Places › Oregon › Grants Pass

Living in Grants Pass, OR

Small city in Oregon

Grants Pass is a small city in Oregon, home to about 39,000 people, with 194,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Grants Pass a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Dog-friendly: 6 dog parks within 9 mi
  • Great outdoors: hills or mountains nearby
  • Low natural disaster risk: 5 federally declared disasters since 2000
  • Safe: violent crime is 0.8× the US rate (FBI 2019)

👎 Cons

  • Smaller job market: about 194,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer graduates: 20% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Far from a big airport: PDX is 221 mi away

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

Key facts

Population
39,000
194,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
49°F / 87°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$411k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,900/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
98
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,084
State income tax per resident · 0.7% property tax
Safety
0.8× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
5 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, earthquakes
Top-rated hospitals
1
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Average
Tests close to US average · 22 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
20%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
PDX
221 mi away

Living in Grants Pass: common questions

What is the cost of living in Grants Pass?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $411k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,900 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 98, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Grants Pass?

Oregon collects about $3,084 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.7% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Grants Pass safe?

Violent crime is close to the national rate (0.8× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Grants Pass?

Public schools in Grants Pass test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 22 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Grants Pass?

Grants Pass has cool winters: winter days average around 49°F and summer days around 87°F.

Does Grants Pass get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 5 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.61 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Grants Pass?

The nearest major airport is PDX, about 221 mi away.

How Grants Pass scores

Each bar compares Grants Pass with the other 1,990 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 sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietUrban & suburban mix Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundSome transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingAffordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceRelaxed Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityPrivate AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingApartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingGood
💸Low taxesGood
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareAverage
🏫SchoolsAverage
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyAverage
🐕Dog-friendlyExcellent
⛰️OutdoorsExcellent
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetySafe
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyGood
🌤️Mild summersGood
✈️AirportBelow average

Places like Grants Pass

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Medford, ORSmall city51 $406k$2,130/moNo crime data Billings, MTSmall city53 $387k$1,950/moNo crime data Kennewick, WASmall city51 $394k$2,070/moSafe Twin Falls, IDSmall city52 $355k$1,790/moSafe Great Falls, MTSmall city46 $331k$1,790/moModerate crime Albany, ORSmall city53 $421k$2,030/moVery safe

Nearby

Medford, ORSmall city · 25 mi away51 $406k$2,130/moNo crime data Ashland, ORSmall town · 36 mi away60 $562k$2,130/moVery safe

See all the best places to live in Oregon.

Is Grants Pass right for you?

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

Take the free quiz →

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.