Independent research. A more connected city.

Understand Portland.
Help shape what’s next.

Follow the money. Make sense of city decisions. Find your way in—with free tools and sources you can check.

Join for free Explore the work

Help choose what we investigate. We’ll do the digging.

An illustrated Portland riverfront with neighbors, cyclists, and the St. Johns Bridge — A city worth understanding. A future we share.

A place to start

Big questions. Clearer answers.

Campaign finance

Follow the money.
Beyond Election Day.

Explore who funds Oregon campaigns, where the money goes, and the records behind it.

Explore campaign finance

The cost of living

What does it really cost to live here?

Compare housing, taxes, childcare, and everyday costs for your household.

Compare living costs 2026 Portland & Multnomah election results

The count behind the result.

A county lead reversed. The council’s first-choice leaders held. Explore seven contests in the unofficial November 4, 4:30 p.m. results.

Explore election results

Looking for candidate research? The 2026 Voters’ Guide is here

In person, in Portland

Recent and upcoming events.

Recently · Free screening

Aaron Swartz at 40: The Internet’s Own Boy

Senator Ron Wyden, Creative Commons, Cory Doctorow, Audrey Tang and eight others sent letters and videos for Aaron’s birthday. All twelve are on the page, along with the film.

Sunday, November 8, 2026, 2 to 5 p.m. · 5th Avenue Cinema

Read the letters

Next event
Nothing on the calendar yet.
If you have a room, a film, or a question worth getting people together over, we’d like to hear about it.
Suggest an event

Free membership

Your curiosity can
move this city forward.

You don’t have to become a policy expert to make a difference. Bring your questions. We’ll help you follow the answers.

Become a free member

No payment. No password to create. Email updates are your choice.

Help choose the next question.
Propose research topics and vote for the questions you want the Lab to explore.
Keep following what matters.
Save districts and return to published Council and Parks updates in one place.
Stay connected on your terms.
Choose an optional weekly digest when there are verified updates for your districts.

Useful, close to home

Get to know your everyday city.

Explore all tools

Portland Parks Atlas

Find your next favorite park—and see what it takes to care for it.

Portland Possible

Explore the blocks we share and imagine what downtown could become.

Explore downtown

Oregon Market Commons

Find a market, plan a visit, and connect with local growers and makers.

Public tools stay free to use. Research links back to its sources.How we do the work

Keep this work in public

A stronger city needs
information everyone can use.

Monthly support helps keep the tools running, the sources accessible, and the next question worth asking.

$10 / month

Give $10 monthly Choose another amount or give once

No account needed. Cancel monthly support anytime.
Support is not tax-deductible.

Made here. Built to be useful.

Meet Portland Civic Lab.

An independent company turning public records into useful tools and research. Our funding rules keep support separate from our findings.

The people and the purpose Independence and funding Partner with the Lab