Buying a Portland Home: Which Neighborhood Are You?

Some cities are defined by a sports team, a university or an industry, but Portland, Oregon is a city of neighborhoods. The homes, businesses, institutions and open spaces that comprise Portland’s neighborhoods create distinct personalities, embodied by the individuals who call their Portland neighborhood their home.

When relocating to or buying a home in Portland, it’s important to consider which neighborhood you want to be a part of. This decision will affect what kind of home you live in, where your kids will go to school, how you’ll get to work, what kind of groceries you’ll buy, whether you’ll feel safe at home, and much more.

Start by thinking about where you currently live. What do you like or dislike about your home and neighborhood? What is important to you about the place you live? What qualities appeal to you about Portland, and what part of the city would you most prefer to live in?

With that list of priorities handy, you can start your journey into the neighborhoods of Portland to find the home that’s right for you. There are 95 different neighborhoods in the city, each lying within one of the five major quadrants: Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast and North Portland. (The Willamette River divides the east and west of the city, while Burnside Avenue divides the city north and south.)

The following list of resources will help you navigate the Portland neighborhoods when you begin your home buying search.

Portland Maps
Now that you know the basic geography of the city, visit Portland Maps for more detailed information. Enter an address, and this site will not only tell you which neighborhood it’s in, but provide you with extensive data on crime, schools, traffic, demographics, development and more.

City of Portland Parks Finder
If you have dogs or kids or just like to get off the pavement once in a while, find out which parks are in the Portland neighborhood you’re considering.

Walk Score
According to Walk Score, Portland is the 12th most walkable large city in the U.S.
Portland’s most walkable neighborhoods are Downtown, Hollywood and Pearl District. If walking and biking are important to you, check out the Walk Score of your potential Portland neighborhood before you commit.

School Report Cards
Use PortlandMaps.com to find out which schools are near the Portland home you want to buy, then use this site to see how Oregon grades that school and its school district.

Yelp.com:
Enter a Portland neighborhood in the search box to find the best restaurants, stores, markets and other businesses near your potential new home.

When buying a home in Portland or anywhere else, no amount of internet research will ever take the place of local knowledge. Talk to your Portland Realtor about which neighborhood is right for you. We can answer your questions and help you find more resources.