Oregon’s Safest Cities of 2024

John Carlsen
Mar 18, 2024
Icon Time To Read4 min read
SafeWise is pleased to release the 10th annual Safest Cities report.

Here are the 10 Safest Cities in Oregon for 2024

See crime rates for the safest cities.

Oregonians in our 2023 State of Safety report expressed a higher level of concern for their safety this survey year (50%) compared to last year (45%). For this first time, they feel more concerned overall than their fellow Americans, which averaged 47%. In line with higher safety concerns, only 32% said they feel generally safe within their state (the ninth-lowest from the survey year).

Residents of The Beaver State generally worry more about crime, gun violence, and package theft than their peers. Over 80% of the Oregonians we surveyed believe that crime is increasing.

Perceptions seem to match reality, with Oregon's violent and property crime rates increasing for the second consecutive year. All 10 of Oregon’s safest cities had violent and property crime rates below the state and national averages.

In this report

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NOTE: If your city is missing from our full report, it means that it was below the population threshold or didn’t submit a complete crime report to the FBI in 2022.

2024 Oregon crime rates

Image: SafeWise

Violent crime in Oregon increased this year from 3.6 incidents per 1,000 people to 4.2. Property crime rose for the second time since 2012 from 28.2 incidents per 1,000 last year to 30.3—giving Oregon the fourth-highest property crime rate in the US.

Compared to the national average, Oregon has a higher violent crime rate (US 4.0) and a higher property crime rate (US 20.7). 

Property crime in Oregon: Fear vs. reality

Oregon survey respondents were more concerned with property crime than the average American, which aligns with the state’s higher property crime rate. Of our survey respondents, 56% said they were most concerned with property crime, with 57% most concerned with package theft in particular.

  • Oregon sees about 5% more property crimes as a proportion of overall crime than most of the US. Property crime makes up 88% of all crime in the state, compared to 84% nationwide.
  • Overall, Oregon saw a higher rate of motor vehicle theft (19%) than most of the nation (US 14%).
  • This year, burglary accounted for 12% of all property crime in Oregon compared to 13% nationwide. 
  • Reported experience with property crime went down year over year—from 36% last year to 30% of respondents telling us they experienced a property crime in the 12 months prior to the survey (US (27%).

Attitudes about property security in Oregon

The safety measures used most in Oregon: security cameras, guard dogs, and firearms.

Image: SafeWise

  • 67% of Oregon respondents use some form of property protection (US 75%).
  • The top forms of property protection in Oregon were security cameras (30%) and guard dogs (26%). This is lower than the respective national averages for security cameras (US 26%) and guard dogs (US 33%).
  • 33% of Oregonians say they increased security measures in the 12 months prior to the survey (US 35%).

Attitudes about package theft in Oregon

  • 36% of respondents in Oregon reported experiencing package theft in the 12 months prior to the survey—higher than the US average of 35%.
  • 57% of participants expressed a high level of concern about package theft, which is four percentage points above the US average of 53%.
  • Of those who use security measures to prevent package theft (70%), the preferred methods of package protection in Oregon are verified delivery (28%), followed by video doorbells (23%) and asking the carrier to leave the package in a safe spot (23%).
  • The Portland metro area was the tenth worst city for package theft in our 2023 report.

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What crimes are Oregon residents most concerned about?

Bar chart showing percentages of how concerned state residents are about crime compared to the national averages for violent crime, property crime, package theft and gun violence.

Image: SafeWise

Violent crime in Oregon: Fear vs. reality

Over half (52%) of Oregonians were highly concerned about violent crime in our most recent survey—a small decline from 53%  last year (US 50%). While concern and crime rates have increased, Oregon still has a much lower proportion of violent crimes than most of the US.

  • Violent crime accounts for 12% of all crime reported in Oregon (US 16%)
  • Of the violent crimes committed, aggravated assault was the most common (55% of total) in Oregon with over 9,800 incidents reported. Nationwide aggravated assault accounts for 71% of all violent crime.
  • Experiences with violent crime rose 15% year over year, with 15% of respondents saying they experienced it in the 12 months prior to the survey.

Attitudes about personal safety in Oregon

  • 35% of Oregonians use some form of personal protection (US 36%).
  • The most common forms of personal protection in Oregon this survey year were pocket knives and pepper spray, with 51% each.
  • Just over 3 in 10 respondents (32%) said they feel safe in Oregon, compared to the national average of 45% who feel safe in their state.

