F, #51/51) vs Oregon 41 (F, #49/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 63
- Property tax
- 63
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 18
- Income tax
- 62
- Property tax
- 64
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 14
Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue to see what you'd need to earn in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro to maintain the same purchasing power.
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026