Whether it’s celebrating Chinese New Year every year at Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden or catching a film festival with the neighborhood meet up in the Alberta Arts District there’s a great Portland neighborhood dripping in tradition and diversity just steps away from all things Portland. And if it’s more than a few steps, Portland’s TriMet connects everyone. You know what else connects everyone? If you guessed HomeSnacks list of the best neighborhoods in Portland for 2026, you guessed right.
But before we let you in on ten of Portland’s best kept secrets, here’s a little bit about how we uncovered Stumptown’s best of the best. Real estate trends say that higher median incomes usually translate to more expensive homes; and, generally speaking, better schools and less crime, so we looked at the latest census data for the median income and median home prices in each one of 63 Portland’s neighborhoods. And because jobs, safety, affordability, and amenities are important factors, too, we added those to the mix as well.
We are happy to report that Portland’s crime rate is way above the national average and this is because of neighborhood crime watch programs in places like Homestead. This is also because many of the people in these neighborhoods have good jobs. Places like Irvington and Richmond are filled with professionals who work for major Portland companies like Nike and Columbia.
And, if you want to know what place is Portland’s poster neighborhood for the rest of the state as well as the country, you’re going to have to keep reading.
$102,361 median income · $630,200 median home value
$165,672 median income · $711,033 median home value
$157,265 median income · $729,150 median home value
$172,903 median income · $831,817 median home value
$117,312 median income · $631,700 median home value
$103,449 median income · $661,400 median home value
$138,185 median income · $664,927 median home value
$117,538 median income · $655,710 median home value
$126,414 median income · $639,744 median home value
$100,939 median income · $548,625 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Oregon’s statewide median.
Oregon statewide median: $83,011
Oregon statewide median: $499,004
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Portland, OR neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Portland, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 63 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Portland.” We’re lookin’ at you, Pearl District.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Portland, Oregon has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Portland.
The full plate
Table: Best Portland neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pearl District | 9,159 | $630,200 | $102,361 |
| 2 | Alameda | 5,173 | $711,033 | $165,672 |
| 3 | Eastmoreland | 4,897 | $729,150 | $157,265 |
| 4 | Southwest Hills | 5,516 | $831,817 | $172,903 |
| 5 | Bridlemile | 4,543 | $631,700 | $117,312 |
| 6 | Homestead | 2,497 | $661,400 | $103,449 |
| 7 | Forest Park | 10,184 | $664,927 | $138,185 |
| 8 | Irvington | 6,888 | $655,710 | $117,538 |
| 9 | Hillsdale | 8,217 | $639,744 | $126,414 |
| 10 | Hayhurst | 5,685 | $548,625 | $100,939 |
| 11 | Mount Tabor | 11,071 | $531,473 | $86,375 |
| 12 | Corbett-Terwilliger-Lair Hill | 9,745 | $595,773 | $93,468 |
| 13 | Richmond | 13,863 | $570,560 | $97,974 |
| 14 | Reed | 4,972 | $587,867 | $82,106 |
| 15 | Linnton | 736 | $554,700 | $115,628 |
| 16 | Arbor Lodge | 7,552 | $451,278 | $101,657 |
| 17 | Concordia | 12,215 | $528,145 | $98,964 |
| 18 | Woodstock | 10,148 | $469,742 | $91,722 |
| 19 | Sellwood-Moreland | 11,437 | $509,817 | $82,661 |
| 20 | Ross Island | 154 | $450,000 | $100,139 |
| 21 | Eliot | 4,990 | $552,300 | $66,836 |
| 22 | King | 7,657 | $528,200 | $80,066 |
| 23 | Overlook | 7,116 | $500,544 | $94,750 |
| 24 | Boise | 4,881 | $449,040 | $78,122 |
| 25 | Roseway | 7,276 | $414,960 | $92,378 |
| 26 | Buckman | 10,359 | $492,950 | $65,544 |
| 27 | Far Southwest | 1,911 | $449,300 | $67,612 |
| 28 | Northwest | 15,790 | $608,590 | $76,223 |
| 29 | University Park | 5,848 | $479,075 | $88,197 |
| 30 | South Tabor | 7,365 | $416,957 | $77,546 |
| 31 | Mount Scott | 8,205 | $383,973 | $77,163 |
| 32 | Downtown | 13,640 | $462,350 | $49,632 |
| 33 | Center | 9,781 | $436,970 | $78,398 |
| 34 | Woodlawn | 5,292 | $453,567 | $86,659 |
| 35 | Sunderland | 492 | $391,450 | $111,891 |
| 36 | Kerns | 6,087 | $561,086 | $50,693 |
| 37 | Brooklyn | 5,248 | $489,033 | $78,382 |
| 38 | Creston-Kenilworth | 9,530 | $432,967 | $68,844 |
| 39 | Lloyd | 3,181 | $433,520 | $62,631 |
| 40 | Bridgeton | 682 | $289,400 | $73,450 |
| 41 | Pleasant Valley | 12,150 | $367,575 | $89,568 |
| 42 | Kenton | 7,526 | $407,683 | $76,704 |
| 43 | Mill Park | 9,784 | $265,186 | $58,057 |
| 44 | Hosford | 8,107 | $417,230 | $71,902 |
| 45 | Maplewood-Ashcreek | 17,712 | $361,243 | $79,174 |
| 46 | Lents | 20,735 | $349,793 | $70,070 |
| 47 | Brentwood-Darlington | 13,753 | $319,340 | $67,974 |
| 48 | Wilkes | 8,465 | $339,243 | $73,738 |
| 49 | Hazelwood | 25,397 | $308,732 | $53,042 |
| 50 | Old Town-Chinatown | 2,845 | $418,750 | $20,650 |
| 51 | Montavilla | 16,478 | $372,617 | $65,253 |
| 52 | Cathedral Park | 3,556 | $352,350 | $76,628 |
| 53 | Argay | 5,466 | $364,000 | $75,251 |
| 54 | Foster Powell | 7,801 | $250,786 | $54,018 |
| 55 | Madison South | 7,738 | $352,820 | $66,078 |
| 56 | Government Island | 418 | $281,500 | $67,280 |
| 57 | Cully | 13,078 | $371,260 | $68,454 |
| 58 | Centennial | 22,726 | $279,580 | $51,060 |
| 59 | Parkrose | 5,614 | $329,625 | $58,037 |
| 60 | Portsmith | 10,654 | $250,000 | $46,666 |
| 61 | Haden Island | 565 | $149,050 | $60,522 |
| 62 | Powellhurst | 25,760 | $186,475 | $40,114 |
| 63 | Saintjohns | 7,933 | $227,860 | $60,428 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 63 Portland neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Portland
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Portland where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Portland are Pearl District, Alameda, Eastmoreland, Southwest Hills, Bridlemile, Homestead, Forest Park, Irvington, Hillsdale, and Hayhurst.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Portland aren’t all good. Saintjohns takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Portland.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on Oregon? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Portland FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Portland?
Pearl District is the best neighborhood in Portland for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Alameda and Eastmoreland are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Portland?
The best neighborhoods in Portland are Pearl District, Alameda, Eastmoreland, Southwest Hills, Bridlemile, Homestead, Forest Park, Irvington, Hillsdale, and Hayhurst. We ranked all 63 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Pearl District?
The median household income in Pearl District is $102,361 and the median home costs $630,200. The best blocks in Portland rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Portland neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Pearl District, takes the top spot.
Which Portland neighborhood ranked last?
Saintjohns came in last of the 63 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Portland the numbers put it there.
