Oregon: The Best and Worst Cities for Crime

Despite Portland’s reputation for crime, Rogue River and Ontario actually have the highest rates of property and violent crimes in Oregon.
Oregon city header map with magnifying glass
Derek Prall
July 26, 2024 Derek Prall Derek Prall , Home Security Expert | July 26, 2024
Statewide Crime Trends in Oregon Property Crime in Oregon Violent Crime in Oregon

While Portland often makes headlines for its rising crime rates in recent years, Oregon is home to many safe communities. Towns such as Mount Angel, Bandon, Hubbard, and Columbia City exemplify the safety and tranquility found throughout much of the state.

Mount Angel had the lowest property crime rates of Oregon towns, and it’s a standout due to its picturesque location in the Willamette Valley. Interestingly, Mount Angel was founded by German immigrants, and that heritage is still evident today. It’s home to one of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations in the region, and people come from all over the area to see the town’s unique “glockenspiel” clock tower.

Oregon city crime map

Outside of charming small towns like Mount Angel, Oregon authorities recognize the state has a property crime problem. Persistent police staffing shortages have left thousands of property crimes unsolved with no punishment for the criminals who commit them.

As a result, theft of personal property has surged in Portland and other Oregon cities.

“We have moved detectives from our property crimes investigations to investigate other things. Right now, a lot of our investigative resources are focused on gun violence,” Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell told KPTV. “And some of that has come from property crimes.”

However, by 2023, overall crime levels had started to come down. “There are indicators that crime is either plateauing or maybe beginning to come down,” said Ken Sanchagrin, the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission’s executive director.

Property Crime in Oregon

In 2021, an assessment of FBI crime data by SafeHome revealed that Oregon ranked among the top 10 states with the highest property crime rates. Since then, property crimes in Oregon have seen a significant increase compared to national averages, propelling the state to the fourth position on the list of states with the most reported property crimes.

Oregon property crime rates bar graph

The least safe city in Oregon for property crime was Rogue River, followed closely by Portland and Ontario.

Violent Crime in Oregon

Oregon ranks No. 25 nationally among states for violent crime, with a violent crime rate of 342 per 100,000 people. That's 10% lower than the national average.

Oregon violent crime rate bar graph

The least safe city in Oregon for violent crime is Ontario, with a violent crime rate of 842 per 100,000, followed closely by Portland with 751 and Salem with 482.

Our Data

Our data comes from comprehensive reporting compiled by the FBI and accessed via the Crime Data Explorer website. Property and violent crime state figures were drawn from Table 5 of the 2022 Crime in the U.S. Report. Metropolitan figures were found in Table 6, Crime in the U.S. by Metropolitan Statistical Area. City-level figures were drawn from Table 8, Offenses Known to Law Enforcement by State by City. The population figures in that table are U.S. Census Bureau provisional estimates as of July 1, 2020.

Limitations: According to the FBI, the data in the publication tables may differ from those released on the Explorer Pages of the CDE. These variations are due to the differences in methodologies between the publication tables and data displayed on the CDE. Please note that crime statistics are not the sole measure of a city’s safety.

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