Moving to Milwaukie, Oregon and want to know what to expect? That’s fair!
Life in this area can be awesome. Moving there with solid knowledge of your new hometown can make the transition smoother and your day-to-day existence more satisfying.
That’s our goal for you, too! It’s why we compiled this brief guide on Milwaukie. We’ll cover:
- A short overview of the town
- Key stats and demographics
- Notable neighborhoods to live and play in
- Pros and cons to consider
About Milwaukie, Oregon
Situated mostly in Clackamas County — with a tiny spillover into Multnomah County — Milwaukie is essentially a dense suburb of Portland, Oregon. It benefits from the proximity of a major city with all the perks as well as the pace and space of an outlying town. That’s a win-win in many people’s books!
Being in the Pacific Northwest and along the Willamette River, Milwaukie enjoys gorgeous surroundings. It’s within easy range of mountains, forests, and the coast.
When you’re not pondering the staggering natural beauty of the area, you’ll have no trouble staying busy or entertained. There are ample recreational, educational, economic, and cultural opportunities in PDX or closer to home. In fact, Milwaukie’s noted for having a good supply of bars, cafes, restaurants, and parks. (And decent public schools, too.)
Fun Facts: Milwaukie’s the birthplace of Bing cherries and Dark Horse Comics! It’s also home to Bob’s Red Mill.
Milwaukie, Oregon: Cost of Living, Climate & Other Stats
Figures and percentages provide a useful, quantitative way to evaluate a location and compare it with others. You don’t have to be a numbers person to appreciate that!
We think these bits of data and demographics are informative:
- Size: 4.9 square miles
- Distance to Portland, OR (by car): about 7-8 miles
- Population: 20,924 people
- Median age: approximately 40
- Female-to-male ratio: 100:94.8
- Median and average household annual income: $63.4K / $76.7K, respectively
- Average cost of living index: 120.8
- Median rent per month and house cost: $1,173 / $323,500, respectively
- Days of rain/year: 147
- Average annual temperature range: 37℉ to 80℉
[source1][source2 (NOAA)][source3][source4][source5]
Coupled with all the qualitative info you’ve gathered, these stats are pretty telling. You can start to paint a picture in your mind.
Milwaukie, Oregon Neighborhoods
Milwaukie might not be as dynamic as its nearby urban hub (Portland), but it has merits of its own. There are plenty of nice neighborhoods to live, work, and play in.
You’ll find Milwaukie neighborhoods are fun-loving and people-loving. They all offer a host of community events and activities — like a community garden, neighborhood picnic, concerts, and reading programs. Our recommendation — explore, discover, and enjoy them all!
- Ardenwald-Johnson Creek
- Hector Campbell
- Historic Milwaukie
- Island Station
- Lake Road
- Lewelling
- Linwood
The City of Milwaukie website is a terrific resource for more details. There are all kinds of info on the different districts, community happenings, and more. Check it out!
Living In Milwaukie, OR: Pros & Cons
As with any town, Milwaukie has its upsides and its downside. Knowing what they are can help you decide where to plant roots and how to forge your best possible life here.
The Good
Admittedly, this is somewhat subjective. That said, here are some beloved or popular aspects of Milwaukie. Let’s see if you agree….
- It’s a very community-oriented city. You’ll find a lot of civic projects, programs, and initiatives here. There’s a lot of citizen engagement, especially with schools, public safety and institutions (like libraries), and volunteer opportunities.
- It may be a good place to raise a family. There are a lot of young professionals and homeowners. Add to that good schools and lots to do with kids in and around town. This provides the potential to be a great place to start and bring up a family.
- It’s extremely pet-friendly. Let’s admit it — pets are family, too. This may not rank on some people’s list of important things, but there are enough pet parents that we thought it was good info to share. There are plenty of animal-friendly parks and apartments. And you’ll likely find many businesses allow well-behaved fur buddies inside (or leave refreshments for them outside).
- There’s a ton to do here. It must be impossible to run out of ways to spend your time and energy. From festivals, farmers’ markets, music and food events to garage sales and flea markets, sporting events, and more — your social calendar’s bound to fill up (and stay packed) quickly. You’ll need at least a lifetime to exhaust the outdoor options. Head outside of city limits, for time at the casino, the coast, dams and forts, and more. With a little more time, getaways to destinations like Bend (OR), Seattle (WA), and Victoria or Vancouver (BC) are doable.
- You’re steeped in natural beauty. Yes, we already mentioned this. But it’s such a big deal and so striking that it demands to be highlighted again. Our remarkable landscape is verdant and majestic and just breathtaking. And being amid the grandeur and wonder of our mountains, forest, rivers, and so on is pure bliss for many.
- You’re near Portland. Access to a thriving and vibrant city, without the stresses and costs, deserves at least a nod of appreciation. Being so close, you can enjoy Portland’s amenities whenever the mood strikes you. You just don’t have to put up with the negative elements of big city living. You’re also really convenient to the PDX airport for those times you need to fly away.
- You can ditch your car, maybe. Milwaukie is a fairly bikeable town. You can even find routes to ride into Portland. Alternately, there’s some public transportation. Where this comes in most handy is commuting into the Rose City.
The Bad
Again, laying out the not-so-nice about Milwaukie is a judgment call. Below are the most common complaints we hear and see.
- The weather’s not for everyone. You’ll only see the sun about 40% of the time. That means a lot of gray days and frequent precipitation of some kind. Summers tend to be nice and warm; they’re often just short given the fall/winter/spring you have to contend with. (But, it rarely gets very cold, so you don’t have to deal with much ice or snow.)
- It can be expensive. The cost of living is significantly above the national average and the average for Oregon. Oregon also has higher income and property taxes than many other states.
The Best Move Ever, With West Coast Moving & Storage
Settling in and calling Milwaukie home could just be amazing. You just need to get you and your worldly possessions there intact.
That is not a problem, or even much of an obstacle really. West Coast Moving & Storage makes relocating ridiculously easy and as stress-free as can be. You can concentrate on which coffee shops or parks to visit first.
You can trust us — both long-time professional movers and local residents — to guide you through the process. It’s our pleasure to help make your transition to Milwaukie a positive experience.
Contact us today for your free consultation.