Attitudes about gun violence in Oregon

  • 52% of Oregonians said they worry about about a gun violence incident happening to them (US 51%).
  • Reported experiences with gun violence remained steady year over year at 9% of survey respondents.
  • There were 2 mass shootings in Oregon in 2023—a decrease from 2022 (6 incidents).
  • Of those who regularly use personal protection, 29% carry a concealed firearm.
  • Of those who use security measures at home, 22% rely on a firearm to protect their property.

A closer look at the safest cities in Oregon

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

  • 44 cities met our criteria to be considered for ranking.
  • West Linn tops our list for the fifth year in a row.
  • 40% of the safest cities went up in rank compared to last year with Canby and Newberg-Dundee showing the most improvement—each moved up 4 spots to land at 2 and 6 respectively.
  • 3 cities maintained their rankings from last year: West Linn (1), Central Point (5), and Bend (8).
  • Monmouth is new to the list this year, debuting as the ninth safest city in Oregon.
  • None of the safest cities reported more than 2.2 violent crimes per 1,000, and 80% reported zero murders.
  • All of the safest cities reported fewer than 17.5 property crime incidents per 1,000.
  • Prineville reported the fewest total crimes (170) with 26 violent crimes and 144 property crimes.

The 10 safest cities in Oregon

Silhouette of Oregon with pins marking where the safest cities are located.

Image: SafeWise

West Linn, Oregon
#1
West Linn
(
-0-
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    26,842
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.8, 0.7, 0.4
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    11.3, 12.6, 11.7
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Canby, Oregon
#2
Canby
(
+4
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    18,101
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.9, 2.0, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    12.3, 10.6, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Milwaukie, Oregon
#3
Milwaukie
(
-1
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    20,784
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.2, 1.3, 1.4
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    13.6, 11.2, 14.8
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Lake Oswego, Oregon
#4
Lake Oswego
(
-1
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    40,044
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.8, 0.9, 0.7
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    16.7, 15.8, 16.4
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Central Point, Oregon
#5
Central Point
(
-0-
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    19,670
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.4, 1.1, 2.6
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    14.6, 15.3, 18.5
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Newberg-Dundee, Oregon
#6
Newberg-Dundee
(
+4
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    25,503
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.2, 2.1, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    17.3, 13.8, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Lebanon, Oregon
#7
Lebanon
(
+2
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    19,456
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.8, 1.8, 1.3
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    13.0, 15.3, 16.8
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Bend, Oregon
#8
Bend
(
-0-
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    104,649
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.5, 1.7, 1.7
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    17.1, 15.5, 18.9
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Monmouth, Oregon
#9
Monmouth
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    11,123
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.8, N/A, 1.0
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    15.2, N/A, 10.8
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Prineville, Oregon
#10
Prineville
(
+4
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    11,586
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.2, 3.5, 3.0
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    12.4, 11.0, 18.1
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime

How we determined the safest cities

Learn how we identified the safest cities on our methodology page.

How to make a safe home anywhere

Over 6 in 10 Americans surveyed don't have a home security system, despite over 50% of all burglaries being residential. Unfortunately, a majority of people who have a security system added it after they had a break-in. One of the best ways to stop a burglary before it happens—and get immediate help if a break-in is detected—is to add a monitored home security system.

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Find the safest cities in each state

Click on the state image or dropdown menu below to check out the safest cities for each state.

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Endnotes and sources

Find all endnotes and sources in our full methodology.

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed March 18, 2024.

  • 2022 and 2021 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
    • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
  • 2022 NIBRS Estimation Tables

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed March 18, 2024.

Gun Violence Archive, "Mass Shootings." Accessed March 18, 2023.

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John Carlsen
Written by
John Carlsen
John is a technology journalist specializing in smart home devices, security cameras, and home security systems. He has over a decade of experience researching, testing, and reviewing the latest tech—he was the Smart Home Editor for Top Ten Reviews and wrote for ASecureLife before joining SafeWise as a Staff Writer in 2020. John holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism emphasis from Utah Valley University. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, photography, cooking, and starting countless DIY projects he has yet to complete.

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