What it's like to live in Woodburn
Woodburn 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 population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Woodburn deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Woodburn compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Woodburn
Based on Woodburn's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,978
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $59,560 a year
- 47% of Woodburn renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$66,360
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $33,180
- Homes cost 4.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,489/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,489 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $331,800. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $331,800 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 43% below US
186 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 2034/100k · Woodburn Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.2 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; 8% 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 36°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 58% below US
15% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (34 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Woodburn'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 household incomes below the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,489/mo) equals 27% 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 who doesn't drive.
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