Portland/Compare
Kenton vs Pearl
Kenton and Pearl are two official neighborhood associations in Portland. Kenton is the calmer Part I map (63 vs 21). Pearl wins the errand count. 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 | Pearl |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 63 | 21 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 17 | 33 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 6 | 36 |
| Median rent | $1,623 | $1,908 |
| Median home | $567,028 | $616,146 |
| Population | 7,003 | 10,885 |
| Commute to Downtown | 20 min | 8 min |
| Commute to OHSU | 24 min | 14 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 | Pearl |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 33% | 73% |
| Median age | 38.5 | 38.4 |
| Median income | $104K | $106K |
| Part I per 1k | 41.7 | 124.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 6 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 68 | 66 |
| Parks / 800m | 11 | 9 |
| 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. Pearl is 15% 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 quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 63 vs 21. ACS median rent is $1,623 vs $1,908. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Pearl if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 36 vs 6. Walk is 33 vs 17. 8 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
Pearl
Search Pearl or Pearl District. Warehouses turned condo stacks, with a grocery that arrived with the towers. The property rate is written by the shops as much as the residents. Northwest is the older grid next door.
$1,908 median rent · safety 21 · walk 33
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Kenton or Pearl?
Kenton is the lower ACS median: $1,623 vs $1,908. About 33% rent in Kenton vs 73% in Pearl. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Kenton more walkable than Pearl?
Pearl wins the errand count (walk 17 vs 33). Groceries inside 800 meters: 4 vs 6. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Kenton or Pearl?
Kenton is the calmer Part I read (63 vs 21). Combined rate 41.7 vs 124.8 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Kenton or Pearl?
Kenton leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 38.5 vs 38.4. Pearl has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
20 minutes from Kenton to Downtown, 8 from Pearl. Pearl is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood association that is not Kenton or Pearl: 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.
Scores are relative among official Portland neighborhood associations with the same editorial weights. Read the method.