Places › Oregon › Corvallis

Living in Corvallis, OR

College town in Oregon

Corvallis is a college town in Oregon, home to about 60,000 people, with 433,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Corvallis a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Mild summers: highs around 80°F
  • Great outdoors: plenty of parks
  • Highly educated: 61% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 1 research university is within 31 mi
  • Strong healthcare: 1 top-rated (4–5★) hospital within 31 mi

👎 Cons

  • Fewer family amenities than most places
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Cloudier than most places
  • Higher taxes: about $3,084 state income tax per resident, 1.08% property tax

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Corvallis ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
60,000
433,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
49°F / 80°F
Average daily highs · 4″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$527k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$2,260/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
104
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,084
State income tax per resident · 1.08% property tax
Safety
No data
Not in FBI 2019 city table
Natural disasters
8 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly earthquakes, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
1
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
61%
1 research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
PDX
78 mi away

Living in Corvallis: common questions

What is the cost of living in Corvallis?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $527k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,260 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 104, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Corvallis?

Oregon collects about $3,084 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.08% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Corvallis safe?

Corvallis isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.

What is the weather like in Corvallis?

Corvallis has cool winters: winter days average around 49°F and summer days around 80°F, with roughly 4″ of snow a year.

Does Corvallis get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 2.61 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Corvallis?

The nearest major airport is PDX, about 78 mi away.

How Corvallis scores

Each bar compares Corvallis with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Small city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Urban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Walk & transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Nature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Cool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Expensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Moderate pace Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Anonymous AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Mostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Average
💸Low taxes Below average
💼Job market Below average
🏥Healthcare Good
🎓Education Good
🧸Kids & family Poor
🐕Dog-friendly Average
⛰️Outdoors Good
🎭Culture Below average
🛡️Safety No crime data (counted as average)
🌪️Few natural disasters Average
☀️Sunny Below average
🌤️Mild summers Excellent
✈️Airport Average

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Is Corvallis right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.