doxoINSIGHTS » Where Oregon’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022

Where Oregon’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022

How does living in the Beaver state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Oregon’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in Oregon, doxo’s data reveals, pays $2,070 in bills per month.

doxo’s data also has infographics for 54 cities and towns across Oregon, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Oregon and how it changes according to location.

The data sheds light on Oregon’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.

Oregon residents pay $2,070 in household bills a month

The average Oregon household pays $2,070 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.

Oregon residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 14th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Rhode Island ranks 13th, with annual monthly expenses of $2,172, and Delaware ranks 15th, at $2,057.

Oregon’s household expenses, on average, are 3.4% higher than the national average of $2,003.

Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Oregon households spend 40% of their income on household bills. For example, Connecticut is the 6th most expensive state and New York is the 7th most expensive, but New York residents spend 39% of their income on bills, while Connecticut residents spend only 35%. 

Annually, Oregon residents pay $38 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Oregon by clicking on the infographic link below.

Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Oregon

• Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,070 per month
• State Bill Pay Market Size: $38 billion
• doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 14 out of 50
• Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 40%
• Difference from the National Average: 3.4% lower

Housing bill category drives Oregon’s high monthly bill expenses

The average Oregon household pays $2,070 in the 10 most common household bills per month. The average mortgage payment in Oregon is $1,481, and average rent is $1,113, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,368 and rent bill of $1,129.

Other than housing-related expenses, auto loans are the most significant of the 10 most common bills for residents of Oregon. Still, these expenses are still lower than the national average. The average auto loan bill in Oregon is $420 a month, compared to the national average of $406.

Compared to the national average, utilities are also a notably higher expense for residents of Oregon. The average household in the state pays $348 a month for utilities, compared to the national average of $328.

Auto insurance, by contrast, is more affordable in Oregon. While US residents on average spend $196 per month on car insurance, in Oregon they spend just $182.

Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.

Average Oregon Household Bill Spending

Gresham tops the list of most expensive cities for Oregon’s household bills

Residents of Gresham pay the highest household bills in the state of Oregon, at an average of $2,895 per month. Happy Valley comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $2,769 on average per month.

In proportion to household income, however, Gresham’s bills are costlier than ones in Happy Valley. While Gresham’s monthly bill basket makes up 56% of average household income there, Happy Valley’s bill basket accounts for just 37% of average household income in that area.

Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.

10 Most Expensive Oregon Cities for Household Bills

*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).

Baker City is the most affordable Oregon city for household bills

Out of 54 cities and towns, Baker City is the most affordable place in Oregon, with residents paying $1,513 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 41% of local income in Piedmont.

Ontario comes in at the second most affordable town or city in Oregon, with residents paying $1,514 per month on average.

Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in Oregon are La Grande ($1,575 per month),Klamath Falls ($1,608 per month), and Coos Bay ($1,651 per month).

10 Most Affordable Oregon Cities for Household Bills

In the wake of the rise of remote work, some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Oregon’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also usedoxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.