Moving from Oregon to Washington
Oregon to Washington is a move of about 302 miles. Median rent is $1,760 a month in Washington and $1,525 in Oregon, and the median home is $564,600 against $477,600. Washington has no state income tax, against up to 9.90% in Oregon. Property tax runs 0.81% of home value in Washington and 0.81% in Oregon.
Moving to Washington costs about
$290/mo
less than Oregon each month, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
Washington costs less overall, even though housing costs more
Housing runs about $235 a month more in Washington, yet the move still works out roughly $290 a month cheaper once taxes and everyday costs are counted. The house is the expensive part; everything else is not.
Oregon vs Washington at a glance
| Oregon | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $477,600 | $564,600 |
| Median rent | $1,525/mo | $1,760/mo |
| State income tax | Up to 9.90% | No state income tax |
| Property tax rate | 0.81% | 0.81% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 105 | 104 |
| Utilities | 107 | 93 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: Oregon vs Washington
| Monthly | OR | WA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,525 | $1,760 | +$235 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income taxBiggest factor | $537 | $0 | -$537 |
| Local income tax (state average) | $12 | None | -$12 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $0 | $101 | +$101 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,930 | $1,913 | -$17 |
| Utilities | $437 | $379 | -$58 |
| Total | -$288 | ||
Cost to move from Oregon to Washington
$1,400 to $3,500
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $350 to $600, against roughly $50 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 1-day trip yourself.
These are statewide figures. Portland is not Oregon-average and Seattle is not Washington-average, so a specific city can look nothing like its state. Compare metro areas instead to narrow it to 387 real places, including which side of a state line you would live on.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in Washington, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Every figure is a statewide median or average and will not match any particular household.