Multnomah County, OR (Oregon) has about 801,477 residents. Workers there whose highest education is a bachelor's degree earn a median of $69,906 a year, about 72% more than workers with a high school diploma ($40,587) (Census Bureau, 2020-2024, everyone 25 and over with earnings). Median rent is $1,646 a month and the median home is worth $552,700. This page gathers public data about the county's pay, housing, jobs and health-care access. Counties are listed alphabetically; MajorPays does not rank places.

Pay by education level

High school diploma$40,587
Some college or associate's degree$47,165
Bachelor's degree$69,906
Graduate or professional degree$91,783
All workers 25 and over$57,736

Bachelor's premium

+72%

Bachelor's pay over high school pay

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher

49%

Ages 25 and over

Median household income

$88,766

Census ACS 2020-2024

Urban-rural classification

Code 1 of 9

Metro - Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more (USDA ERS, 2023)

Income per person

$78,973

BEA, 2024; includes all income, children and retirees

Housing and cost

Median rent

$1,646/mo

Gross rent, ACS 2020-2024

Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms

$1,997/mo

HUD, fiscal year 2025

Median home value

$552,700

Owner-occupied homes

Home price change, 2020 to 2025

+21.7%

FHFA House Price Index; +0.3% from 2024 to 2025; +60.7% from 2015 to 2025

Rent as a share of bachelor's pay

28%

A year of median rent over median bachelor's earnings

Renters paying 30%+ of income

53%

Renter households

Jobs and work

Unemployment rate, all workers

4.2%

BLS, 2024 annual average

Jobs located here, 2025

494,307

Average pay per job $84,123 a year at 38,504 employers; -0.9% from 2024 (BLS; jobs located in this area, wherever workers live)

Gross domestic product, 2024

$90.6 billion

Real growth +0.5% from 2023 (BEA, current dollars)

Moved in from another state or abroad, bachelor's or higher

5.2%

Of adults 25+ with a bachelor's or higher, the share who lived in another state or abroad a year earlier (±0.4); 2.9% (±0.3) among adults without one; ACS 2020-2024

Unemployment, bachelor's degree or higher

3.6%

Ages 25-64, ACS 2020-2024

Unemployment, high school diploma

7.6%

Ages 25-64, ACS 2020-2024

Private-sector jobs per 100 residents

55

Jobs located in the county (Census CBP 2023)

Average pay per private-sector job

$69,616

Census CBP 2023

Commutes of 45 minutes or more

11%

Share of workers

Poverty rate by education, adults 25 and over

EducationThis countyUnited States
Less than high school25.8% (±1.9)24.2%
High school graduate18.1% (±1.2)14.4%
Some college or associate's degree13.5% (±0.8)9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher5.7% (±0.4)4.5%

Share of people with income below the federal poverty level, by the highest education they have completed (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Table B17003; margins of error at the 90% level in parentheses). A description of who lives here, not a prediction for any person.

What residents with a bachelor’s degree studied

Field of first majorThis countyUnited States
Science and engineering40.7%36.1%
Science and engineering related fields8.1%10.0%
Business12.4%20.1%
Education5.5%10.9%
Arts, humanities and other33.3%23.0%

Share of adults 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree, by the field of their first major (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Table C15010; the Census Bureau’s own groups, listed in a fixed order, not ranked; margins of error at most 0.8 points). A description of who lives here, not a prediction for any person.

The largest private-sector industries by jobs are health care and social assistance (18%), hotels and restaurants (11%), retail trade (10%) (Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023; employment in cells Census withholds is not shown).

Pay by industry, 2025

Private-sector jobs and average annual pay by industry, listed alphabetically (MajorPays does not rank industries or places). All industries together, including government: 494,307 jobs, average pay $84,123 a year. A row is missing when the Bureau of Labor Statistics withholds it to protect privacy or when there are fewer than 10 jobs.

IndustryJobsAverage annual pay
Accommodation and food services43,456$35,191
Administrative and support and waste management services23,700$59,049
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting1,640$57,142
Arts, entertainment, and recreation8,423$65,632
Construction23,706$108,813
Educational services10,579$58,584
Finance and insurance14,794$135,598
Health care and social assistance75,064$73,905
Information10,926$170,633
Management of companies and enterprises15,591$137,460
Manufacturing28,155$78,155
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction41$146,043
Other services (except public administration)19,146$60,943
Professional, scientific, and technical services39,370$126,524
Real estate and rental and leasing9,511$76,498
Retail trade37,024$48,312
Transportation and warehousing32,116$68,623
Utilities1,538$152,496
Wholesale trade20,846$96,572

People and access

Poverty rate

12.8%

All ages, Census SAIPE 2023 (model-based estimate)

Child poverty rate

13.0%

Under 18, Census SAIPE 2023

Median age

38.7

Years

Households with broadband

94%

Any broadband subscription

People without health insurance

5.6%

All ages, ACS 2020-2024

Homeownership rate

53%

Occupied homes that are owner-occupied

Residents enrolled in college

51,822

6.6% of residents 3 and older (±1,973); U.S. 6.6%; includes graduate school; wherever they study

Adults 25 to 34 with a bachelor's or higher

52.4%

±1.3; U.S. 39.6%; ACS 2020-2024

People ages 18 to 24

7.9%

62,702 people in July 2025, -10.2% since July 2020 (Census population estimates)

Workers who work from home

26.1%

Workers 16 and over

Veterans among adults

4.8%

Civilian adults 18 and over

Health care access

HRSA's shortage score runs from 0 to 25 (26 for dental); higher means a bigger shortage of providers in a designated area. Highest score in this county: dental 18, mental health 15. Designations can cover part of a county and change over time (Health Resources and Services Administration).

