Portland/Compare
Northwest vs Pearl
Northwest and Pearl are two official neighborhood associations in Portland. Pearl is the calmer Part I map (21 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 | Northwest | Pearl |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 11 | 21 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 44 | 33 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 47 | 36 |
| Median rent | $1,609 | $1,908 |
| Median home | $856,434 | $616,146 |
| Population | 16,685 | 10,885 |
| Commute to Downtown | 12 min | 8 min |
| Commute to OHSU | 18 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Lloyd | 16 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Northwest | Pearl |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 82% | 73% |
| Median age | 34.2 | 38.4 |
| Median income | $78K | $106K |
| Part I per 1k | 148.4 | 124.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 9 | 6 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 76 | 66 |
| Parks / 800m | 16 | 9 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Portland city. Up 75% since 2014. NW is 3% 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 Northwest if the rent gap is the point and you want the errands on foot. ACS median rent is $1,609 vs $1,908. Walk is 44 vs 33. Vibe is 47 vs 36. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Pearl if the quieter map matters more than the scene. Safety is 21 vs 11. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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, Northwest or Pearl?
Northwest is the lower ACS median: $1,609 vs $1,908. About 82% rent in Northwest vs 73% in Pearl. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Northwest more walkable than Pearl?
Northwest wins the errand count (walk 44 vs 33). Groceries inside 800 meters: 9 vs 6. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Northwest or Pearl?
Pearl is the calmer Part I read (21 vs 11). Combined rate 124.8 vs 148.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Northwest or Pearl?
Northwest leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 34.2 vs 38.4. Pearl has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
12 minutes from Northwest 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 Northwest or Pearl: 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.