What it's like to live in Eugene
Eugene is a mid-size city in Oregon with 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. Eugene deals with home prices well above the national average, household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- High home prices
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
How Eugene compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Eugene
Based on Eugene's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,804
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $56,080 a year
- 57% of Eugene renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$92,080
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $46,040
- Homes cost 6.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,402/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,402 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $460,400. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $460,400 · 57% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 12% above US
4.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.8%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
347 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2842/100k · Eugene Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 29% below US
18 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 35°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 25% above US
45% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 45% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
49 public schools inside the boundary
There are 49 public schools inside the boundary and 18 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Crater Lake National Park (92 miles away).
Bottom line
Eugene's strongest points are commutes that run shorter than most cities and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,402/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home), people who want short commutes, and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Eugene
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