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Gresham vs Portland

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (13.2× in Portland) and work in town (+42.4 pts in Portland).

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Gresham, ORAn outdoors townOregon · 112,378 people
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Portland, ORA history townOregon · 641,165 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

GreshamAn outdoors town
Outdoors#19 most conserved land in OR19 miles of trails across 47 parks and preserves Health53% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates College town1 collegeMt Hood Community College All about Gresham →
PortlandA history town
History598 historic places598 places on the National Register College town14 collegesPortland State University Outdoors#25 most conserved land in OR246 miles of trails across 268 parks and preserves All about Portland →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails13.2×
Portland has more miles of trail
Portland 245.6 miGresham 18.6 mi
Work in town+42.4 pts
More of Portland’s workers stay in town
Portland 58.8%Gresham 16.4%
Size5.7×
Portland is the bigger place
Portland 641,165Gresham 112,378
Work from home+15.5 pts
More people work from home in Portland
Portland 28.5%Gresham 13%
Bachelor’s degree++30.5 pts
More adults in Portland have a degree
Portland 53.8%Gresham 23.3%
Property tax bill+38%
Tax bills are bigger in Portland
Portland $5,743Gresham $4,174
★ What stands out · Report cards

Portland places higher on 17 of 23 OR lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Oregon ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
C−GreshamSafer than 16% of U.S. towns D−PortlandSafer than 2% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−GreshamBetter than 45% of districts in the state BPortlandBetter than 63% of districts in the state
Health
B−GreshamHealthier than 47% of U.S. towns A−PortlandHealthier than 81% of U.S. towns
5Gresham
17Portland

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fewest uninsuredHealth · 147 towns #119#26 Most activeHealth · 147 towns #96#20 Most educatedPeople · 147 towns #88#16 Most remote workersWork · 141 towns #75#8 HealthiestHealth · 147 towns #91#26 Most trailsOutdoors · 108 towns #73#28 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 65 towns #57#30 Fewest smokersHealth · 147 towns #109#48

Left end = #1 in Oregon. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Gresham’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $410 more a month in Portland

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Gresham$2,790/mo
Typical home $465K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.91% · or rent about $1,586/mo · Housing →
Portland$3,200/mo
Typical home $527K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $1,655/mo · Housing →

The difference: $410 a month, about $4,900 a year, between Portland and Gresham.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Gresham and Portland share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

GreshamPortlandGreshamPortland
Gresham ↔ Portland10 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
19,557 Gresham residents work in Portland (40.6% of its workers)
8,496 Portland residents work in Gresham (2.8% of its workers)
Work & commute in Gresham →
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
GreshamPortland
Snow a year3″4″
January low37°F37°F
July high82°F80°F
Growing season (days)251d280d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)57th63rd
Outdoors & history
GreshamPortland
Trails19 mi246 mi
Conserved land15.8%13.8%
Settled1905—
National Register places10598
Archive photos—12
Famous people born here—29
Community
GreshamPortland
Library hours a week57 hrs54 hrs
Colleges in town114
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

GreshamPortland
People
Population 112,378Lowest 641,165Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8.2%Lowest OR: +10.6% +11.8%Highest OR: +10.6%
Median age 37±1Lowest 8% below OR 38.8±0.2Highest 4% below OR
Kids under 18 22.7%±1.3Highest OR: 19.9% 16.3%±0.3Lowest OR: 19.9%
Age 65+ 15.1%±0.9Highest OR: 19.1% 14.5%±0.3Lowest OR: 19.1%
Gresham and Portland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.3%Lowest OR: 36.8% 53.8%Highest OR: 36.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.3%±1.1Lowest OR: 5.7% 6.8%±0.3Highest OR: 5.7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $77,795±$4kLowest 6% below OR $90,919±$2kHighest 10% above OR
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $458,700±$5kLowest 4% below OR $581,500±$6kHighest 22% above OR
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,586±$37Lowest 4% above OR $1,655±$18Highest 9% above OR
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,174Lowest 8% above OR $5,743Highest 48% above OR
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 59%±4.3Highest OR: 52.5% 52.5%±1.3Lowest OR: 52.5%
Below poverty line 13%Highest OR: 11.9% 12.7%Lowest OR: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 55.8%Highest OR: 63.3% 52%Lowest OR: 63.3%
Typical home builtmedian year 1981Highest same as OR 1966Lowest 15 yrs older than OR
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 13% above OR 24 minLowest 5% above OR
Work from home 13%±1.5Lowest OR: 19% 28.5%±0.7Highest OR: 19%
Work in townworking residents 16.4%Lowest 58.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.3 miHighest 5.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.75Lowest 1.45Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Portland (41%)Beaverton (4%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 41% work in Portland3% work in Gresham
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 15.8%Highest 13.8%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 18.6 miLowest 245.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miLowest 1.7 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 47Lowest 268Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 107Lowest 118Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #96 of 121 in OR#94 of 121 in OR
School district Centennial SD 28J · Gresham-Barlow SD 10JOregon Department of Education · Centennial SD 28J
High school in town Centennial High SchoolDavid Douglas High School
Students per teacherat that high school 26.7Highest 19.9Lowest
Oregon average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Gresham neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

Living in Gresham

1 neighbor in Gresham can answer.

Portland neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Portland’s Town Square.

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Bordering Gresham

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Fairview10,735 people · $428K homes
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Troutdale15,923 people · $456K homes
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Orient481 people · $936K homes

Towns like Gresham

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Medford86,315 people · $417K homes
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Springfield61,499 people · $359K homes
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Salem178,865 people · $417K homes
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Albany56,839 people · $389K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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