States › Indiana › Portland

Is Portland, IN expensive to live in?

CheapRent takes 11 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$52270% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$55,557about $4,630/month · 36% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$96,70071% lower than U.S. average

Rent here is among the lowest 10% of all U.S. cities. A typical house costs under 3 years of household income, which is easy by U.S. standards. Commutes are short, about 18.7 minutes.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $20,880 a year. That is $10 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Indiana cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of Indiana. It is number 2 of 132 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Portland
$522
Mount Vernon
$875
Huntingburg
$1,043
Salem
$739
Cumberland
$1,280
Rochester
$959
Garrett
$1,312

How much do households earn in Portland?

Under $25k
21.9%
$25k–50k
30.2%
$50k–100k
32.9%
$100k–150k
7.0%
$150k+
3.3%

Share of households by yearly income. 10.3% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Portland

SizePortlandU.S. average
1 bedroom$591$1,324
2 bedrooms$873$1,509
3 bedrooms$927$1,698

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Portland overall?

Everyday prices in Indiana overall are 7% below the U.S. average (index 93.3, U.S. = 100).

Housing
74
Goods (food, clothes…)
96
Utilities
86
Other services
99
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Portland, so the Indiana figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Portland

🏛️ Property tax$581a year · 0.60% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$147a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Portland

Commute to work18.7 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree12.9%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home67.9%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line17.3%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment5%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Portland?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $149 a month less.

Renting
$522
Owning
$671

Owning assumes a typical $96,700 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $9,670 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Portland, IN?

Renting in Portland costs a median of about $522 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Indiana median is $1,219.

How much do I need to make to live in Portland?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $20,880 a year, or $10 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Portland cheap or expensive?

Portland is rated Cheap: rent takes 11.3% of the typical household income of $55,557. It ranks 2nd cheapest of 132 Indiana cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Portland?

The median homeowner in Portland pays $581 a year in property taxes, about 0.60% of the median home value.

Is Portland more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Indiana are 7% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Portland?

The median home value in Portland is $96,700, about 1.7 times the typical yearly household income.

6,416 people live in Portland. Numbers are typical (middle) values.