The 97801 zip code in Pendleton, Oregon tops our ranking of the most affordable places to live in the Pacific Northwest.
We looked at 402 zip codes in the region, evaluating home values, rental costs, energy rates, property taxes, and five other affordability indicators. We used the data we gathered to calculate our proprietary Affordability Score for each zip code.
Top 10 most affordable places to live in the Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest includes Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
| Rank | City | Affordability Score | Median home value | Rental costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pendleton, OR 🥇 | 75.1 | $283,483 | $1,046 |
| 2 | Hermiston, OR🥈 | 68.1 | $335,618 | $1,404 |
| 3 | Yakima, WA 🥉 | 65.8 | $281,987 | $1,183 |
| 4 | Aberdeen, WA | 65.0 | $263,487 | $1,262 |
| 5 | Blackfoot, ID | 63.3 | $347,770 | $770 |
| 6 | Klamath Falls, OR | 62.4 | $255,142 | $1,137 |
| 7 | Idaho Falls, ID | 61.8 | $351,533 | $1,075 |
| 8 | Toppenish, WA | 61.4 | $263,387 | $2,129 |
| 9 | Wapato, WA | 60.2 | $266,898 | $2,129 |
| 10 | Portland, OR | 60.0 | $354,235 | $1,747 |
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1. Pendleton, Oregon
Here's why the 97801 zip code in Pendleton is the region's most affordable place to live.
🔎 Key data about Pendleton
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 402 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 75.1 | No. 1 | N/A |
| Median home value | $283,483[1] | No. 2 | -$267,770.89 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.0 | No. 1 | -2.5 |
| Home value five-year change | 43.9%[2] | No. 91 | -2.4% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 1.4%[3] | No. 117 | 0.9% |
| Rental costs | $1,046[4] | No. 1 | -$826 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.46% | No. 2 | -0.8% |
| Median household income | $71,413[5] | No. 78 | -$13,004 |
| Property taxes | $2,857[6] | No. 27 | -$979 |
| Energy costs | $0.05 kWh[7] | No. 1 | -$0.03 |
Pendleton's 97801 zip code is the cheapest place to live in the Pacific Northwest, leading the 402 markets we evaluated.
The median home value is $283,483, making it the 2nd-cheapest housing market in the region. Forecasts project a 1.4% change in home values in the next year. Rent in the zip code averages $1,046 per month, which is the 2nd-cheapest amount in the Pacific Northwest.
The median property tax for homeowners in Pendleton is $2,857 per household, the No. 27 ranked market in the Pacific Northwest.
Residents pay $0.05 per kWh of electricity, which ranks No. 1 among the region's markets.
2. Hermiston, Oregon
The 97838 zip code is the 2nd-cheapest place to live in the Pacific Northwest.
🔎 Key data about Hermiston
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 402 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 68.1 | No. 2 | N/A |
| Median home value | $335,618[8] | No. 10 | -$215,635.24 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.1 | No. 2 | -2.4 |
| Home value five-year change | 45.7%[9] | No. 101 | -0.7% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 1.4%[10] | No. 117 | 0.9% |
| Rental costs | $1,404[11] | No. 5 | -$468 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.73% | No. 12 | -0.5% |
| Median household income | $81,239[12] | No. 53 | -$3,178 |
| Property taxes | $3,001[13] | No. 35 | -$835 |
| Energy costs | $0.05 kWh[14] | No. 1 | -$0.03 |
Hermiston's 97838 zip code has a median home value of $335,618, which is the 117th-cheapest housing market in the Pacific Northwest. You can rent for an average of $1,404 per month. That's the 5th-cheapest price in the region.
The average household income in the zip code is $81,239, which ranks 53rd-highest in the Pacific Northwest.
Homeowners in Hermiston pay a median property tax of $3,001 per year, making it the 35th-most affordable market in the region.
Hermiston ranks No. 1 among the region's energy markets. You'll pay $0.05 per kWh of electricity.
