Where to Live in
Portland

Here is the 2026 Neighborhood Shortlist.

The 2026 Vibe Check: The Concrete Donut Tightens

Forget the "Keep Portland Weird" bumper stickers; the new mantra is "Keep Portland Housed." The defining tension of this city right now isn't about craft beer vs. coffee, it's about the I-405/US-26 corridor. This is the concrete donut, the old established core, and it's getting squeezed. Rents in the inner Eastside neighborhoods like Hawthorne and Alberta have plateaued at dizzying heights, pushing everyone—artists, young families, service workers—towards the edges. The new "it" zones aren't the old headlines; they are the transitional pockets where the industrial grit hasn't been scrubbed away yet.

The real action, and the real money, is shifting. Westward, towards the "Pearl 2.0" expansion in Slabtown and the unwalkable but essential corridors of Beaverton. Southward, down the Barbur Boulevard spine where old strip malls are slowly becoming dense housing pods. The gentrification lines are stark: cross Burnside and you feel the shift; cross Foster Road and it's a different world of grit and resilience. The city feels less permissive, more transactional. The parks are still green, but the surrounding streets are paved with pragmatic ambition. We're done with performance; we're looking for a roof.

The 2026 Shortlist

The Deep Dives

Slabtown / Northwest 23rd

• The Vibe: Condo Canyons
• Rent Check: 1.5x City Avg ($2650+)
• The Good: This is the only neighborhood in Portland proper that mimics a major metro. If you work at Nike or downtown, you walk or take the streetcar. The walk score is unmatched. Tanner Springs Park is a genuine urban oasis, and the proximity to New Seasons and Whole Foods means you never touch a steering wheel. The infrastructure is new; the pipes don't burst.
• The Bad: It is sterile. You will pay a premium for a box in the sky. Traffic on NW 23rd Ave is a nightmare of Amazon delivery vans and confused tourists. There is zero street parking for visitors; if your friends drive, they will park in St. Johns and take a rideshare.
• Best For: The Nike/Intel executive who wants a 15-minute commute and zero yard maintenance.
• Insider Tip: Skip the chain stores on 23rd. Go to Deschutes Brewery on NW 11th for a beer in the covered patio, or hit The Nursery for late-night bites away from the tourist crush.

Hawthorne / Richmond

• The Vibe: Established Hip
• Rent Check: 1.4x City Avg ($2450)
• The Good: This is the backbone of the east side. Walkability is king here. You are anchored by the Hawthorne Bridge on one end and Foster Road on the other. The food scene is mature: Papa Haydn for dessert, Hawthorne Asylum for a dozen food cart options under one roof. Mt. Tabor Park is your backyard, offering actual hiking trails and reservoir views.
• The Bad: Parking is a bloodsport. If you don't have a dedicated spot, you will circle for 20 minutes on a Friday night. The rent is high for what are often older, unrenovated 1920s units. Noise bleed from SE 30th Ave bars is real.
• Best For: The creative professional who needs access to culture and doesn't own a car.
• Insider Tip: The real gem is the stretch of SE 13th Ave between Hawthorne and Division. It's quiet, residential, but two blocks from the chaos. Walk to The Whiskey Soda Lounge for the best Thai food in the city.

Division / Clinton

• The Vibe: Foodie Row
• Rent Check: 1.3x City Avg ($2250)
• The Good: If you want to eat, you live here. SE Division St is a wall of restaurants. Pok Pok (RIP, but the legacy stands) put this place on the map, and Afuri Izakaya and Nodoguro kept it there. Clinton Street is quieter, with great dive bars and the Clinton Street Theater. The Springwater Corridor trail runs right through, offering a paved path to downtown or the Sellwood bridge.
• The Bad: It is loud. Constant traffic, constant sirens, constant foot traffic. The apartments are packed tight. Crime is opportunistic—don't leave a bag in your car, ever. The "cool" factor is wearing thin; it's becoming a bit of a cliché.
• Best For: The couple whose social life revolves around trying a new restaurant every night.
• Insider Tip: Avoid the main drag on Friday. Go to The End (the dive bar at SE 8th & Division) for a cheap beer and pool, or hit Biwa for late-night ramen.

