Oregon City, OR Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Oregon City Crime & Safety

Is Oregon City safe to live in?

Oregon City earns an overall crime grade of A-, and its city-wide safety rating is classified as Very Safe (A) — a distinction that puts it well ahead of most U.S. cities of comparable size. Remarkably, all 17 analyzed neighborhoods received a grade of A or higher, meaning 100% of Oregon City neighborhoods fall into the safe-to-very-safe category. Not a single neighborhood scored below an A. The safest areas — including Carus, Carver-Logan, Hazel Grove / Westling Farm, Central Point-Leeland-New Era, and Tower Vista — each carry an A+ rating, the highest possible designation. For context, many metro-area cities see 20–40% of neighborhoods graded C or lower; Oregon City's 0% in that range is a meaningful statistical outlier.

What is the crime rate in Oregon City compared to other cities?

Oregon City's crime profile is exceptionally strong relative to national and regional benchmarks. With a city-wide grade of A- and 100% of its 17 neighborhoods graded A, the city sits in a tier occupied by only a small fraction of U.S. municipalities. Contributing factors include a relatively low population density of 1,424 residents per square mile, a median household income of $81,039, and a poverty rate of just 5.7% — all indicators that correlate with lower crime. The unemployment rate of 4.4% also falls near the national average, reflecting a stable local economy. Even the neighborhoods identified as having comparatively higher crime — Barclay Hills (A-), Park Place, Caufield, McLoughlin, and Canemah (all A) — still earn grades that would be considered excellent in virtually any other city.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Oregon City?

Eight Oregon City neighborhoods carry the top A+ safety grade, making the city's safest-neighborhood list unusually long and competitive. Here's a data snapshot of the top performers:

• Carus — A+ grade, population 2,393, median income $88,628
• Carver-Logan — A+ grade, population 1,620, median income $103,564
• Hazel Grove / Westling Farm — A+ grade, population 808, median income $99,807
• Central Point-Leeland-New Era — A+ grade, population 9,540, median income $94,209 (the largest neighborhood in the city)
• Tower Vista — A+ grade, population 1,199, median income $96,815
• Gaffney Lane — A+ grade, population 280, median income $89,479
• Redland-Fischers Mill-Viola — A+ grade, population 5,595, median income $106,076 (highest median income among all neighborhoods)
• South End — A+ grade, population 2,171, median income $96,035

Neighborhoods rated A — including Holcomb-Outlook (pop. 7,594, income $95,843) and Hillendale (pop. 3,772, income $67,757) — are also considered very safe and represent strong options for families and renters.

Which parts of Oregon City have the highest crime?

Even Oregon City's highest-crime areas are, by most measures, safe. Barclay Hills carries the city's lowest grade at A-, while Park Place, Caufield, McLoughlin, and Canemah each hold an A grade. To put that in perspective, an A- is the second-highest possible safety grade — meaning there are no D or F neighborhoods, no C neighborhoods, and no B neighborhoods anywhere in the city. Residents in these areas still benefit from Oregon City's overall low-crime environment. That said, as with any community, staying aware of your surroundings and securing your property remains good practice regardless of neighborhood grade.

Is Oregon City a good place to buy a home or raise a family?

The data makes a compelling case. Oregon City's median home value of $382,010 and median household income of $81,039 suggest a community where homeownership is attainable for middle-income households. With a poverty rate of 5.7% — well below the national average of roughly 12–13% — and an unemployment rate of 4.4%, the economic foundation is solid. From a safety standpoint, the numbers are even more striking: 100% of neighborhoods graded A, with 8 out of 17 neighborhoods (47%) earning an A+. Neighborhoods like Central Point-Leeland-New Era (the city's most populous at 9,540 residents) and Holcomb-Outlook (7,594 residents) offer larger community settings with strong A-range safety grades, making them particularly practical choices for families seeking space without sacrificing security.

How does Oregon City's population density affect its crime levels?

Oregon City's population density of 1,424 people per square mile is relatively moderate — lower than dense urban cores like Portland but higher than purely rural communities. This mid-range density appears to support a favorable crime environment: dense enough to sustain active community engagement and neighborhood watch culture, but spread out enough to avoid the concentration effects sometimes associated with high-density urban crime. The result is reflected in the grades: 17 out of 17 neighborhoods rated A or better, with the overall city earning an A- composite grade. The city's 37,057 residents are distributed across a range of neighborhood sizes — from the small Gaffney Lane (280 residents) to the substantial Central Point-Leeland-New Era (9,540 residents) — and all maintain top-tier safety ratings regardless of size.