Portland/Compare
Boise vs Overlook
Boise and Overlook are two official neighborhood associations in Portland. Overlook is the calmer Part I map (74 vs 58). Walk is a wash (17 vs 18). Boise has the lower ACS median ($1,708).
Data period. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · PPB May 2025 – Apr 2026 · OSM Sep 2026. ACS and PPB retrieved 2026-09-23; OSM retrieved 2026-09-23. Editorial copy last revised Sep 2026.
Scores
Fit axes among official Portland neighborhood associations.
| Axis | Boise | Overlook |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 58 | 74 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 17 | 18 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 30 | 10 |
| Median rent | $1,708 | $1,823 |
| Median home | $587,600 | $628,911 |
| Population | 4,501 | 11,325 |
| Commute to Downtown | 16 min | 14 min |
| Commute to OHSU | 20 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Lloyd | 12 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Boise | Overlook |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 75% | 46% |
| Median age | 34.1 | 36.8 |
| Median income | $80K | $104K |
| Part I per 1k | 51.1 | 32.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 7 | 3 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 31 | 67 |
| Parks / 800m | 8 | 16 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Portland city. Up 75% since 2014. Boise is 3% above the 2024 city median. Overlook is 10% above the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Boise if you want the cafes and the night and the rent gap is the point. Vibe is 30 vs 10. ACS median rent is $1,708 vs $1,823. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Overlook if the quieter map matters more than the scene. Safety is 74 vs 58. Read both pages before you decide.
Boise
Mississippi Avenue is the search. The official association is Boise. The street is the night; the blocks off it are houses. Alberta is King, one association east — not this polygon.
$1,708 median rent · safety 58 · walk 17
Overlook
The bluff over Interstate Avenue. The upper streets are houses; the avenue is the strip. Kenton is north. Boise is east — Mississippi, not this row.
$1,823 median rent · safety 74 · walk 18
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Boise or Overlook?
Boise is the lower ACS median: $1,708 vs $1,823. About 75% rent in Boise vs 46% in Overlook. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Boise more walkable than Overlook?
Walk is basically a tie (17 vs 18). Count groceries if you care: 7 in Boise vs 3 in Overlook, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Boise or Overlook?
Overlook is the calmer Part I read (74 vs 58). Combined rate 32.1 vs 51.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Boise or Overlook?
Boise leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 34.1 vs 36.8. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
16 minutes from Boise to Downtown, 14 from Overlook. Overlook is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood association that is not Boise or Overlook: Eliot. A small association between the river and MLK, south of Boise. Broadway is the edge. The property rate is the highest in this Portland set because that edge is busy — it is not a score for every side street.
Scores are relative among official Portland neighborhood associations with the same editorial weights. Read the method.