Portland/Compare
Multnomah vs Northwest
Multnomah and Northwest are two official neighborhood associations in Portland. Multnomah is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 11). Northwest wins the errand count. Northwest has the lower ACS median ($1,609).
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 | Multnomah | Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 100 | 11 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 22 | 44 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 13 | 47 |
| Median rent | $1,615 | $1,609 |
| Median home | $620,977 | $856,434 |
| Population | 10,108 | 16,685 |
| Commute to Downtown | 18 min | 12 min |
| Commute to OHSU | 16 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Lloyd | 24 min | 16 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Multnomah | Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 51% | 82% |
| Median age | 42.5 | 34.2 |
| Median income | $93K | $78K |
| Part I per 1k | 19.4 | 148.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 8 | 9 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 62 | 76 |
| Parks / 800m | 15 | 16 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Portland city. Up 75% since 2014. Multnomah is 2% below the 2024 city median. NW is 3% below 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 Multnomah if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the quieter, family-leaning read. Safety is 100 vs 11. Multnomah is tagged family on this map; Northwest is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Northwest if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 47 vs 13. Walk is 44 vs 22. 12 vs 18 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Multnomah
Multnomah Village is the search inside the Multnomah association. A main street, houses up the hill, and the lowest property rate in this set. Hillsdale is the next hill. Downtown is a drive.
$1,615 median rent · safety 100 · walk 22
Northwest
Nob Hill, NW 23rd, and the Alphabet District are searches inside the Northwest District. The grid is older than the Pearl, and the shops are why the property count is not quiet. Goose Hollow is the stadium side.
$1,609 median rent · safety 11 · walk 44
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Multnomah or Northwest?
Northwest is the lower ACS median: $1,615 vs $1,609. About 82% rent in Northwest vs 51% in Multnomah. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Multnomah more walkable than Northwest?
Northwest wins the errand count (walk 22 vs 44). Groceries inside 800 meters: 8 vs 9. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Multnomah or Northwest?
Multnomah is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 11). Combined rate 19.4 vs 148.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Multnomah or Northwest?
Multnomah leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 42.5 vs 34.2. Northwest has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
18 minutes from Multnomah to Downtown, 12 from Northwest. Northwest is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood association that is not Multnomah or Northwest: 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.
Scores are relative among official Portland neighborhood associations with the same editorial weights. Read the method.