Portland/Compare
Kenton vs Overlook
Kenton and Overlook are two official neighborhood associations in Portland. Overlook is the calmer Part I map (74 vs 63). Walk is a wash (17 vs 18). Kenton has the lower ACS median ($1,623).
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 | Kenton | Overlook |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 63 | 74 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 17 | 18 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 6 | 10 |
| Median rent | $1,623 | $1,823 |
| Median home | $567,028 | $628,911 |
| Population | 7,003 | 11,325 |
| Commute to Downtown | 20 min | 14 min |
| Commute to OHSU | 24 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Lloyd | 18 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Kenton | Overlook |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 33% | 46% |
| Median age | 38.5 | 36.8 |
| Median income | $104K | $104K |
| Part I per 1k | 41.7 | 32.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 3 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 68 | 67 |
| Parks / 800m | 11 | 16 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Portland city. Up 75% since 2014. Kenton is 2% below 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 Kenton if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $1,623 vs $1,823. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Overlook if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Safety is 74 vs 63. 14 vs 20 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Kenton
The Paul Bunyan statue and Denver Avenue. North Portland, east of the river, with a MAX line and more house than bar. St. Johns is across the bridge — a different official polygon.
$1,623 median rent · safety 63 · 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, Kenton or Overlook?
Kenton is the lower ACS median: $1,623 vs $1,823. About 33% rent in Kenton vs 46% in Overlook. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Kenton more walkable than Overlook?
Walk is basically a tie (17 vs 18). Count groceries if you care: 4 in Kenton vs 3 in Overlook, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Kenton or Overlook?
Overlook is the calmer Part I read (74 vs 63). Combined rate 32.1 vs 41.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Kenton or Overlook?
Kenton leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 38.5 vs 36.8. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
20 minutes from Kenton 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 Kenton or Overlook: 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.
Scores are relative among official Portland neighborhood associations with the same editorial weights. Read the method.