Oregon Ranks Among America’s Most Expensive States for Homebuyers With Prices Topping $300 a Square Foot
Ranked as the 10th most expensive state in the U.S. for buying a home, Oregon continues to attract property owners. Attributes such as lifestyle and a booming tech industry add impetus to property sales.
To own a home in Oregon, buyers pay an average of $303.88 per square foot. This high ticket label can be attributed to land-use regulations and geographic constraints, particularly in metropolitan areas such as Portland, where land available for new development is scarce.
NLIHC Says There Are Fewer Than 23 Rental Units Available Per 100 Low-Income Households
The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) attributes the high cost of housing in the state to high demand and low availability of housing stock, particularly in desirable areas.
The NLIHC says Oregon’s strict land-use regulations, coupled with increasing construction costs and economic growth in metropolitan areas, have created an affordability gap. The NLIHC says there are fewer than 23 rental units available for every 100 low-income households.
Oregon is ranked in 10th position by Cinch Home Services, which examined housing costs across all 50 states, analyzing listing prices to typical square footage in available properties.
Researchers found that Hawaii is the most expensive state for housing, with prices reaching $711.05 per square foot.
At the opposite end of the scale, the most affordable state in which to own a home is West Virginia, with prices at $147.66 per square foot.
The 10 Most Expensive States for Home Buyers
| Rank | State | Price per Square Foot |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $711.05 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $483.09 |
| 3 | New York | $449.81 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $437.50 |
| 5 | California | $429.00 |
| 6 | Washington | $331.58 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $326.60 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $312.00 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $304.34 |
| 10 | Oregon | $303.88 |
The Five Most Affordable States for Home Buyers
| Rank | State | Price per Square Foot |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | Indiana | $155.86 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $151.71 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $149.56 |
| 50 | Kansas | $148.21 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $147.66 |
Methodology
The states with the biggest homes for the money were determined using April 2025 monthly real estate inventory data from Realtor.com. Median property listing prices were divided by median square footage to calculate the median property price per square foot.
Additional data for each state was also analyzed, including the average days on market, number of active listings, and percentage of properties with increased or decreased prices.