Colleges in this county

24 colleges in the federal directory are located here, listed alphabetically; MajorPays does not rank colleges. Each name links to the college’s profile.

CollegeTypeLevelStudents, fall 2024
American College of Healthcare SciencesPrivate for-profit4-year or above1,052
Aveda Institute-PortlandPrivate for-profit2-year238
Beau Monde Academy of Barbering and CosmetologyPrivate for-profitLess than 2-year92
Carrington College-PortlandPrivate for-profitLess than 2-year254
Concorde Career College-PortlandPrivate for-profit2-year172
East West College of the Healing ArtsPrivate for-profitLess than 2-year236
Lewis & Clark CollegePrivate nonprofit4-year or above3,504
Mt Hood Community CollegePublic4-year or above6,476
Multnomah UniversityPrivate nonprofit4-year or above—
National University of Natural MedicinePrivate nonprofit4-year or above414
Oregon College of Oriental MedicinePrivate nonprofit4-year or above—
Oregon Health & Science UniversityPublic4-year or above2,942
Pacific Northwest College of ArtPrivate nonprofit4-year or above466
Portland Actors ConservatoryPrivate nonprofit2-year11
Portland Community CollegePublic2-year20,861
Portland Fashion InstitutePrivate nonprofit2-year39
Portland State UniversityPublic4-year or above19,951
Reed CollegePrivate nonprofit4-year or above1,358
Sumner CollegePrivate for-profit4-year or above532
University of PortlandPrivate nonprofit4-year or above3,285
University of Western StatesPrivate nonprofit4-year or above959
Warner Pacific UniversityPrivate nonprofit4-year or above378
Warner Pacific University Professional and Graduate StudiesPrivate nonprofit4-year or above257
Western SeminaryPrivate nonprofit4-year or above755

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS directory (HD 2024, county of the campus) and Fall Enrollment 2024 (total headcount). A count of students is the size of the college, not its quality; the Department has not endorsed this presentation.

Explore more: Compare with other places · Oregon earnings by education and major · find this county in the lists · all Oregon counties · the States map

Sources: pay by education level, household income, rent, home value, rent burden, commute times, median age, broadband, health insurance, home ownership, college enrollment, working from home and veterans from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (Tables B20004, B15003, B19013, B25064, B25077, B25070, B08303, B01002, B28002, B27010, B25003, B14001, B08301, B21001 and B23006; earnings are published medians for everyone 25 and over with earnings, so they include part-time workers and run lower than full-time figures; median earnings, income, rent and home values are shown only when their margin of error is at most 20%; shares such as rent burden, commutes and broadband are shown only when their margin of error is at most 7 percentage points, and median age only when its margin is at most 20%; rent as a share of bachelor's pay is MajorPays' calculation). Unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2024 annual averages; unemployment by education level (ACS Table B23006) is shown only when its margin of error is at most 2.5 percentage points, so small areas often show none. Jobs per 100 residents, average pay per job and largest industries: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (private-sector, non-farm employers; Census adds noise to protect businesses; jobs are counted where they are located). Income per person: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2023 (model-based estimates with margins of error). Fair market rent: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, fiscal year 2025 (HUD's estimate of gross rent for standard units, generally at the 40th percentile and at the 50th in some areas, set for housing-market areas; it is a program standard, not an average market rent). Pay by industry: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages (jobs covered by unemployment insurance, including government where stated; average annual pay is total wages divided by average jobs, includes bonuses, and is pay per job, not per person; self-employed people are not counted). Home price change: U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual House Price Index for counties (all-transactions index, not seasonally adjusted; it measures how prices of repeat-sale and refinanced single-family homes changed, not the price level; changes are not adjusted for inflation; less reliable for counties with few sales). Recent movers by education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Table B07009 (adults 25 and over who lived in a different state or abroad one year earlier; shown only when the margin of error is at most 8 points). Poverty by education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Table B17003 (shown only when each margin of error is at most 8 points). Field of bachelor's degree: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Table C15010 (shown only when each margin of error is at most 5 points). Jobs located here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages (jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the county; average pay is total wages divided by jobs and includes bonuses and high earners, so it is not a median or what a graduate earns; figures are revised). Gross domestic product: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts, GDP by county, 2024 (current dollars and real growth; revised; areas BEA combines are left out). Residents enrolled in college: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Table B14001 (people living in the area who are enrolled in college or graduate school, at any school; shown only when the margin of error is at most a quarter of the estimate). Adults 25 to 34 with a bachelor's or higher: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Table B15001 (shown only when the margin of error is at most 6 points). People ages 18 to 24: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, county population by age, vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2020; estimates are revised, and changes can swing widely in college towns). Urban-rural classification: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 2023 Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (1 = most urban, 9 = most rural; a classification of the county, not a measure of quality). Shortage-area scores: U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, Health Professional Shortage Areas (designated area-based designations; designations can cover part of a county). MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; none of these agencies has approved or endorsed this presentation. Figures describe a county as a whole, not any person in it. See Data sources for each dataset's terms.