It’s not news that the Portland housing market is ferociously competitive—but how about we get even more granular with the data?

Thanks to research compiled for Portland Monthly by the Geography Department at Portland State University and based on information from the Realtors' Master Listing Service, we can drill down into exactly which neighborhoods within city limits saw skyrocketing demand last year. The results are all over the map, literally—leafy, quiet corners of far Southwest Portland saw a big leap in interest, but so too did lower-priced enclaves in outer Southeast Portland and further out in North Portland. Many of these same neighborhoods saw houses snatched up extra-quickly too. Read on for more, and pick up the spring issue of Portland Monthly, available on newsstands in just a few weeks, for even more real estate news.

9. Eastmoreland

Median sale price in 2021: $925,000

Price growth year-over-year, 2020-2021: 17.4 percent

Prosperous, tidy Eastmoreland is anchored by Reed College’s gracious grounds on one side, and the public, well-maintained Eastmoreland golf course on the other. The neighborhood has faced some discord in recent years as neighbors take sides over whether to allow new development or plump for historic preservation, but buyers don’t seem to mind. Homes there spent an average of just 14 days on the market in 2021, per our data, out of 101 total sales.

8. Southwest Hills

Median sale price in 2021: $999,975

Price growth year-over-year: 17.6 percent

Another exclusive enclave, homes in this perch above the city are spendy enough that they take a little longer to sell—an average of 48 days in 2021, according to our data. Still, the neighborhood holds a lot of appeal for those who are looking for easy access to the unmatched views of Council Crest, and a quick commute (so long as you’ve got an e-bike or a good pair of running shoes) down the Marquam Nature Trail to nearby Oregon Health & Sciences University. 

7. Glenfair

Median sale price in 2021: $400,000

Price growth year-over-year: 17.7 percent

Tiny Glenfair straddles Burnside between NE Glisan and SE Stark, starting at about 148^th Avenue and running to 161^{st Avenue}. They’re in close proximity to the golf and walking trails at Glendoveer, and have their own 5-acre, compact neighborhood park, plus a relatively unheralded food cart pod within walking distance. The average home sold here was built in 1977, newer than the housing stock in most closer-in neighborhoods. Homes there were on the market for an average of 23 days in 2021 before getting snatched up.

6. Powellhurst-Gilbert

Median sale price in 2021: $380,000

Price growth year-over-year: 18.8 percent

Rising Powellhurst-Gilbert abuts two of the city’s nicest natural areas—Leach Botanical Gardens, which now boasts an above-the-trees walkway after an renovation completed in 2021 and Powell Butte Natural Area, which has mountain views for days from its rounded peak. It’s also got an involved neighborhood association, which has launched pilot programs for graffiti clean-up and urban farming, and co-sponsored a festival for the neighborhoods on the city’s eastern fringes.

5. Bridgeton

Median sale price in 2021: $374,000

Price growth year-over-year: 21 percent

Not to be confused with Netflix’s bodice-ripping, hubba-hubba series Bridgerton, this quiet community clings to the edge of North Portland, bordered by the Columbia River, and claims to be the smallest of all city neighborhoods. Many of the homes there today are floating homes, and residents all seem to know each other—perhaps it’s their annual community picnic/potluck, which always gets a big turnout? (Note, with such a small community, numbers can be skewed—only 30 homes sold there in 2021, and were on the market for an average of 45 days.) 

4. Ashcreek

Median sale price in 2021: $604,500

Price growth year-over-year: 21.5 percent

Mostly in Multnomah County, but edging into Washington County, Ashcreek’s got great access to Tryon Creek State Park, the best place to spot trilliums come springtime, plus close proximity to stores and shopping in Lake Oswego and Tigard’s big box stores. Over 100 homes changed hands here in 2021, and the pace was brisk: Average time on market was just 18 days.

3. Lloyd District

Median sale price in 2021: $256,500

Price growth year-over-year: 22.1 percent

Home to the much-discussed Lloyd Center, this area has seen more than its share of woes lately, and truth be told, there were only 14 sales here in total in 2021, and those took much longer than any other neighborhood on this list—an average of 73 days. But it’s hard to beat Lloyd Center if you’re looking for a budget conscious option that’s close to downtown with excellent public transportation options. Maybe that’s why the median sales price here showed such a notable year-over-year jump? 

2. Maplewood

Median sale price in 2021: $650,000

Price growth year-over-year: 26.5 percent

Alongside Ashcreek, Maplewood is part of a trio of neighborhoods that feels more like Washington County than Portland proper. It's full of ranch homes and split-levels, plus a terrific neighborhood coffee shop that’s like a shared living room for locals. Just 49 homes sold here in all of 2021, but they flew off the market in an average of 15 days, so if you want in to this neighborhood, be prepared to act fast.

1. Cathedral Park

Median sale price in 2021: $498,750

Price growth year-over-year: 29.5 percent

Didn’t see this one coming? Cathedral Park often gets mistaken as an extension of St. Johns, but it’s a neighborhood in its own right. Bordering the green expanse of the actual Cathedral Park, home to a much-loved free jazz festival come summertime, residents on this hillside enjoy unbeatable views over the bluffs to the Willamette River for summery picnics. Exactly 100 homes were sold here in 2021, per our data, and spent an average of just two weeks on the market.