Portland/Compare
Hillsdale vs St. Johns
Hillsdale and St. Johns are two official neighborhood associations in Portland. St. Johns is the calmer Part I map (89 vs 84). St. Johns wins the errand count. Hillsdale has the lower ACS median ($1,664).
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 | Hillsdale | St. Johns |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 84 | 89 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 24 | 37 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 9 | 17 |
| Median rent | $1,664 | $1,698 |
| Median home | $787,561 | $475,763 |
| Population | 4,694 | 16,742 |
| Commute to Downtown | 16 min | 25 min |
| Commute to OHSU | 12 min | 28 min |
| Commute to Lloyd | 22 min | 26 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Hillsdale | St. Johns |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 21% | 38% |
| Median age | 43.2 | 37.1 |
| Median income | $149K | $82K |
| Part I per 1k | 30.6 | 28.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 3 | 9 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 91 | 96 |
| Parks / 800m | 16 | 26 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Portland city. Up 75% since 2014. Hillsdale is 1% above the 2024 city median. St. Johns is 3% 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 Hillsdale if the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. 16 vs 25 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick St. Johns if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 37 vs 24. Vibe is 17 vs 9. Read both pages before you decide.
Hillsdale
Southwest hills and a town center, with a shorter OHSU trip than most of this set outside Goose Hollow. Houses, not a strip. Do not confuse it with the Northwest District.
$1,664 median rent · safety 84 · walk 24
St. Johns
The bridge, the plaza, and a peninsula that feels like its own town. St. Johns is the official association. Cathedral Park is a different association and not this row. Downtown is a trip, not a walk.
$1,698 median rent · safety 89 · walk 37
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Hillsdale or St. Johns?
Hillsdale is the lower ACS median: $1,664 vs $1,698. About 21% rent in Hillsdale vs 38% in St. Johns. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Hillsdale more walkable than St. Johns?
St. Johns wins the errand count (walk 24 vs 37). Groceries inside 800 meters: 3 vs 9. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Hillsdale or St. Johns?
St. Johns is the calmer Part I read (89 vs 84). Combined rate 28.5 vs 30.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Hillsdale or St. Johns?
Hillsdale leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 43.2 vs 37.1. St. Johns has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
16 minutes from Hillsdale to Downtown, 25 from St. Johns. Hillsdale is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood association that is not Hillsdale or St. Johns: Goose Hollow. Between Providence Park and the West Hills. A MAX line, smaller apartments, and the short OHSU commute in this set. It is not Nob Hill, and it is not the Pearl.
Scores are relative among official Portland neighborhood associations with the same editorial weights. Read the method.