Expansive lake is the center of Lake Oswego suburb
Instead of a downtown district, an expansive lake surrounded by multi-million-dollar mansions sits at the center of the city of Lake Oswego, an upscale city in Portland of nearly 40,000. Besides its eponymous lake, the city is known for its grand homes, chic shopping districts and one of the best school systems in the state. “It’s deceptively large, but it’s common to have cul-de-sacs full of kids who all know each other, and all hang out with each other. My nieces and nephews live on one of those,” says Victoria Buck, a broker with Stellar Realty Northwest. “It’s close-knit in the smaller pockets of Lake Oswego.”
The median household income in Lake Oswego is higher than the national average of $127,252. Residents in Lake Oswego tend to earn $50,000 more than the rest of the country. Major employers in Lake Oswego include Micro Systems Engineering, a medical microelectronics manufacturer; Greenbrier, which provides transportation and freight services; Lake Oswego School District and the city government; and several software companies. The city’s financial, insurance and law firms—among other places of business—are concentrated in the Kruse Woods Corporate Park in the northwest region of the suburb.
Country Club neighborhood has access to lake Oswego.
Lake View Village is the commercial heart of Evergreen.
Major employers in Lake Oswego include Micro Systems Engineering.
Lake Oswego's financial and law firms are concentrated in Kruse Woods Corporate Park.
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Lakefront properties come with privacy and luxury
Lake Oswego real estate is at a premium: the median home sales price in the city was just above $900,000 in October 2024. That figure is more than double the national home sales price, which hovered around $412,000 during the same month. Home values are appreciating in the community, with a yearly increase of about 3%, and homes that are on the historically private Oswego Lake garner a higher price tag. In fact, almost every neighborhood with direct access to the lake has an average home value of seven figures, and lakefront properties come with luxe amenities like sun decks, lakeside cabanas, boathouses and private docks. The Lake Oswego Corporation collects fees from the residents who live on the lake, and many of the city’s homeowners belong to one of 24 neighborhood associations. However, the market also has less expensive options, with townhouses in the area fetching a median sales price of $523,821.
Floating homes line the shore of Lakewood Bay in Evergreen.
The Country Club neighborhood is home to plenty of large custom built homes.
Modern construction can be spotted throughout the Palisades neighborhood.
Rows of midcentury modern homes can be found in Palisades.
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Lake Oswego's Gallery Without Walls sculpture collection
The Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts has drawn thousands of attendees to George Rogers Park the weekend after Father’s Day every year since 1963. Though there’s live music, food and drinks, juried art exhibits from local, national and international artists are the focal point of the event, which is hosted by the Lakewood Center for the Arts. Outside of the festival season, the art center supports a semi-professional theater company, an art gallery as well as dance and acting classes for children and adults. There are 80 permanent and loaned sculptures that make up the city’s Gallery Without Walls collection, which is dispersed throughout the city and maintained by the nonprofit Arts Council of Lake Oswego.
George Rogers Park offers a peek into the past with remnants of an old iron furnace.
Public art in Evergreen's Millennium Plaza Park.
Art at Oswego Lake Front Park in Lake Oswego.
Lakewood Center for the Arts in Lake Oswego hosts events and juried art shows.
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Top public schools in the state
Lake Oswego is known for its strong public education system, which serves around 6,800 students across 11 schools. The Lake Oswego School District is ranked the No. 1 district in the state, by Niche, and it has the highest graduation rate, according to the Oregon Department of Education Report Card 2023. Niche awards the school district with an overall grade of A-plus, and its two high schools occupy second and third place on the site’s Best Public High Schools in Oregon list. In 2024, the school district opened applications for its Bond Development Committee, which will be responsible for developing a new bond for the 2025 ballot. Forest Hills and Lake Grove elementary schools, along with a few others, will be considered for upgrades and renovations.
Lake Oswego Senior High School is a Top Public High School in Lake Oswego OR.
The Front Entrance of Lake Oswego Junior High in Lake Oswego Oregon.
The Entrance to Forest Hills Elementary in Lake Oswego,
Lake Grove Elementary School Serving the Lake Grove Neighborhood in Lake Oswego, OR.
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Private Oswego Lake may become a public amenity
The 405-acre Oswego Lake anchors the community, though access to the body of water is currently reserved for homeowners with waterfront property and easements. However, the lake’s public restrictions may be coming to an end—a court case contesting the lake’s privacy filed in 2012 is projected to be decided by a Clackamas County Circuit Court judge in 2024. The banks of the Willamette River are open to the public and can be enjoyed via the George Rogers Park beach access. In addition to water recreation, the green space also has ballfields, tennis courts and a playground. The urban Millennium Plaza Park is also a prominent gathering spot within the community, enhanced by a lakefront boardwalk, several sculptures and a performance stage for the city’s Sunday Moonlight and Music concert series.
Take in the waterfront views in Evergreen.
Lake Oswego is perfect for boating activities.
Evergreen boaters ply the calm waters of Lakewood Bay.
A View of the Willamette River from George Rogers Park in Lake Oswego.
