Cost of living in Forest Grove research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Forest Grove is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Oregon, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Forest Grove is 127, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Forest Grove is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Forest Grove ranks as the #68 cheapest in Oregon out of 99.
Forest Grove ranks as the #4,833 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Forest Grove is $527,305.
The median income in Forest Grove is $81,998.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Forest Grove has an overall cost of living index of 127, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Oregon, Forest Grove has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Oregon's index of 112.
The standard of living in Forest Grove ranks as #68 most affordable out of the 99 places we measured in Oregon. By definition, that implies Forest Grove ranks as the #31 most expensive place in the Beaver State.
For more reading on life in Forest Grove, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Forest Grove. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Forest Grove is 104.
The Groceries index in Forest Grove is 112.
The Health index in Forest Grove is 111.
The Housing index in Forest Grove is 169.
The Transportation index in Forest Grove is 125.
The Utilities index in Forest Grove is 96.
| Living Expense | Forest Grove | Oregon | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 127 | 112 | 100 | |
| Services | 104 | 107 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 112 | 107 | 100 | |
| Health | 111 | 104 | 100 | |
| Housing | 169 | 124 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 125 | 116 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 96 | 97 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Oregon, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Forest Grove is $527,305.
The Median Rent in Forest Grove is $1,393.
The Median Income in Forest Grove is $81,998.
The Home Value To Income in Forest Grove is 6.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Forest Grove is 0.2x.
| Statistic | Forest Grove | Oregon | United States | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $527,305 | $496,180 | $303,400 | 
| Median Rent | $1,393 | $1,450 | $1,348 | 
| Median Income | $81,998 | $80,426 | $78,538 | 
| Home Value To Income | 6.4x | 6.2x | 3.9x | 
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.22x | 0.21x | 
| Item | Forest Grove | Oregon | 
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.53 | $1.28 | 
| Movie | $12.98 | $12.13 | 
| Bowling | $18.31 | $18 | 
| Haircut | $41.22 | $24.26 | 
| Beauty Salon | $60.58 | $45.56 | 
| Item | Forest Grove | Oregon | 
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.17 | $5.84 | 
| Fried Chicken | $2.03 | $1.57 | 
| Milk | $5.04 | $4.67 | 
| Potatoes | $4.39 | $4.93 | 
| Pizza | $12.21 | $12.09 | 
| Beer | $12.07 | $10.41 | 
| Toothpaste | $3.63 | $3.7 | 
| Item | Forest Grove | Oregon | 
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $131.94 | $125.68 | 
| Doctor | $188.49 | $135.78 | 
| Dentist | $115.08 | $113.29 | 
| Item | Forest Grove | Oregon | 
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.16 | $3.46 | 
| Tire Balancing | $84.45 | $59.92 | 
| Item | Forest Grove | Oregon | 
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $182.73 | $193.99 | 
| Phone | $190.36 | $192.25 | 
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Forest Grove. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Hillsboro, OR has a cost of living index of 133, 1.0x Forest Grove.
Tigard, OR has a cost of living index of 139, 1.1x Forest Grove.
Aloha, OR has a cost of living index of 129, 1.0x Forest Grove.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Forest Grove | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsboro, OR | 107,050 | 133 | 1.0x | 
| Tigard, OR | 55,395 | 139 | 1.1x | 
| Aloha, OR | 53,362 | 129 | 1.0x | 
| Bethany, OR | 31,700 | 158 | 1.2x | 
| Tualatin, OR | 27,710 | 138 | 1.1x | 
| Newberg, OR | 25,622 | 129 | 1.0x | 
| Sherwood, OR | 20,227 | 138 | 1.1x | 
| Cornelius, OR | 13,700 | 124 | 1.0x | 
| Oak Hills, OR | 11,464 | 143 | 1.1x | 
| Bull Mountain, OR | 9,465 | 144 | 1.1x |