What it's like to live in Corvallis
Corvallis is a smaller city in Oregon with crime rates well below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Corvallis deals with home prices well above the national average, household incomes below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- High home prices
- Below-average household incomes
- High student-teacher ratio
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Corvallis compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Corvallis
Based on Corvallis's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,782
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $55,640 a year
- 59% of Corvallis renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$100,580
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $50,290
- Homes cost 7.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,391/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,391 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are steep, with a median around $502,900. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $502,900 · 59% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 47% below US
173 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 2188/100k · Corvallis Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 38% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.1 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 34°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 71% above US
61% 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
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (79 miles away).
Bottom line
Corvallis's strongest points are crime rates well below the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,391/mo) equals 26% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home), and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Corvallis
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