With a total state population of 4.2 million Oregonians feel less concerned for their safety than Americans living in other cities, with only 39% expressing a daily level of concern compared to an average of 47% across the United States.
One positive attribute is that property crime has dropped since 2019, but violent crime has remained flat over the past several years and is the lowest state in the Pacific region.
Although 22% of Oregonians experience theft compared to 20% in the United States, property crime dropped two points to 27.3% in 2021.
Now that you have a little background on the state, it’s time to dive into the safest cities in Oregon.
Keep reading to learn more!
Contents
10 Safest Cities in Oregon
The Beaver State is generally a safe place to live but you always need to keep your bearings, especially in cities, like anywhere else.
The data gathered is based on 10,000 people (for instance, a score of 2 is two crimes per 10,000 residents).
10. McMinnville
Topping the list is McMinnville, a city located in the center of Oregon’s wine country.
With over 220 wineries and a charming downtown dubbed, “Oregon’s Favorite Main Street,” McMinnville has one of the lowest rates of unemployed residents without insurance on the list.
Also, public safety is decent with zero mass shootings and ranking6th for hate crimes and officer incidences, seventh for property crime and total violent crime and eighth for society crime.
However, financial safety is a problem with annual rent on the rise, 11th for household income, ninth for unemployment, and seventh for poverty.
9. Baker
Back in the frontier days, Baker City was considered a thriving metropolis, boasting a higher population than Spokane and Boise, which are some of the largest cities in the region.
However, that population has declined over the years with less than 10,000 residents of Baker City.
It also has the lowest rate of home internet access within this top ten list.
From a public safety perspective, total violent crime and society crime are ranked sixth and property crime is 10th.
Hate crimes and officer incidences are a major issue, both ranking at 17th in the state.
From a financial safety perspective, Baker has a high unemployment rate, high poverty rate, low household income.
8. Hermiston
Approximately 1,200 farmland acres within the Hermiston city limits are dedicated to watermelon production, with just four farms outputting most watermelon production.
As a result of this influential crop, the town integrated it into its motto and logo: “Where Life is Sweet.”
Despite this seemingly sweet town, there’s room for improvement with a poverty level of over 18%.
On the positive side, residents enjoy a low hate crime index.
Hermiston has had zero mass shootings and is ranked 11th for officer incidences (0.57), hate crimes (0.57), property crime (333.40), society crime (18.83), and total violent crime (5.14).
7. Corvallis
Corvallis’s culture has been influenced by Oregon State University.
With approximately 26,000 enrolled students, half of the population is associated with the university.
As a result, Corvallis is a welcoming destination with the second-lowest hate crime index on this list but a high cost of living.
With zero mass shootings, 7.00 society crimes, 0.17 hate crimes, and officer incidences, 313.72 property crimes, and 9.06 total violent crimes, Corvallis ranks well in public safety overall.
The reason it is number seven on this list is financial safety.
The city ranks 15th for uninsured unemployed residents, 10th for uninsured employed residents, 11th for poverty, 13th for household income, 11th for poverty, and ninth for annual rent.
6. Oregon City
As the first city established in the Oregon territory, Oregon City was also the state’s first capital.
Public safety is a little higher than others on this list, but Oregon City enjoys excellent financial safety with a low cost of living and most residents have home internet.
Like all other cities on this list, Oregon City has not had any mass shootings but is 18th in society crimes with 29.25, 13th in hate crime and officer incidences with 1.08, fifth in property crime with 235, and fifth in total violent crime with 7.04.
5. Hillsboro
While California has Silicon Valley, Hillsboro has Silicon Forest, which is an area with multiple employers in the tech industry.
For this reason, Hillsboro boasts fairly low poverty and unemployment rates.
However, this city isn’t ranked higher on the list because of its crime statistics, which need improvement to advance.
While there were zero mass shootings (first) in Hillsboro, the city is ninth for hate crimes and officer incidences with 0.46, third for property crime with 190 and seventh for society crimes with 15.76, all of which are fairly good statistics.
The main public safety issue in Hillsboro is the total number of violent crimes, which places the city at 11th with 10.53.
4. Tigard
As a southwestern suburb of Portland, Tigard is home to the Real Life Exhibit Portland and the John Tigard House Museum.
In addition to having one of the lowest hate crime incidences in the state, Tigard also boasts an impressive financial safety score of 71/100, making it one of the safest cities in the state.
Tigard is 12th for total violent crimes with 11.70, fourth for society crimes with 9.46, sixth for property crimes with 289.16, 10th for hate crimes and officer incidences with 0.55, and first for mass shootings with zero.
On the financial side, Tigard is fifth for uninsured unemployed residents with 0.34, 10th for uninsured employed with 0.02, 16th for poverty at 0.06, 15th for the unemployment rate at 0.05, and third for a median household income of $75,795.
3. Milwaukie
Not to be confused with its larger brother in Wisconsin where the city derives its name, Milwaukie is a Portland suburb with the nickname, “The Dogwood City of the West.” Until 1962 when it was damaged, Milwaukie claimed to have the oldest and largest living dogwood tree in the world.
Milwaukie ranks highly on this list of Oregon’s safest cities because of low poverty and unemployment rates.
From a statistical perspective, Milwaukie is first for mass shootings with 0, 16th for officer incidences and hate crimes with 1.43, second for property crimes with 148.03, third for society crimes with 7.67, and ninth in the state for total violent crime with 9.58.