3. Yakima, Washington
The 3rd-cheapest place to live in the Pacific Northwest is Yakima's 98902 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Yakima
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 402 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 65.8 | No. 3 | N/A |
| Median home value | $281,987[15] | No. 6 | -$269,266.86 |
| Home affordability ratio | 5.0 | No. 15 | -1.5 |
| Home value five-year change | 39.2%[16] | No. 40 | -7.2% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.0%[17] | No. 26 | -0.5% |
| Rental costs | $1,183[18] | No. 3 | -$689 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.09% | No. 68 | -0.1% |
| Median household income | $56,655[19] | No. 224 | -$27,762 |
| Property taxes | $1,953[20] | No. 7 | -$1,883 |
| Energy costs | $0.09 kWh[21] | No. 198 | $0.02 |
The No. 6 cheapest housing market in the Pacific Northwest is Yakima's 98902 zip code, with a median home value of $281,987. Rents in the market average $1,183 per month, making it the 3rd-most affordable rental market in the region.
The median property tax for households in Yakima is $1,953, which makes it the 7th-cheapest place in the Pacific Northwest. Yakima ranks No. 198 among the region's markets by energy costs. Residents pay $0.09 per kWh of electricity.
4. Aberdeen, Washington
The 98520 zip code in Aberdeen comes in at No. 4 on our list of the cheapest places to live in the Pacific Northwest.
🔎 Key data about Aberdeen
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 402 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 65.0 | No. 4 | N/A |
| Median home value | $263,487[22] | No. 3 | -$287,766.66 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.7 | No. 9 | -1.8 |
| Home value five-year change | 50.7%[23] | No. 153 | 4.3% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.3%[24] | No. 117 | -0.2% |
| Rental costs | $1,262[25] | No. 5 | -$610 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.23% | No. 145 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $56,600[26] | No. 225 | -$27,817 |
| Property taxes | $2,245[27] | No. 15 | -$1,591 |
| Energy costs | $0.07 kWh[28] | No. 116 | -$0.01 |
The No. 4 cheapest housing market in the Pacific Northwest is Aberdeen's 98520 zip code, where the median home value is $263,487. Renters here pay an average of $1,262 per month.
When it comes to energy costs, Aberdeen ranks 116th among the region's markets. Residents pay $0.07 per kWh of electricity.
The median property tax for households in the zip code is $2,245, which makes it the 15th-cheapest market in the Pacific Northwest.
5. Blackfoot, Idaho
The 83221 zip code in Blackfoot ranks No. 5 among the region's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Blackfoot
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 402 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 63.3 | No. 5 | N/A |
| Median home value | $347,770[29] | No. 7 | -$203,484.08 |
| Home affordability ratio | 5.0 | No. 2 | -1.5 |
| Home value five-year change | 59.6%[30] | No. 26 | 13.2% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 2.0%[31] | No. 30 | 1.5% |
| Rental costs | $770[32] | No. 1 | -$1,102 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.10% | No. 1 | -1.1% |
| Median household income | $69,724[33] | No. 24 | -$14,693 |
| Property taxes | $1,473[34] | No. 4 | -$2,363 |
| Energy costs | $0.11 kWh[35] | No. 41 | $0.03 |
Blackfoot's 83221 zip code has a median home value of $347,770, the 7th-cheapest market in the region. Forecasts project a 2.0% change in home values in the next year.
The median property tax per household in Blackfoot is $1,473. It's the 4th-cheapest market by tax rate in the Pacific Northwest.
6. Klamath Falls, Oregon
The No. 6 most affordable place to live in the Pacific Northwest is the 97601 zip code in Klamath Falls.
