Clackamas County vs Washington County
Clackamas County, Oregon versus Washington County, Oregon: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Clackamas County and Washington County score about the same overall (50 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Clackamas County | Washington County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $96k | $100k |
| Cost of Living | $69k | $71k |
| Home Value | $532k | $504k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.91% | 0.93% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 10.30% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.98% | 14.98% |
| Unemployment | 5.0% | 4.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 42°F | 41°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 70°F | 68°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 61.5 in | 43.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.2 in | 2.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 171 days | 220 days |
| Summer Humidity | 54°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 125 days | 115 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 94.9 | 96.0 |
| Air Quality | 34 AQI | 36 AQI |
| School Quality | 76.8 | 67.4 |
| Violent Crime | 542/100k | 834/100k |
| Property Crime | 2078/100k | 2131/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 420,925 | 599,541 |
| Median Age | 41.9 | 37.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.31 | 0.50 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+11 | D+36 |
| White (%) | 79.0% | 62.7% |
| Black (%) | 0.8% | 2.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 9.3% | 17.4% |
| Asian (%) | 4.7% | 10.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 11.1/20 | 12.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 33 mi | 25 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.6% | 94.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.05 | 1.88 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Clackamas County or Washington County more affordable?
- Clackamas County has the lower cost of living: its index is $69k, compared with Clackamas County's $69k and Washington County's $71k. Median rent is $2k in Clackamas County versus $2k in Washington County.
- Is Clackamas County or Washington County safer?
- Clackamas County has the lower violent crime rate. Clackamas County reports 542/100k and Washington County reports 834/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Clackamas County or Washington County?
- The median home value is $532k in Clackamas County and $504k in Washington County, so homes are more affordable in Washington County.