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 City
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Portland
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Cost of Living
Portland is $1802/mo cheaperNew 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
$5,415monthly · balanced
Portland
$3,613monthly · balanced
Mobility
New York City and Portland score neck-and-neck on mobility (3.6 vs 3.6, 0–5 scale).
Culture
New York City's culture score of 4.8 sits well above Portland's 3.9, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.
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.
Safety
New York City and Portland score neck-and-neck on safety (2.2 vs 2.3, 0–5 scale).
Career
New York City's career score of 5.0 sits well above Portland's 3.8, with the biggest gap on economic scale.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
PM2.5 annual average
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.
New York City is roughly 5.2x the scale of Portland
Combined population & area comparison
New York CityPortlandCity Scale Rankings
New York City14.2M7.7xPortland1.8M1xNew York City3,031 km²3.5xPortland877 km²1xNew York City
Portland
Who Thrives Here
New York City favours the frequent traveller, while Portland suits the mountain seeker. Both cities work well for the career builder.
Also compared
Frequently asked about New York City vs Portland
▶Which is cheaper, New York City or Portland?
▶How does the climate compare between New York City and Portland?
▶Is New York City or Portland safer?
▶Should I move to New York City or Portland?
The best city depends on what matters to you
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