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Moving to
Bethany.
Bethany is an unincorporated community in Washington County, OR. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Bethany
Bethany is an unincorporated community in Oregon with household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Bethany deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- High student-teacher ratio
How Bethany compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Bethany
Based on Bethany's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,490
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $89,800 a year
- 45% of Bethany renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$150,340
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $75,170
- Homes cost 4.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 59% above US
$2,245/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,245 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $751,700. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $751,700 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Washington County is 4.9%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Washington County (county-wide)
Safety
205 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Bethany doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Washington County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 855/100k · Policed by Washington County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 39% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 40°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 99% above US
72% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (10 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Bethany's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,245/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (39% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Bethany
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