What it's like to live in Forest Grove
Forest Grove is a small city in Oregon with air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Forest Grove deals with home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Clean air
The not so good
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How Forest Grove compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Forest Grove
Based on Forest Grove's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,920
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,400 a year
- 55% of Forest Grove renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$95,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $47,960
- Homes cost 5.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,460/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,460 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 $479,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $479,600 · 55% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 23% above US
5.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.3%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 22% above US
402 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1087/100k · Forest Grove Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 15% above US
30 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.8 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% 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 33°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 12% below US
32% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 32% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 2 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 Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (23 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Forest Grove's strongest point is air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,460/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near Forest Grove
All Oregon guides →Moving to Cornelius →
3 mi away · pop. 14,255
Rent $1,573/mo · Income $96,273
Compare with Forest Grove →Moving to Hillsboro →
8 mi away · pop. 108,231
Rent $1,978/mo · Income $106,409
Compare with Forest Grove →Moving to Aloha →
12 mi away · pop. 52,389
Rent $1,896/mo · Income $101,934
Compare with Forest Grove →Moving to Bethany →
13 mi away · pop. 33,106
Rent $2,245/mo · Income $167,735
Compare with Forest Grove →Not sure Forest Grove is the one?
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