Alternatives · Portland

Cities Like Portland for Investors

Portland is a mid-to-high, appreciation-anchored balanced market. Below: the 8 markets in our coverage with the closest fundamentals, ranked by similarity score.

GEOGRAPHIC SPREAD: 7 OTHER STATES (NV, UT, CO, CA, AZ, TX, NC)

Portland baseline

What these alternatives are matched against.

Median home value$538,687
YoY appreciation-0.9%
Gross rent yield3.82%
Median days on market10.333333333333334
Market typeBalanced
Investor score39/100
Similar markets

Ranked by fundamentals similarity.

  1. 01
    Reno, NV
    reno-nv · SIMILARITY 100/100
    MEDIAN
    $571k
    YoY -0.3% Yield 3.95% DOM 16.333333333333332 Type Balanced Score 45/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar rent yield · similar market pace
  2. 02
    Salt Lake City, UT
    salt-lake-city-ut · SIMILARITY 96/100
    MEDIAN
    $580k
    YoY +1.4% Yield 3.38% DOM 13.333333333333334 Type Balanced Score 47/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar rent yield · similar market pace
  3. 03
    Colorado Springs, CO
    colorado-springs-co · SIMILARITY 90/100
    MEDIAN
    $451k
    YoY -2.1% Yield 4.55% DOM 20.166666666666668 Type Balanced Score 47/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar market pace · both balanced markets
  4. 04
    Denver, CO
    denver-co · SIMILARITY 90/100
    MEDIAN
    $542k
    YoY -4.2% Yield 4.09% DOM 15.5 Type Balanced Score 47/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar market pace · both balanced markets
  5. 05
    Modesto, CA
    modesto-ca · SIMILARITY 90/100
    MEDIAN
    $447k
    YoY -0.6% Yield 5.35% DOM 14 Type Balanced Score 49/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar market pace · both balanced markets
  6. 06
    Phoenix, AZ
    phoenix-az · SIMILARITY 90/100
    MEDIAN
    $411k
    YoY -2.4% Yield 4.58% DOM 23 Type Balanced Score 57/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar market pace · both balanced markets
  7. 07
    Plano, TX
    plano-tx · SIMILARITY 90/100
    MEDIAN
    $508k
    YoY -5.5% Yield 4.01% DOM 19.666666666666668 Type Balanced Score 56/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar market pace · both balanced markets
  8. 08
    Raleigh, NC
    raleigh-nc · SIMILARITY 90/100
    MEDIAN
    $436k
    YoY -2.2% Yield 4.34% DOM 20.333333333333332 Type Balanced Score 58/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar market pace · both balanced markets
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FAQ

Frequently asked.

What makes a city "similar" to Portland for investors?

Similarity is scored on four fundamentals: price tier (typical home value bucket), rent yield (gross rent-to-price ratio), market pace (median days on market), and market type (buyer/seller/balanced). Same-state cities get a small penalty so the list surfaces geographic alternatives, not just neighbors.

Why would an investor look at similar cities instead of Portland?

Three common reasons: (1) Portland prices have moved past your acquisition budget and you need similar fundamentals at a lower price tier; (2) you're already deep in Portland and want to diversify into a different state without changing your underwriting playbook; (3) you suspect Portland is overheated and want comparable markets earlier in their cycle.

Are these alternatives ranked by overall investment quality?

No — they're ranked by similarity to Portland, not by absolute investor score. A market scoring 85/100 for similarity is "very similar to Portland" but might still be a worse or better deal in absolute terms. Click into each city's full report for the investor-score view.

What's the difference between this page and a head-to-head comparison?

Head-to-head (/compare/[a-vs-b]) is a deep one-on-one breakdown across all metrics. This alternatives page is a discovery layer — surfacing 8 markets with the closest fundamentals so you can identify candidates to deep-dive on next.

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