Eugene ranks No. 44 on Livability’s top 100 list

Eugene climbed to No. 44 in Livability.com’s 2026 Top 100 Best Places to Live, putting the Lane County seat ahead of every other Oregon city on the list and giving it a score of 705. Gresham followed at No. 48 with a score of 703, while Salem also earned a place in the ranking.

The list is now in its 13th year and drew on more than 100 data points across eight categories from more than 2,000 U.S. cities with populations between 75,000 and 500,000. Livability gives extra weight to housing and cost of living, and it limits the list to cities with median home values under $500,000. That makes Eugene’s place on the list notable but not surprising, given the city’s median owner-occupied home value of $460,400, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest QuickFacts profile.

Eugene’s strongest categories were environment, amenities and education, three areas that align with the city’s long-running image as a place with strong parks, public services and a highly educated population. The Census Bureau estimates Eugene’s population at 178,786 in July 2024, up from 176,654 in the 2020 Census, and puts the Eugene-Springfield metro area at 382,396 in its 2024 estimates. The same profile lists Eugene’s median gross rent at $1,402 and says 45.1% of residents age 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

City officials have leaned into that reputation for years, pointing to environmental sustainability, planning and community development work, along with an award-winning public library system. Eugene has held Tree City USA status since 1979 and Bee City USA status since 2018, and Eugene Public Library was named a Star Library in 2022, placing it in the top 3% of public libraries nationwide.

But the livability label also sits beside the realities that shape everyday life in Lane County, especially housing costs and the search for stable, accessible neighborhoods. Mayor Kaarin Knudson, who took office in 2025, has said her priorities include affordable and accessible housing, safer public spaces and greener, more vibrant public spaces, a platform that fits the tension between Eugene’s high score and the pressures residents still feel on the ground.

Lane County also has a local network built around that same question. The Lane Livability Consortium says it was founded in 2010 to bring together leaders in economic development, higher education, transportation, affordable housing, water and energy, and social equity to strengthen the Eugene-Springfield region.