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🔎 Key data about Klamath Falls
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 402 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 62.4 | No. 6 | N/A |
| Median home value | $255,142[36] | No. 1 | -$296,111.62 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.818454393 | No. 5 | -1.7 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.5897002334[37] | No. 122 | 12.6% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 2.5%[38] | No. 125 | 2.0% |
| Rental costs | $1,137[39] | No. 2 | -$735 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.15% | No. 43 | -0.1% |
| Median household income | 52951[40] | No. 119 | -$31,466 |
| Property taxes | $1,883[41] | No. 6 | -$1,953 |
| Energy costs | 0.04955731 kWh[42] | No. 1 | -$0.03 |
The back half of our top 10 kicks off with Klamath Falls's 97601 zip code, which has the 1st-cheapest home values in the Pacific Northwest. The median home value is $255,142. Rents average $1,137 per month, making it the 2nd-most affordable rental market in the region.
Residents pay 0.04955731 per kWh of electricity. It's the 1st-cheapest energy market.
7. Idaho Falls, Idaho
Idaho Falls's 83402 zip code is the 7th-cheapest place to live in the Pacific Northwest.
🔎 Key data about Idaho Falls
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 402 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 61.8 | No. 7 | N/A |
| Median home value | $351,533[43] | No. 8 | -$199,720.36 |
| Home affordability ratio | 5.083412731 | No. 4 | -1.4 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.5853930787[44] | No. 25 | 12.2% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 1.5%[45] | No. 24 | 1.0% |
| Rental costs | $1,075[46] | No. 4 | -$797 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.55% | No. 2 | -0.7% |
| Median household income | 69153[47] | No. 26 | -$15,264 |
| Property taxes | $1,763[48] | No. 11 | -$2,073 |
| Energy costs | 0.1073400058 kWh[49] | No. 41 | $0.03 |
You'll find the 8th-cheapest home values in the Pacific Northwest in Idaho Falls's 83402 zip code. The median value: $351,533. Renters in Idaho Falls pay an average of $1,075 per month.
Homeowners in Idaho Falls pay a median property tax of $1,763 per year, which is the region's 11th-most affordable market.
The average household income is 69153, which ranks 26th-highest in the Pacific Northwest.
8. Toppenish, Washington
The 8th-cheapest place to live in the Pacific Northwest is Toppenish's 98948 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Toppenish
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 402 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 61.4 | No. 8 | N/A |
| Median home value | $263,387[50] | No. 2 | -$287,867.00 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.220871392 | No. 3 | -2.3 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.4814830422[51] | No. 122 | 1.8% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0%[52] | No. 26 | -0.5% |
| Rental costs | $2,129[53] | No. 103 | $257 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.17% | No. 88 | -0.1% |
| Median household income | 62401[54] | No. 209 | -$22,016 |
| Property taxes | $1,882[55] | No. 5 | -$1,954 |
| Energy costs | 0.09461582 kWh[56] | No. 198 | $0.02 |
The 2nd-cheapest housing market in the Pacific Northwest is Toppenish's 98948 zip code, with a median home value of $263,387. Renters pay an average of $2,129 per month, the No. 103 rental market in the region.
The median property tax for households in Toppenish is $1,882, which makes it the 5th-cheapest place in the Pacific Northwest. The average household income of 62401 ranks 209th.
9. Wapato, Washington
Wapato's 98951 zip code sneaks into the top ten of the region's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Wapato
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 402 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 60.2 | No. 9 | N/A |
| Median home value | $266,898[57] | No. 4 | -$284,355.39 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.461091874 | No. 5 | -2.0 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.4473107002[58] | No. 80 | -1.6% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0%[59] | No. 26 | -0.5% |
| Rental costs | $2,129[60] | No. 103 | $257 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.17% | No. 88 | -0.1% |
| Median household income | 59828[61] | No. 218 | -$24,589 |
| Property taxes | $1,749[62] | No. 3 | -$2,087 |
| Energy costs | 0.09461582 kWh[63] | No. 198 | $0.02 |
The 4th-cheapest housing market in the Pacific Northwest is Wapato's 98951 zip code, where the median home value is $266,898. Renters pay an average of $2,129 per month. It's the region's 103rd-cheapest rental market.
