Moving to Oregon from Massachusetts
What to Expect
Considering a move from Massachusetts to Oregon? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Massachusetts to Oregon, you would find that Oregon is 14.6% cheaper than Massachusetts. A $75,000 salary in Massachusetts would need to be roughly $60,548 in Oregon to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Massachusetts and Oregon.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $60,548
To maintain the same standard of living in Oregon
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 9.0% less
Groceries
pay 11.7% less
Transportation
pay 1.3% more
Housing
pay 20.0% less
Childcare
pay 42.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.7% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Oregon cost about 19% less than cities in Massachusetts.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Oregon compared to Massachusetts.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Massachusetts performs better than Oregon across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Massachusetts performs better than Oregon across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Oregon performs significantly better than Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Massachusetts generally does better on infrastructure, though Oregon leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Massachusetts performs better than Oregon across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Massachusetts performs better than Oregon across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Boston | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) | 52°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) | 68°/45°F (20°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) | 80°/51°F (27°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Boston | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) | 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C) |
| Feb | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) | 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C) |
| Mar | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C) |
| May | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C) |
| Jun | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C) |
| Jul | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) | 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C) |
| Aug | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) | 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C) |
| Sep | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) | 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) | 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C) |
| Nov | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) | 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C) |
| Dec | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) | 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Oregon than Massachusetts?
On average Oregon is about 19% less expensive than Massachusetts, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Oregon?
Budget about $15,137 for 3 months in Oregon (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Oregon safe?
Massachusetts performs better than Oregon across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Oregon compared to Massachusetts?
Massachusetts performs better than Oregon across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Oregon compared to Massachusetts?
The average high temperature in Salem is 64°F, compared to 59°F in Boston. Salem receives around 39.7 in of rainfall per year, while Boston gets 43.8 in.
