State relocation profile · Federal data
Oregon
Oregon sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 103.4
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,424
- 2BR rent / mo
- $75,924
- Median salary
- 48.3
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Oregon ranks #32 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (48.3/100, D), with its strongest marks in schools and wages.
- #32 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 48.3
- Life Score · D
- 103.4
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $75,924
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: cost of living (22/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Oregon ranks #32 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 103.4 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,424/mo, median salary $75,924; Life Score 48.3/100 (D), strongest in schools and wages.
Signature: BEA RPP 103.4 ranks #40 of 51 states for higher prices (dearer third of the corpus).
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 103.4 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $1,424/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $75,924.
Composite Life Score 48.3/100 (D) sits mid-pack (#32 of 51).
Metro book is dense (8 MSAs); drill a named metro before treating the state average as a destination.
Life Score plate
Sheet OR · Oregon 48.3/100 · D · #32 of 51
LIFE-D · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-DEAR · LEAD-SCHOOLS · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-D Life Score D
- RANK-LOWER #32/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.6 pts
- RPP-DEAR RPP 103.4
- LEAD-SCHOOLS Lead · schools
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Arizona ( -0.6 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Oregon
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Oregon on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Oregon childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Oregon (infant $12,639/yr leads the book).
Oregon Life Score breakdown
Oregon composites to 48.3/100 (D) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #32 of 51.
Oregon - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Schools
Schools
86 /100
- Wages
Wages
76 /100
- Environment
Environment
60 /100
- Safety
Safety
38 /100
- Rent
Rent
36 /100
- Childcare 30
Childcare
30 /100
- Cost of living 22
Cost of living
22 /100
What this shows Oregon's strongest dimensions are schools and wages; its weakest among scored dims is cost of living at 22/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Oregon on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Oregon on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Oregon
Explore detailed relocation data for 8 metropolitan areas in Oregon. Oregon contains 8 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Albany, Bend, Corvallis and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Albany metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Oregon cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Oregon wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.