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Surrounded by highways on all sides
Lake Oswego is surrounded by highways on all four sides, which make getting in and out of the suburb an easy drive. Interstate 5—running along the west side of the city—and Oregon state Route 43, which weaves along the east side, both lead to downtown Portland, about 9 miles away. Oregon state Route 43 also leads to Oregon City, which Interstate 205 weaves through the south of Lake Oswego. An offshoot of Interstate 5, Oregon state Route 217 travels to Beaverton and its Intel campuses. Five bus routes part of the TriMet system stop at the Lake Oswego Transit Center, connecting the community to downtown Portland, Tigard and Beaverton.
Downtown dining and the Lake Grove Village
Lake Oswego’s dining scene is bisected into two distinct areas. The gridded streets of downtown, on the northeast side of the lake, are punctuated by some of the community’s stand-out establishments. Kyra, of Kyra’s Bake Shop, is a four-time champion of “Cupcake Wars,” a regular in national publications and a Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts graduate. Bamboo Sushi and St. Honore Boulangerie—both Portland staples—have migrated into the suburbs of Lake Oswego.
The Lake Grove Village Center is an updated 1960s-era shopping center in southwest Lake Oswego anchored by Zupan’s Market and La Provence Boulangerie & Patisserie. The commercial district extends about a mile north to Kruse Way, making lunch and errands convenient for those who work in the Kruse Woods Corporate Park and surrounding offices.
Millennium Plaza Park fills with local produce stands, hot food vendors, artisan craft booths and the smell of freshly baked goods at the Lake Oswego Farmers Market every Saturday from mid-May through the beginning of October.
Bamboo sushi offers award winning Japanese fare in downtown Lake Oswego.
La Provence Boulangerie & Patisserie, a French-inspired cafe offering meals all day.
The Lake Oswego Farmer's Market is operatate by the cvity's parks and rec dept.
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Temperate climate and low crime rate
Thefts were one of the most frequently reported crimes in Lake Oswego between 2021 and 2022, which saw an uptick of 17.72% in 2022. Statewide, larceny and theft went up 7.2% over that span. The rate of stolen vehicle or stolen parts reports in Lake Oswego increased by 2.6% in 2022, compared to 16.7% statewide. The city saw a significant decrease in reported robberies—a 62.5% drop—while the state experienced a 13.2% spike in 2022. Reported thefts decreased by 15.4% and stolen vehicles by 24.4% in Lake Oswego between 2022 and 2023, reversing the trend of the previous year.
Lake Oswego experiences a temperate climate, albeit rainy, with approximately 50 inches of precipitation every year.
On average, homes in Lake Oswego, OR sell after 58 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Lake Oswego, OR over the last 12 months is $906,000, up 3% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Housing Trends
Median List Price
$1,025,000
Median Sale Price
$906,000
Median Single Family Sale Price
$1,115,000
Median Townhouse Sale Price
$467,500
Median 2 Bedroom Sale Price
$345,000
Median Change From 1st List Price
3%
Last 12 months Home Sales
676
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
$3
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$454
Neighborhood Facts
Number of Homes for Sale
291
Months of Supply
5.20
Average Home Value
Source: Public Records
Top Schools in Lake Oswego, OR
Source:
Best Public Elementary Schools
#1 River Grove Elementary School
A+
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#2 Westridge Elementary School
A+
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#3 Cedaroak Park Primary School
A
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#4 Hallinan Elementary School
A
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#5 Oak Creek Elementary School
A+
Niche
8
GreatSchools
#6 Palisades World Language School
9
GreatSchools
#7 Stafford Primary School
A-
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#8 Stephenson Elementary School
A-
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#9 Forest Hills Elementary School
A
Niche
8
GreatSchools
Best Public Middle Schools
#1 Riverdale Grade School
A
Niche
8
GreatSchools
#2 Lake Oswego Junior High School
A+
Niche
7
GreatSchools
#3 Lakeridge Middle School
A
Niche
7
GreatSchools
#4 Jackson Middle School
B+
Niche
7
GreatSchools
#5 Thomas R. Fowler Middle School
B+
Niche
4
GreatSchools
#6 Alder Creek Middle School
C+
Niche
1
GreatSchools
Best Public High Schools
#1 Lake Oswego Senior High School
A
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#2 Riverdale High School
A
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#3 West Linn High School
A
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#4 Lakeridge High School
A
Niche
8
GreatSchools
#5 Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School
B-
Niche
6
GreatSchools
#6 Tigard High School
B+
Niche
4
GreatSchools
#7 Rex Putnam High School
B
Niche
4
GreatSchools
Best Private Schools
#1 Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School
A+
Niche
#2 Christa McAuliffe Academy School of Arts and Sciences
With a calm, trustworthy approach and deep local expertise, Meredith Orlando serves clients across Southwest Washington and Oregon with a focus on seamless, stress-free transactions. Known for her responsiveness and reliability, Meredith is a fierce advocate from the first meeting through closing—and long after.
Before real estate, she spent 18 years leading marketing and communications strategies in industries from sports to healthcare. Her experience launching national campaigns and managing high-stakes messaging now translates into savvy negotiations, clear communication, and standout service for her clients.
Originally from California, but now based in Camas, Meredith loves helping others discover the magic of the Pacific Northwest. She’s an active community volunteer with the Camas Students & Families Foundation and finds joy in local hikes, good reads, and quality time with her family—including her college-aged twin sons and lovable English Cream Golden Retriever.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
