What it's like to live in Lebanon
Lebanon is a small city in Oregon with crime rates well below the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lebanon deals with county unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Growing population
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Above-average rainfall
How Lebanon compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lebanon
Based on Lebanon's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,624
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,480 a year
- 52% of Lebanon renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$67,360
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $33,680
- Homes cost 5.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,312/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,312 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $336,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $336,800 · 52% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in Linn County is 5.5%, 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.
Linn County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 52% below US
158 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 684/100k · Lebanon Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 78°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 33°F. It's a wet climate overall.
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▼ 41% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (76 miles away).
Bottom line
Lebanon's strongest points are crime rates well below the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,312/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
Other places near Lebanon
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