Is Lake Oswego, OR a Good Place to Live?
Lake Oswego is a small city of 40,457 in Oregon, with a median household income of $127,252 and a 4.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 107 (US average = 100), which is 7% above the national average.
Strengths: Lake Oswego stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices. Whether Lake Oswego is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Lake Oswego city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 106.6Lake Oswego's overall cost of living index is 106.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Lake Oswego costs roughly 7% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Lake Oswego, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $825,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,979 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 70.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $127,252 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeLake Oswego's violent crime rate is 65.6 per 100,000 residents — 83% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Lake Oswego is served primarily by Lake Oswego SD 7J. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.2:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Lake Oswego, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Lake Oswego SD 7J | — |
| Elementary Schools | 7 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 16.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 73.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 98.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Lake Oswego sees average highs of 48.3°F in January and 83.9°F in July, with 50.4 inches of annual precipitation and 3.6 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Lake Oswego, OR |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 48.3°F |
| Average High — July | 83.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.6" |
Demographics
| Metric | Lake Oswego, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,457 | — |
| Median Age | 45.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 23.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 79.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.2% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 8.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 22.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Lake Oswego
Lake Oswego, OR is covered by 2 ZIP codes: