New Report Puts Oregon Near Bottom for Affordability

The slogan “Keep Oregon Weird” may need to be changed to “Keep Oregon Broke”. At least that’s what I thought once I picked my jaw up off the floor after reading a recent report on states and their affordability.

Oregon, A Great Place To Visit, But…

I have many family members who live in Oregon, and I love to visit them. And I’d be lying if I didn’t, a couple of times a year, take the couple-hour drive from my home in Yakima, Washington, to make the trek down to do some tax-free shopping.

houses on a hill, trees, in portland, oregon.

But man, I feel sorry for the people who live there, at least for their wallets. In a recent report from the Common Sense Institute, they tracked down each state’s affordability, and from their findings, Oregon is one of the top five least affordable states in the country.

READ MORE: Have You Heard Of Oregon's Disappearing Lake?

I thought Washington was bad, but coming in at 18 (a little better than half), Oregon ranked at 47, with California at 50 (the least affordable state).

A Look At The Past Versus Now With Oregon

Comparing last year to 2019, an average household in Oregon needed to spend 18,300 more to cover the basic needs than they needed roughly 6 years ago. Yes, prices go up, and they go up everywhere, but the national average was only $15,400.

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In a nutshell, according to CSI, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the US Census Bureau,

“Households in the 5 most affordable states have to commit around two-thirds of their income to cover necessary expenses, while households in the 5 least affordable states commit over 86%.” – Common Sense Institute.

For more of the breakdown, visit CommonSenseInstituteUS.org.

Still want to find a better life in Oregon or California? It's beautiful, but expensive, so you better save up.

water, cliffs, trees, mountains.