Best PlacesSouth University, Eugene, OR Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around South University, Eugene, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
South University, Eugene ranks 2,826th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on biking by a wide margin, and the cost of living against local pay is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in South University, Eugene
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
South University, Eugene's strengths and weaknesses
Where South University, Eugene ranks high
- BikingBetter than 99% of neighborhoods
- Educational attainmentBetter than 98% of neighborhoods
- Short commute14.4 minutes each way, better than 98% of neighborhoods
- School gradeA−, better than 92% of neighborhoods
- State infrastructureBetter than 89% of neighborhoods
Where South University, Eugene ranks low
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
- Household income$45,841 median, better than only 12% of neighborhoods
- Big-city accessBetter than only 12% of neighborhoods
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 21% of neighborhoods
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 22% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in South University, Eugene
A household needs to earn about $189,000 a year to comfortably buy the median South University, Eugene home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $45,841, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses South University, Eugene's effective rate of 1.04%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices and rents, renting stays cheaper than buying across the first 10 years here, so the case for buying rests on staying much longer or on prices rising faster than assumed. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in South University, Eugene
South University, Eugene runs younger than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for South University, Eugene.
Who works in South University, Eugene, and how
Work in South University, Eugene centers on education and hospitality & food. Unemployment sits above the national rate, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 52%
- Work from home 16%
- Transit, walk, or bike 32%
Life in South University, Eugene
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across South University, Eugene.
What the weather is like in South University, Eugene, month by month
South University, Eugene sees roughly 88 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 88 degrees. January highs sit near 51, with lows near 35. The comfortable stretch runs May through September.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 42° | 35° |
| April | 65° | 51° | 39° |
| July | 88° | 70° | 51° |
| October | 68° | 54° | 42° |
Flying in and out of South University, Eugene
The nearest airport, Mahlon Sweet Field, is about 9 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Portland International, about 110 miles away.
The best schools in and around South University, Eugene
Schools across South University, Eugene average an A−, better than 92% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Yujin Gakuen Elementary SchoolB+ · 52% proficient
- Camas Ridge Community ElementaryB− · 42% proficient
Top middle schools
- Roosevelt Middle SchoolA+ · 68% proficient
Top high schools
- South Eugene High SchoolA− · 65% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every South University, Eugene school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
South University, Eugene measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare South University, Eugene against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in South University, Eugene
Is South University, Eugene a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, South University, Eugene ranks 2,826th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on biking, an educated workforce, and short commutes, and lowest on the cost of living against local pay and low incomes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is South University, Eugene expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $699,475. The overall cost of living runs about 1% below the national average. Set against a $45,841 median income, cost of living beats 6% of neighborhoods.
Is South University, Eugene safe?
Yes, South University, Eugene is safer than 72% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $430 per resident a year.
Compare South University, Eugene with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to South University, Eugene. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in South University, Eugene represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
South University, Eugene detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for South University, Eugene: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in South University, Eugene: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of South University, Eugene: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in South University, Eugene: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
South University, Eugene detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.