2. Bend
Nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, Bend features the lowest hate crime index on this list.
The city and region are well-known for their cideries, breweries, and wineries but also offer many outdoor adventures like mountain biking and kayaking.
Bend has a score of 90/100 for public safety and 62/100 for financial safety.
The city has seen zero mass shootings (first), 0.10 officer incidences and hate crimes (third), 213.44 property crimes (fourth), 11.70 society crimes (fifth), and 4.92 total violent crimes (third).
1. West Linn
Known as the “City of Hill, Trees, and Rivers,” West Linn is the safest city in the Beaver State because of its low percentage of uninsured or unemployed residents, low poverty level, high income, low-cost living, and internet access in almost all households.
West Linn also boasts one of the most educated populations in the state.
Statistically speaking, West Linn is first in the state for mass shootings with 0, 14th for officer incidences and hate crimes at 1.11, first in property crime with only 86.88, first for society crimes at 6.31, and second for total violent crimes with only 2.60.
5 Safety Tips for Traveling to Oregon
Oregon’s top priority for residents and visitors is safety.
However, there are several tips you should consider before traveling to Oregon:
Be Aware of Weather Changes
Due to its location in the Pacific Northwest, the weather can drastically change at the drop of a hat.
Therefore, you must always be prepared for the worst-case scenario of being stuck for several days in the winter, especially in the mountains.
Always inform a loved one and the local ranger’s office of your whereabouts before camping or hiking.
Don’t Be Surprised by the Number of Homeless
Like with most major cities on the west coast, homelessness is a problem.
This mostly means holding your breath while walking past an odiferous encampment or listening to a nonsensical monologue.
However, situations can escalate so trust your gut.
Review a crime map before visiting any city to ensure you do not wander into an area where you should not be.
Know your Surroundings
Oregon is a safe place to visit, with friendly and helpful people.
However, when in any city across the globe, you should take normal precautions.
If you have never visited before, always know where your local police and fire stations are in case you need them.
Never flash money or expensive objects in public, and always lock your car when not in use, especially overnight.
Look Out for Wildfires
Like many states on the west coast, Oregon has experienced an increase in wildfires over the past several years.
Although natural wildfires are attributed to a healthy forest ecosystem, uncontrolled fires can endanger lives.
Therefore, it is critical to always check the local conditions before hiking or camping to ensure there are no wildfires in the area.
Never Approach Elk
When camping or hiking, observing the local wildlife can be an amazing experience.
However, it is advisable to never approach any wild animal, especially elk.
While they are giant animals with beautiful antlers, they stand their ground when approached by humans, which can be extremely dangerous.
So… How Safe is Oregon Really?
Generally, all towns and cities in Oregon are safe and wonderful places to visit.
However, like when traveling anywhere, you must keep your wits about you and take normal precautions of locking car doors, locking the door at night, and not flashing money or expensive items in crowded areas or on mass transit.
Statistically speaking, all the locations on this list are safe to visit since the total violent crimes and overall public safety crimes are fairly low.
Many of these destinations lose points due to poor financial safety which is less likely to impact visitors and more so the residents of these locations.
Oregon is a diverse and amazing destination, with a balance of nature and urban areas.
From countless wineries and beautiful mountains to significant cultural and sporting events, Oregon has something for every taste!
Resources
- https://www.followmeaway.com/traveling-to-oregon/
- https://traveloregon.com/travel-alerts/
- https://www.oregon.gov/odot/pages/winter-driving.aspx
Oregon Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Oregon Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: HIGH
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Oregon safe for minorities?
In most cases, just like anywhere in the U.S., it is safe for minorities, many minority groups live in the U.S. and live safe and happy.
However, there are extremists and racist groups, and their activity has risen in recent years, so it’s always good to keep an eye out and try to blend in.
What city is most dangerous to visit in Oregon?
Portland.
In recent years, it has become much more unsafe than it used to be.
Property crime in Portland is 148% above the national average.
Left-wing extremists are on the rise in recent years in Portland, and in fact, there is a change of 1 in 17 to be a victim of crime.
What's the average cost of living in Oregon?
Oregon is considered an expensive state to live in.
For example, the median price of a single-family home in the U.S. is $290,000.
In Oregon, the average price is $440,000.
How many people in Oregon are Democrats?
About 1 million of the population in Oregon are democrats, as of August 2021.
Does Oregon get snow?
Yes.
Sometimes there is snow to be found, but not every winter.
I can definitely agree about Oregon City, I have lived in the area since last year, the pandemic made me want to move outside the big city, I lived in Portland before.
It was a great decision, I feel much safer in Oregon City than I ever was in Portland.
I second that, Portland is now a dangerous metro area to live in, but moving to some of the surrounding suburbs is a much better option than actually living in Portland itself.
Yes, Portland is now dangerous because of ANTIFA rioters and the “Defund the Police” idiots (also rioters).
Cities like Eugene and Salem in Oregon are known for their safety. The low crime rates, and well-maintained public spaces, and friendly communities make them attractive destinations for those seeking a secure travel vacation.
Having explored Portland extensively, I appreciate the city’s commitment to safety. From its vibrant neighborhoods to iconic parks, Portland provides a sense of security for residents and visitors alike.
Oregon, in general, prioritizes safety, and cities like Bend and Corvallis reflect this commitment. The well-designed urban areas and the community’s emphasis on security make them great choices for travelers.