Portland
St. Johns
A Gothic green bridge, a real main street, and a small-town feel at the rivers' meeting.
On the map
Boundary is approximate — refined per neighborhood over time.
Pacific Relocation's take
Our value play for clients who want a real main street and a yard.
St. Johns is a town that Portland grew around but never quite absorbed — a true main street, a Gothic green bridge, and river-and-wetland nature on three sides, all at the lowest close-in-feeling rents we quote. We place value-focused families, remote workers and dog owners here who want space and character over a short commute. The honest trade-off is exactly that commute and the schools: downtown is 25-35 minutes by car and transit is thin, while in-catchment public ratings run low, so school-first families usually look elsewhere. Housing is overwhelmingly houses and plexes with yards, with only a trickle of newer apartments on Lombard, which makes three-bedroom searches realistic but means starting 45 days out. Cyclists and paddlers love it; we tell everyone else to drive the actual commute at 8am before they fall for the price.
Lifestyle figures
Best of St. Johns for you
Walkable / key streets
- high street
high street
N Lombard & St. Johns main street0.1 km4.3(166)·$A genuine small-town main street of cafes, taprooms, a vintage theater and daily-errand shops.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - cinema
cinema
St. Johns Twin Cinemas & Pub0.2 km4.6(943)Second-run movie house with a pub on the main drag — the neighborhood's living room.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - grocer
grocer
Anderson Co-op / James John grocers0.2 km4.5(905)·$The compact main-street cluster of grocers and bottle shops that keeps daily life car-free.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
Outdoors / hiking / parks
- park
park
Cathedral Park0.6 km4.7(2,832)Riverfront lawns beneath the Gothic arches of the St. Johns Bridge — the most photographed spot in north Portland.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - park
park
Pier Park1.0 km4.6(1,943)Tall-fir park with a pool, skatepark and disc golf at the neighborhood's northern edge.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - nature area
nature area
Smith and Bybee Wetlands2.2 km4.4(533)One of the largest protected urban wetlands in the US, with paddling and wildlife viewing minutes away.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
Diverse / multilingual
- market
market
St. Johns Farmers Market0.2 km4.7(220)Saturday market in the plaza by the historic city hall, a hub of the neighborhood's mixed community.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - grocer
grocer
Tienda Santa Cruz0.3 km4.5(1,780)·$Mexican grocery, taqueria and panaderia that has served the main street for years.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
To buy (USD)
| Type | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 245,000 | 300,000 | 385,000 |
| 2 BR | 320,000 | 390,000 | 500,000 |
| 3 BR | 435,000 | 530,000 | 680,000 |
Estimated from local rents — placeholder, pending verified sale data.
Rent ranges (USD)
| Type | Low | Median | High | Δ 12mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 1,150 | 1,395 | 1,700 | ↑ 3.0% |
| 2 BR | 1,450 | 1,795 | 2,300 | ↑ 3.4% |
| 3 BR | 1,950 | 2,450 | 3,100 | ↑ 2.0% |
Source: Rentals.ca + Zumper Q1 2026, refreshed weekly via our rent worker.
Our advice
Before you sign a lease
- The real commute is the catch — drive downtown at rush hour before signing, and check evening bus frequency
- Older north-Portland houses frequently have buried oil tanks; request the decommissioning certificate
- Some blocks sit near rail lines and the Rivergate industrial area — check for train horns and truck routes at the specific address
Pacific Relocation
Want our help finding a place here?
Book a free 30-min Discovery Call with Pacific Relocation.
Last reviewed 2026-06-11.