Here’s How Much You Must Make To Afford a Home in the West’s Most Livable Cities

If you’re thinking of heading west and looking for affordable, livable locales, Oregon may be worth a look.

The Beaver State boasts six of the 10 best blends of livability and affordability in the Western U.S., based on a recent GOBankingRates analysis of data from AreaVibes, Sperling’s BestPlaces and other sources. Before you pack your bags, though, it’s worth learning how much you would need to make to afford a home.

Here’s GBR’s full list, along with the minimum salary required for homeownership, median household income and some additional information about each location.

• Livability score: 89
• Salary needed (annual cost of living): $69,593
• Median household income: $128,996

You’ll find Kaysville in northern Utah, about 20 miles north of Salt Lake City. A single-family home in Kaysville is worth about $650,000. Living costs will run you about $5,800 a month.

• Livability score: 89
• Salary needed (annual cost of living): $59,815
• Median household income: $81,292

Orem is located just north of Provo and about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City. Only about 10 percent of Orem’s 97,000+ residents are age 65 or older. You’ll spend just shy of $5,000 a month on average for living costs here.

• Livability score: 89
• Salary needed (annual cost of living): $92,776
• Median household income: $109,306

Raleigh Hills is a suburb of Portland with about 7,000 residents. Single-family homes aren’t cheap here, with average values approaching $1 million. An average monthly mortgage here will run you about $5,700.

• Livability score: 89
• Salary needed (annual cost of living): $65,363
• Median household income: $94,279

Beaverton is located about 10 miles west of Portland and has about 100,000 residents. Beaverton’s average monthly cost of living (around $5,400) places it in the middle of the pack among AreaVibes’ most livable cities. Single-family homes in Beaverton are worth $565,000 on average.

• Livability score: 89
• Salary needed (annual cost of living): $62,124
• Median household income: $90,395

Another Portland suburb, Gladstone is located about 12 miles to the south. About a fifth of Gladstone’s 12,000 residents are 65 and older. Gladstone is somewhat less expensive than some other Portland suburbs, with average single-family homes valued at $514,000 and average monthly living costs coming in around $5,200.

• Livability score: 90
• Salary needed (annual cost of living): $52,234
• Median household income: $80,450

Central Point is located in southern Oregon, a few miles northwest of Medford. With average monthly living costs around $4,300, Central Point is significantly less expensive than many options in the Portland area.

• Livability score: 90
• Salary needed (annual cost of living): $75,764
• Median household income: $110,431

Lafayette sits about 25 miles north of Denver. Single-family homes in Lafayette are worth $731,000 on average, with monthly mortgages around $4,300.

• Livability score: 90
• Salary needed (annual cost of living): $68,256
• Median household income: $100,185

Battle Ground is located near the Washington-Oregon border, about 25 miles north of Portland. Average monthly mortgages in Battle Ground are less than $3,600, and average monthly living costs are about $5,700. On average, single-family homes here are worth just over $600,000.

• Livability score: 91
• Salary needed (annual cost of living): $61,690
• Median household income: $82,422

Milwaukie is a suburb of Portland with about 22,000 residents and average monthly mortgages of around $3,000. Single-family homes in Milwaukie are worst just over $500,000.

• Livability score: 92
• Salary needed (annual cost of living): $72,351
• Median household income: $110,616

You’ll find Sherwood about 20 miles southwest of Portland. Sherwood is a somewhat young city, with less than 11% of its 21,000 residents aged 65 or older. Homes here are worth around $660,000 on average. Monthly living costs will run you about $6,000.

Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed.

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities across the United States with the highest livability scores, as sourced from AreaVibes. The 30 most livable cities in each state were identified. To qualify for this study, each city had to have all data points available and a total population of at least 5,000. All relevant data was sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, Sperling’s BestPlaces, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Home Value Index and Federal Reserve Economic Data. All data was collected on and is up to date as of May 14, 2025.