Portland vs Seattle
A side-by-side comparison of Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington — population, climate, cost of living, demographics, and more.
| Place |  PortlandOregon, United States |  SeattleWashington, United States |
|---|---|---|
| Location | ||
| State / region | Oregon | Washington |
| Country | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Coordinates | 45.537, -122.650 | 47.619, -122.352 |
| Elevation | 152 m | 46 m |
| Size | ||
| Population | 636,958 | 780,992 |
| Land area | 133.5 mi² | 84.0 mi² |
| Water area | 11.5 mi² | 58.1 mi² |
| Density (per mi²) | 4,772 | 9,297 |
| Housing units | 315,899 | 411,671 |
| Demographics | ||
| Median age | 39.0 | 35.4 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 67.8% | 58.6% |
| Black or African American | 5.1% | 6.9% |
| Asian | 8.0% | 17.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 13.3% | 9.1% |
| Economy & education | ||
| Median household income | $91,478 | $118,745 |
| Median home value | $588,200 | $950,800 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 54.5% | 70.1% |
| Poverty rate | 13.0% | 9.4% |
| Unemployment | 5.0% | 5.2% |
| Climate | ||
| Avg high temp | 64°F | 60°F |
| Avg low temp | 46°F | 47°F |
| Annual precipitation | 54.0 in | 46.0 in |
| Sunshine % of year | 52.0% | 49.0% |
| Annual solar (kWh/m²) | 1,339 | 1,247 |
| Air & environment | ||
| US AQI | 21 | 69 |
| Air quality category | Good | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 3.5 | 21.8 |
| PM10 (µg/m³) | 4.6 | 22.1 |
| Ozone (µg/m³) | 49.0 | 64.0 |
| NO₂ (µg/m³) | 4.9 | 35.3 |
| Wildlife species observed | 10 | 10 |
| Wildlife observations | 2,565,864 | 3,394,671 |
| Risk & hazards | ||
| Earthquakes (last 10y) | 1,530 | 395 |
| Largest earthquake (mag) | 4.5 | 4.8 |
| Active weather alerts | 1 | 1 |
| Health | ||
| Obesity | 28.2% | 22.5% |
| Diabetes | 9.0% | 6.8% |
| Smoking | 11.5% | 6.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Schools total | 132 | 200 |
| Elementary schools | 91 | 120 |
| Middle schools | 20 | 27 |
| High schools | 18 | 45 |
| Civic & interest | ||
| Mayor / leader | Keith Wilson | — |
| Official website | https://www.portland.gov/ | — |
| Sister cities | 7 | — |
| Notable people (Wikidata) | 16 | 16 |
| Books about this place | 8 | 8 |
| Wikipedia views (last 30d) | 66,872 | 4,610 |
| Overview | ||
| Summary | Portland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in the Pacific Northwest at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, it is the 28th-most populous city in the United States, sixth-most populous on the West Coast, and fourth-most populous in the Pacific Northwest, with a population of 652,503 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolitan area, with over 2.54 million residents, is the 26th-largest metropolitan area in the nation. Almost half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metro area. It is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous in the state. Wikipedia | Seattle is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is the 18th-most populous city in the United States with a population of 784,777 in 2025, while the Seattle metropolitan area at over 4.15 million residents is the 15th-most populous metropolitan area in the nation. The city is the county seat of King County, the most populous county in Washington. Seattle's growth rate of 21.1% between 2010 and 2020 made it one of the country's fastest-growing large cities. Wikipedia |
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