Population
Portland
642,715
Des Moines
212,464
Median Income
Portland
$88,792
Des Moines
$63,966
Home Value
Portland
$557,600
Des Moines
$183,700
Rent
Portland
$1,596
Des Moines
$1,054
Crime Rate
Portland
7.20
Des Moines
7.05
Cost of Living
Portland
156.3
Des Moines
104.6
Avg Temp
Portland
53°F
Des Moines
N/A
Unemployment
Portland
5.5%
Des Moines
5.8%
How Similar Are Portland & Des Moines?
Des Moines is Portland's #25 most similar city
3 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Portland
642,715
Des Moines
212,464
Portland (642,715) is about 3.0x larger than Des Moines (212,464).
Violent Crime
Portland
7.20
Des Moines
7.05
Both cities have similar violent crime — just a 2% difference.
Property Crime
Portland
55.26
Des Moines
31.26
Portland has a 43% higher property crime than Des Moines.
Political Leaning
Portland
17.2%
Des Moines
43.9%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Des Moines has a stronger Democratic lean (61% difference).
Unemployment
Portland
5.5%
Des Moines
5.8%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 4% difference.
Median Income
Portland
$88,792
Des Moines
$63,966
Portland has a 28% higher median income than Des Moines.
Home Values
Portland
$557,600
Des Moines
$183,700
Portland's home values is significantly higher than Des Moines's — 67% difference.
Education
Portland
40.5%
Des Moines
19.3%
Portland's education is significantly higher than Des Moines's — 52% difference.
Demographics
Portland
70.1%
Des Moines
66.9%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 5% difference.
Cost of Living
Portland
156.3
Des Moines
104.6
Portland has a 33% higher cost of living than Des Moines.
3 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Portland and Des Moines differ in most key areas.
At a Glance
0
Portland
0
Des Moines
Portland leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Des Moines leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDDes Moines scores 115.1 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 221.9 in Portland. Des Moines has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,109 vs $1,677 in Portland (51% lower). Des Moines scores 104.6 on the overall cost index (100 = national avg) vs 156.3 in Portland.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Des Moines leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPortland has a median home value of $557,600 vs $183,700 in Des Moines (204% higher). Des Moines has a median property tax of $3,445 vs $5,495 in Portland (60% lower). Des Moines has a median rent of $1,054 vs $1,596 in Portland (51% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Portland leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPortland: 386,923 vs Des Moines: 119,617 for labor force. Portland has a work from home of 25.3% compared to 11.4% in Des Moines. Portland has a per capita income of $55,312 vs $36,459 in Des Moines (52% higher).
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Des Moines leads
Source: FBI UCRDes Moines has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.04 compared to 0.11 in Portland. Des Moines has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.75 compared to 1.77 in Portland. Des Moines has a larceny rate (per 1k) of 21.42 compared to 39.21 in Portland.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Portland leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauPortland has a bachelor's degree or higher of 40.5% compared to 19.3% in Des Moines. Portland has a high school diploma or higher of 51.6% compared to 38.5% in Des Moines.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPortland has a population of 642,715, about 3x the size of Des Moines (212,464). Des Moines skews younger with a median age of 34.6 vs 38.6.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Portland
Des Moines
Healthcare — Portland leads
Source: CMS Hospital ComparePortland: 3.8 vs Des Moines: 2.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Portland leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPortland has a bicycle of 3.7% compared to 0.4% in Des Moines. Portland has a public transit of 7.3% compared to 1.1% in Des Moines. Portland has a work from home of 25.3% compared to 11.4% in Des Moines.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Portland, OR
Compare Portland against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.