10 Best & Safest Places To Live In Oregon

Oregon, located in the majestic Pacific Northwest, bordering Nevada, Washington, Idaho, and California is becoming more and more popular among people wanting to relocate. And with the beauty and other good things the state has to offer, this is not surprising.

While some native Oregonians are heard complaining about folks moving in from out-of-state, you can’t really blame them for wanting to live there. After all, being an Oregonian is not about where you were born. It’s more about why you choose to live there.

A city in Clackamas County, West Linn is an affluent southern suburb in the Portland metropolitan area. West Linn has a history of early development, thanks to harvest energy from nearby Willamette Falls.

This is a beautiful city with a close-knit community. You’ll notice how friendly people are and how they are willing to engage in fun conversation.

While it’s a city, it’s small enough for residents to know each other but big enough to have everything you might need. This location also has great access to Tualatin and Downtown Lake Oswego and other interesting destinations.

If you have kids in your family, you’ll be happy to know that West Linn has good public schools nearby that actually care about their students. Unfortunately, there’s no nightlife, but it helps the place be safe and family-friendly.

Another great place for the family is Lake Oswego, a city in Clackamas County with small portions extending into neighboring Multnomah and Washington counties. This city sits about 8 miles south of Portland and surrounding the 405-acre Oswego Lake.

What makes it family-friendly is mainly its excellent education, kind and friendly community, and different activities open for everyone to enjoy. There’s just something for everyone of any age!

Lake Oswego is completely surrounded by the beautiful Oswego Lake – a 420-acre lake available to residents for boating, swimming, fishing, and other watersports activities. And even for just sightseeing, the lake is truly breathtaking.

Raleigh Hills is a census-designated place and neighborhood within the metropolitan area of Portland. It’s seated in the southwest hills in Washington County, with West Slope to the north, Beaverton to the west, and Progress and Garden Home to the south.

This place is quiet despite being close to downtown Portland. It’s a family-friendly well-kept suburb that offers a lot of activities for children like parks and libraries. There are also great schools.

Raleigh Hills is a nice green area with flat walkable streets. So, if you want to keep active, you’ll love this place for its walkability and safety. You’ll also enjoy a great assortment of restaurants in the area, no matter what your palette decides.

West Haven-Sylvan is another census-designated place in Washington County, north of U.S. Route 26. And it’s also another place in Oregon that is a great place to live.

Even though there are many different types of businesses located nearby downtown, you’ll find no bars, restaurants, or coffee shops in this area. This area is mainly residential, which makes it perfect for those who are raising a family.

However, there are businesses of any kind located on the outskirts of the neighborhood. This is also a walkable place – seeing people walking their baby or dogs and joggers is a common sight in this area.

While parks here are limited, there’s one that is dominating it – the Washington Park that consists of over 410 acres and about 15 miles of hiking trails. This is where you’ll find Portland’s Hoyt Arboretum, whose 188 acres comprise nearly half of Washington Park.

Cedar Mill is next on our list. This is also a suburb within the Portland Metro area with different shops and franchises and locally-owned restaurants.

One of the best things about this area is that you’ll see bike lanes almost everywhere and places of interest are within walkable distance. Even though the weather remains rather wet, dull, and gloomy during the fall, winter, and part of springtime, the temperature may reach up to 90°F throughout the summer!

If you need to live near Portland, this is one of the best areas you can find. Many families fall in love with its charm, location, and abundance of attractions forests, ponds, hiking trails, rivers, and night scenes.

Additionally, it’s located just an hour away from the coastal area and about an hour and a half from Mt. Hood. All in all, it’s a great town to call your home.

Garden Home-Whitford is a census-designated place that covers the neighborhoods of Garden Home and the smaller Whitford area in Washington County. They’re located in the southwest hills of Portland, close to Beaverton.

Garden Home-Whitford boasts a calm environment, which makes it so appealing to people who love spending time outdoors. There are public green spaces that are especially well-spread out.

This place offers so many things to explore and getting to some of the main locations within the Portland metropolitan area is so easy. If you’re looking for a peaceful and quiet neighborhood to live in, it shouldn’t be hard to find it here.

Oak Hills is another great option for people looking for a family-friendly place to live in Oregon. This place an extremely safe area with a tightly knit community.

Oaks Hills has a community organization that makes it easier for newcomers to adjust and fit in their new home. However, this area is slightly more expensive than the state’s median cost of living, and monthly payment is collected that go towards the facilities.

But then again, you’re likely to find those fees worth it. There are community events that take place frequently that often involve guest speakers. The facilities available in this area are great – it’s only a matter of whether or not you can afford them. However, expect to share free facilities like the parks, walk trails, and basketball and tennis courts with many residents.

All in all, this area is great and surely worth checking out, especially if safety and entertainment are your top priority.

Sherwood is a city located in the southeast corner of the county. It is mostly a residential community in the Tualatin Valley, southwest of Portland.

What makes this place an amazing place to live is its beauty and people. Although there’s not much diversity within the community, you’ll find that people are generally very accepting of the different views and values of others.

This is place is also very convenient. Many local stores, restaurants, and coffee shops are located right next to one another t. It surely is perfect for families looking for a safe, community-centered location.

Rockcreek is a census-designated place located in Northwest Oregon along the Oregon-Washington and Columbia River border. It’s named for the Rock Creek neighborhood in the area

Rockcreek is a lovely place to live for its beautiful features and safety. However, the only thing many people don’t like about this place is the constant rain, which makes the sky dull and gray.

But if this is something that doesn’t bother you, then you’ll be so happy to live here. This is especially true if you love the outdoors. The area offers a lot of camping grounds, hiking, walking, and bike trails, and of course, the coastal area.

Last but certainly not least the beautiful city of Silverton. Silverton is located in Marion County and situated along the 45th parallel about 12 miles northeast of Salem, in the eastern margins of the expansive alluvial plain of the Willamette Valley.

This offers a lot of fun outdoor activities and community events everyone would surely enjoy. It also offers a strong sense of community that will make you feel at home right away when you move here.

Aside from the beautiful nature, another thing you will love about Silverton is the historical downtown and its plentiful of shops, bars, and restaurants. This surely must be on your list when looking for the best places to live in Oregon.

The violent crime rate in Oregon is lower than the national average – Oregon has 2.9 incidents per 1,000 people while the national average has 3.7. This makes Oregon one of the safest states in the country.

However, the Beaver State doesn’t do that well in terms of property crime. The property crime in the state happens at a rate of 28.9 incidents per 1,000, while the national average has 22.0.

Below is a rundown comparison of crimes in Oregon and the US national average.