Multnomah / Burlingame

• The Vibe: Quiet Money
• Rent Check: 1.2x City Avg ($2100)
• The Good: This is the sanctuary. Located in the Southwest hills, it feels like a suburb but is 10 minutes from downtown. The lots are huge. The schools (Rieke Elementary) are top-tier. It’s safe, quiet, and smells like pine needles. Gabriel Park has a great community center and a pool.
• The Bad: You absolutely need a car. There is no "walk to the corner store" here. The steep hills turn a simple walk into a hike. It’s sleepy; don't move here if you want nightlife.
• Best For: The family with two cars and a golden retriever who wants space and safety.
• Insider Tip: Drive the winding roads of Burlingame just to look at the mid-century modern architecture. The hidden gem is Multnomah Village, a tiny walkable cluster with a great bakery (Grand Central Bakery) and a proper hardware store.

Laurelhurst / Kerns

• The Vibe: Park Life
• Rent Check: 1.2x City Avg ($2100)
• The Good: You are buying access to Laurelhurst Park, arguably the most beautiful park in the city. The pond, the tennis courts, the perfect lawn—it’s the center of gravity here. The housing stock is stunning: 1920s bungalows and four-squares. The Bagdad Theater is a classic movie palace. Burnside gives you easy access to the rest of the city.
• The Bad: The price tag for the square footage is steep. You are paying for the location. The area attracts a fair share of property crime; car break-ins on NE Glisan are common. It's getting increasingly traffic-clogged as people cut through to avoid the bridge.
• Best For: The dog owner who treats their pet like a child and wants architectural character.
• Insider Tip: The best coffee in the area isn't on the main drag; it's Coava on NE Couch or Prince Coffee on NE 28th. Avoid the tourist trap diners on NE Broadway.

Ardenwald / Montavilla

• The Vibe: Up-and-Comer
• Rent Check: 0.9x City Avg ($1600)
• The Good: This is the value play. It's the last frontier before you hit deep Gresham or the industrial outer southeast. Montavilla Town Center is exploding with great food (check out Stark Street Pizza). The Montavilla Farmers Market is legit. You get a real yard here, not a patch of dirt.
• The Bad: It's gritty. You will see homeless camps along the I-84 corridor. Walkability is spotty; you have to drive to get to the good stuff. The schools are improving but aren't there yet compared to the Westside.
• Best For: First-time homebuyers priced out of Hawthorne who want space and are willing to wait for the neighborhood to gentrify fully.
• Insider Tip: The secret weapon is NE 82nd Ave. It looks like a strip mall hellscape, but it holds the best authentic Asian food in the city—specifically the stretch between NE Davis and NE Stark.

Hillsboro / Tanasbourne

• The Vibe: Silicon Forest
• Rent Check: 0.85x City Avg ($1500)
• The Good: This is where the jobs are. If you work at Intel, NVIDIA, or Nike, your commute is measured in minutes, not miles. The MAX Light Rail Red Line runs right through it. The schools are excellent and well-funded. It’s clean, efficient, and predictable.
• The Bad: It is a cultural void. There is no "scene." It is strip malls, chain restaurants, and office parks. You will drive everywhere. It feels disconnected from the "Portland" identity.
• Best For: The engineer who prioritizes a 10-minute commute and school test scores over nightlife.
• Insider Tip: Skip the mall food court. Head to Orenco Station for a walkable grid of decent restaurants and the Roland’s Coffee House. For actual nature, drive 15 minutes east to L.L. "Stub" Stewart State Park.

Strategic Recommendations

For Families:
You are heading to Multnomah / Burlingame or West Slope. You want SW Portland for the school district boundaries. If you need more yard for your money, look at Ardenwald but scrutinize the middle school maps. The public schools here are funded by local property taxes, which means zip codes matter immensely. You want the quiet of Multnomah Village over the congestion of Beaverton.

For Wall St / Tech:
Slabtown is the winner if you can afford the rent and want to walk to work. If you work at Intel or Nike World HQ, look at Hillsboro (specifically Tanasbourne or Orenco Station). The commute on US-26 is soul-crushing if you live east of the river. If you work downtown but want the "cool" factor, Pearl District is still the play, despite the retail vacancies.

The Value Play (Buy Before 2028):
Montavilla. Specifically, the triangle bounded by NE 82nd Ave, NE Stark St, and I-84. The city is pouring infrastructure money here. The food scene is already world-class. You can still buy a fixer-upper for a price that doesn't exist elsewhere in the city proper. In five years, this will be the new Hawthorne. Buy the dip.