Portland/Compare
Kenton vs St. Johns
Kenton and St. Johns are two official neighborhood associations in Portland. St. Johns is the calmer Part I map (89 vs 63). St. Johns 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 | St. Johns |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 63 | 89 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 17 | 37 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 6 | 17 |
| Median rent | $1,623 | $1,698 |
| Median home | $567,028 | $475,763 |
| Population | 7,003 | 16,742 |
| Commute to Downtown | 20 min | 25 min |
| Commute to OHSU | 24 min | 28 min |
| Commute to Lloyd | 18 min | 26 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Kenton | St. Johns |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 33% | 38% |
| Median age | 38.5 | 37.1 |
| Median income | $104K | $82K |
| Part I per 1k | 41.7 | 28.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 9 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 68 | 96 |
| Parks / 800m | 11 | 26 |
| 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. 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 Kenton if you already want this pocket more than the table. St. Johns leads the numbered axes on this page.
Pick St. Johns if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the errands on foot. Safety is 89 vs 63. Walk is 37 vs 17. Vibe is 17 vs 6. 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
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, Kenton or St. Johns?
Kenton is the lower ACS median: $1,623 vs $1,698. About 33% rent in Kenton vs 38% in St. Johns. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Kenton more walkable than St. Johns?
St. Johns wins the errand count (walk 17 vs 37). Groceries inside 800 meters: 4 vs 9. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Kenton or St. Johns?
St. Johns is the calmer Part I read (89 vs 63). Combined rate 28.5 vs 41.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Kenton or St. Johns?
Kenton leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 38.5 vs 37.1. St. Johns has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
20 minutes from Kenton to Downtown, 25 from St. Johns. Kenton is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood association that is not Kenton or St. Johns: 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.