Sylvan Highlands

Southwest Portland, about 2.5 miles from downtown, in Multnomah County.

Researched and written by Ryan Rose · Updated October 29, 2026

Forest Park is one of the neighbors bordering Sylvan Highlands, and in my records this Southwest Portland neighborhood shows tree canopy of 60.2%, more canopy than 90% of Portland neighborhoods. I found an average lot of 16,493 sq ft, larger than 95% of Portland neighborhoods, and an average home of 2,631 sq ft. The streets are hillier than 90% of Portland neighborhoods, and I estimate sidewalk coverage at 9.5%.

Illustration of a residential street of detached single-family houses, built mostly in the 1960s.
Illustration
Downtown Sylvan Highlands 2 mi N ↑
I marked Sylvan Highlands on a map of Portland drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

At a glance

Area
416 acres
Homes
494 Counted in the 2020 Census, apartments and condos included
Median year built
1970 Newer than 80% of Portland neighborhoods
Average home size
2,631 sq ft Larger than 90% of Portland neighborhoods Houses and buildings of up to 4 homes
Average lot size
16,493 sq ft Larger than 95% of Portland neighborhoods
Tree canopy
60.2% More canopy than 90% of Portland neighborhoods
Streets steeper than 8%
29.4% of street length Hillier than 90% of Portland neighborhoods Elevation 630–1,061 ft
In FEMA's 100-year flood zone
None
Within 500 ft of a freeway
7.8% of residential lots
New homes permitted
0 Fewer than 90% of Portland neighborhoods Since January 2023

Share of homes: 85.4% single-family houses, 8.3% in 2–4 unit buildings, 6.3% in apartment, condo and other multi-home properties

I compared each figure with the 86 other Portland neighborhoods I have researched that have at least 100 residential parcels.

Getting around on foot

Intersections per sq mile
65 Fewer than 85% of Portland neighborhoods
Average block length
429 ft Longer than 90% of Portland neighborhoods
Sidewalk coverage
9.5% (my estimate) Lower than 90% of Portland neighborhoods
Transit stops within ¼ mile
19 Fewer than 95% of Portland neighborhoods
Everyday categories within ½ mile
6 Fewer than 90% of Portland neighborhoods

I compared each figure with the 86 other Portland neighborhoods I have researched that have at least 100 residential parcels.

Parks and recreation

Schools in and near this neighborhood

  • ST THOMAS MORE SCHOOL

Food, drink and daily errands

Restaurants
2
Cafes
1
Bars and pubs
0
Grocery
0
Pharmacies
0

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

  • Verde Cocina Mexican · Inside the neighborhood Patio
  • Pizzicato Pizza · Inside the neighborhood
  • Starbucks Coffee · Inside the neighborhood Patio
  • Coffee Crossing Coffee · 0.2 mi away
  • Cascade Grill American · 0.2 mi away Patio
  • Elephant Ears 2 Restaurant · 0.3 mi away
  • Bear Walk Cafe Coffee · 0.3 mi away
  • Aviary Cafe American · 0.3 mi away Patio
  • Elephant Ears Restaurant · 0.4 mi away
  • Joy Wok Chinese · 0.4 mi away

I pulled these from OpenStreetMap: the nearest named restaurants and cafes, starting inside the neighborhood and measured from its edge. Places marked Patio have outdoor seating, from my research for Outdoor Seating Near Me, my other site; the photos come from that research too.

Housing context

Median home value
$1,160,700
Median gross rent
$1,864
Owner-occupied
79.4%
Renter-occupied
20.6%

I pulled these from the census tract that covers this neighborhood, so they describe the tract, not the neighborhood itself. I report housing and housing cost only.

Bordering neighborhoods