US flag
New York City

United States

vs
US flag
Portland

United States

Climate

New York City logs 53 frost days a year to Portland's 25 — Portland wins by 28. New York City also leads on hot days by 9.

New York CityPortland
Sunny days
206175
Hot days
2231
Frost days
5325
Rain days
118153
Snow days
41
Outdoor dinner months
5/124/12
Avg wind
2.9 m/s2.1 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,3242,238
Darkest month sun
125 hrs/mo66 hrs/mo
UV peak month
7.18.1

New York City

Feels-like °C

-5
-1
3
9
17
25
30
27
21
14
5
-3

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Portland

Feels-like °C

1
3
7
11
16
21
27
26
19
13
5
2

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Portland is $1802/mo cheaper

New York City runs about $5,415/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Portland's $3,613/mo — Portland comes in $1,802 cheaper each month, roughly 50% less.

New York City

$5,415

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $4,237Comfort $9,597
Top 98%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Portland

$3,613

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,768Comfort $5,768
Top 67%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Mobility

New York City and Portland score neck-and-neck on mobility (3.6 vs 3.6, 0–5 scale).

3.6/5
vs
3.6/5
New York CityPortland
WalkabilityTransitCyclingFlights
WalkabilityTransitCyclingCar EfficiencyFlightsAirport

Culture

New York City's culture score of 4.8 sits well above Portland's 3.9, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.

4.8/5
vs
3.9/5
New York CityPortland
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
HistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
New York City leads

Nature & Outdoors

Portland's nature & outdoors score of 4.8 sits well above New York City's 4.0, with the biggest gap on mountain access. New York City still holds an edge on sea access.

4.0/5
vs
4.8/5
New York CityPortland
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfing
MountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingDivingSkiingClimbing
Portland leads

Safety

New York City and Portland score neck-and-neck on safety (2.2 vs 2.3, 0–5 scale).

2.2/5
vs
2.3/5
New York CityPortland
Property CrimeRoadFlooding
Street SafetyProperty CrimeEarthquakeWildfire
Portland leads

Career

New York City's career score of 5.0 sits well above Portland's 3.8, with the biggest gap on economic scale.

5.0/5
vs
3.8/5
New York CityPortland
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
New York City leads

Social & Community

New York City's social & community score of 4.3 sits well above Portland's 3.9, with the biggest gap on expat-first community. Portland still holds an edge on local-first community.

4.3/5
vs
3.9/5
New York CityPortland
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityAdmin English Support
New York City leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, New York City scores 5.0 vs Portland's 4.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on food delivery.

5.0/5
vs
4.6/5
New York CityPortland
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
New York City leads

Family

On family, New York City scores 4.3 vs Portland's 3.9 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools. Portland still holds an edge on playgrounds.

4.3/5
vs
3.9/5
New York CityPortland
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
New York City leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, New York City scores 3.5 vs Portland's 2.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.

3.5/5
vs
2.8/5
New York CityPortland
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare
New York City leads

Air Quality

New York City averages 8.6 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Portland's 6.6 µg/m³ (good) — Portland breathes ~24% cleaner air (2.0 µg/m³ lower).

New York City

Portland

8.6µg/m³
6.6µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

New York City (14.2M) and Portland (1.8M) are 7.7x in population — New York City is the larger metro, Portland the smaller; on land area New York City spans roughly 3.5x more ground.

5.2x

New York City is roughly 5.2x the scale of Portland

Combined population & area comparison

US flagNew York City
5.2x
US flagPortland
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.US flagNew York City14.2M7.7x
2.US flagPortland1.8M1x
Area
1.US flagNew York City3,031 km²3.5x
2.US flagPortland877 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
126 km64 km

US flagNew York City

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
51 km40 km

US flagPortland

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about New York City vs Portland

Which is cheaper, New York City or Portland?
Portland is approximately $1,802 per month cheaper. New York City averages $5,415/mo while Portland averages $3,613/mo.
How does the climate compare between New York City and Portland?
Sunny days: 206 vs 175 d — New York City higher Annual sunshine: 2,324 vs 2,238 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 125 vs 66 hrs/day — New York City higher Hot days (>30°C): 22 vs 31 d — New York City lower Frost days: 53 vs 25 d — Portland lower Rainy days: 118 vs 153 d — New York City lower Snowy days: 4 vs 1 d — Portland lower
Is New York City or Portland safer?
Both cities have similar safety profiles, scoring around 2.2/5 on our aggregate safety index covering street safety, property crime, and natural hazards.
Should I move to New York City or Portland?
New York City and Portland are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Portland is generally more affordable, while New York City may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how New York City and Portland stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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