The median property tax for households within the zip code is $1,749, which makes it the 3rd-cheapest property tax rate in the Pacific Northwest.
10. Portland, Oregon
The final spot on our list of the most affordable places to live in the Pacific Northwest goes to the 97209 zip code in Portland.
🔎 Key data about Portland
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 402 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 60.0 | No. 10 | N/A |
| Median home value | $354,235[64] | No. 13 | -$197,018.51 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.172724346 | No. 3 | -2.3 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.3487728968[65] | No. 42 | -11.5% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -0.5%[66] | No. 70 | -1.0% |
| Rental costs | $1,747[67] | No. 36 | -$125 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.06% | No. 31 | -0.2% |
| Median household income | 84893[68] | No. 43 | $476 |
| Property taxes | $7,638[69] | No. 117 | $3,802 |
| Energy costs | 0.06819229044 kWh[70] | No. 56 | -$0.01 |
The 13th-most affordable housing market in the Pacific Northwest is Portland's 97209 zip code. The median home value is $354,235. Rent in the market costs $1,747 per month on average, making it the 36th-most affordable rental market in the Pacific Northwest.
The median property tax for households in Portland is $7,638, which is the 117th-cheapest property tax rate in the region.
Portland ranks No. 56 among Pacific Northwest markets by energy costs, with households paying 0.06819229044 per kWh of electricity.
How we ranked the most affordable places in the Pacific Northwest
We evaluated 402 zip codes in the Pacific Northwest with a population over 10,000 on nine metrics. We then assigned each market an Affordability Score based on its weighted and combined rankings.
✍️ Editor’s note: Our Affordability Score identifies the most affordable places in a region by zip code.
Often the zip code we identify will represent an entire city or portion of a city.
Occasionally the zip code we identify will encompass an area that includes one or more small towns. In these cases, the data we’ve gathered applies to the entire zip code, not just the single town we’re using to help identify the zip code's location.
If you’re looking to move to one of these affordable places, we recommend doing additional research to make sure the costs in the area — and the quality of life it offers — meet your specific needs.
Methodology: What is an Affordability Score?
Our proprietary Affordability Score is a score on a scale of 0 (worst in state) to 100 (best in state) that estimates the affordability of a particular zip code. It takes into account these key data points for each zip code.
- Median home value: The median home value for each zip code comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. The lower the median home value relative to the median value in the Pacific Northwest, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 23.8% to median home value.
- Home affordability ratio. The home affordability ratio is the typical median home value divided by the median household income in the zip code, which reveals the number of years of household income needed to afford a home in that zip code. A lower ratio is better because it means more households can afford a home. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 23.8% to the home affordability ratio.
- Home value five-year change: The home value five-year change is the amount that the median home value in the zip code has risen or fallen during the last five years. Our data comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. We assign a weight of 4.8% to the home value five-year change.
- Home value one-year forecast: The home value one-year forecast comes from Zillow Forecast data. It projects how much home values in the zip code are forecasted to change in the next year. We assign a weight of 4.8% to the home value one-year forecast.
- Rental costs. The rental costs are the observed rents in the zip code, sourced from the Zillow Observed Rent Index. The index includes "listed rents that fall into the 40th to 60th percentile range for all homes and apartments in a given region." We assign a weight of 11.9% to rental costs.
- Median household income: The inflation-adjusted median household income figures for the zip code comes from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 4.8% to median household income.
- Rent affordability ratio. The rent affordability ratio is the ratio of rental costs divided by median household income, which provides the percentage of household income needed to pay a typical month’s rent in the zip code. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 11.9% to the rent affordability ratio.
- Property taxes: The property tax figures are the median real estate taxes paid in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. The lower the property tax rate relative to the regional average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 7.1% to property taxes.
- Energy costs: The energy costs are the costs of a kilowatt hour (kWh) of residential electricity in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Department of Energy. The lower the cost of electricity relative to the regional average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 7.1% to energy costs.
