Living in Lake Oswego

If you’ve been considering moving to Lake Oswego, Oregon, then this post is for you!

Lake Oswego is located just 8 miles south of the Portland metro area, surrounding a gorgeous lake with old growth trees. This popular area is just a 20 minute drive to downtown Portland, offering close proximity to the city, while providing beautiful lake access, updated homes with large established yards, and some of the best schools in the country.

It’s clear that Lake Oswego is a good place to live. In fact, it has some of the best livability in the entire state of Oregon.

But does that make that the right place for you and your family? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

As Lake Oswego real estate agents, we’ll tell you all about the cost of living in Lake Oswego, things to do, as well as what type of housing options you can expect. As Portland residents and realtors at Real Agent Now Group, we specialize in the details of each Portland, Oregon neighborhood.

In fact, you can watch along with this blog on our Youtube channel, where we create videos showing you not only Lake Oswego, but every other area of Portland as well.

We’d love to show you around Lake Oswego, so let’s get started!

Things to know about Living in Lake Oswego

Downtown, Lake Oswego

In the heart of the downtown area of Lake Oswego is the Millenium Park Plaza. It includes a bunch of wonderful brand new shops including Mexican restaurants, French bakeries, and Oregon’s iconic Salt and Straw ice cream.

Millennium Park Plaza is also home to the free Summer Concert Series, which includes a variety of musical performances, food vendors, and other entertainment every week in July and August. You can also take a 10-mile trolly ride along the lake and up into SW Portland, covering beautiful scenic views from an original Oregon trolley car.

This area offers truly anything you could think of. There are lots of bike paths, hiking trails, and access to the beautiful lake itself.

Just like downtown’s variety of shops, there are a variety of housing options here. From waterfront homes to other more affordable options such as condominiums, townhomes, and detached homes off of the waterfront.

The walkability of this area plus the sheer amount of things to do make it a desirable place to live year round and a must-visit place if you’re in Oregon.

Schools & Education in Lake Oswego

In addition to all of the options for outdoor recreation, Lake Oswego also offers one of the best school districts in the Portland metro region.

People from all over the country want to get into this iconic school district for their children’s education.

Within the district, there are two high schools, two middle schools, and six elementary schools. Each of these schools prides themselves on their high-quality education system, top-notch extracurriculars, and they all share a goal of preparing Lake Oswego students for college and beyond. The schools in Lake Oswego also offer a variety of special programs, such as gifted student course, extended school days and a foreign exchange program.

Cost of Homes in Lake Oswego

The average median cost for homes in downtown Lake Oswego is just over $650,000 per average home.

Of course, if you’re looking for one of the large mansions or other deluxe lakefront homes, that cost is much higher.

However, if you look just a couple of miles from this downtown center, you can find a lot of affordable homes nestled in the old-growth trees and greenery.

You’ll find that Lake Oswego holds some of the most expensive real estate in the Portland metro region. Part of the inflated average cost of homes in Lake Oswego is due to the expensive properties directly on the shorefront.

Having direct lake access is a luxury that has established higher housing costs for homes that sit on the water. Those homes are all in the multi-million dollar range and boast the amenities, square footage and home features that warrant those prices. If you remove the more expensive lakefront properties that inflate the median cost of the average home, you’ll start to find Lake Oswego more affordable than first glance, although still in high demand.

The other reason for the slightly higher pricing is the steady demand for the city’s top-rated school district.

You’ll never really find a “slow” time in the Lake Oswego real estate market. Families are moving here year-round to enroll their kids in these top-notch schools, so the housing demand is steady, which keeps prices slightly higher than other nearby areas outside of the Lake Oswego school district.

Where are all those families moving?

Well, the majority of families moving to Lake Oswego are not buying lakefront mansions, they’re taking advantage of the range of ranch-style family homes less than a mile from the lake.

There are pockets of great neighborhoods with affordable homes and large yards that are still within that desirable Lake Oswego school district. Trust us, with 27 different neighborhoods in Lake Oswego, you’re sure to find something that fits your budget.

Looking just a little beyond the downtown area means you can still be near the lake, in the clean, peaceful, and quiet setting that Lake Oswego is known for.

Currently searching for a home in the Portland area or would like assistance navigating the area?

Please reach out to one of us today.

Learn More: Pros & Cons of Living in Portland

Neighbors of Lake Oswego… that you may know

One thing you’ll find a lot of in Lake Oswego are former NBA or MLB players, actors, directors, and other famous individuals.

Want to get to know your new neighbors? How about NBA player Kevin Love, who originally hailed from Lake Oswego High School?

He’s not alone from the NBA scene in Lake Oswego, since Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors) and LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs) have homes here as well. Of course, a lot of our current Portland Trailblazers also call Lake Oswego home.

These local ‘celebrity’ faces around the neighborhood, as well as the other people you may find in the area, are part of what makes it the most expensive neighborhood in the Portland metro area.

Oswego Lake Country Club

We’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t also mention the Oswego Lake Country Club and its surrounding communities.

This area is absolutely beautiful. The homes have larger square footage, bigger lot sizes, beautifully manicured lawns, and are draped in old-growth trees.

Whether you enjoy golfing or not, the Oswego Lake Country Club area is a wonderful setting to live in. And if you do love golf, then this is definitely the place for you.

The Oswego Lake Country Club offers a gorgeous venue for hosting large functions, and the clubhouse is an unbeatable place to beat the summer heat, with a pool, snack bar, and large lanai.

The Oswego Lake Country Club is definitely worth a visit, and if you’re interested in homes around this area, we’d love to help you find your perfect Lake Oswego home to settle into.

Lakewood Bay, near Lake Oswego

Since there’s no shortage of attractions to Lake Oswego, let’s keep our tour of the area going!

Another gorgeous area of Lake Oswego is Lakewood Bay.

Only steps from downtown Lake Oswego, this neighborhood is the home of one of the best public swimming holes in Oregon, George Rogers Park. Here you’ll see a lot of stand up paddle boarders and others enjoying the sandy beaches along the Willamette River.

There are also multiple trails for hiking and a large grass area that’s perfect for picnics. You can even take a jet boat tour of the Willamette River, and see all of the iconic sights of the Portland, Oregon region.

Lakewood Bay is a great place to raise a family, or at the very least enjoy those beautiful summer days that Oregon is famous for.

Learn More: Portland, OR Cost of Living