The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Oregon City, OR

Oregon City is a city of 55,500 in Clackamas County, about 13 miles south of downtown Portland · Updated November 2026

Is Oregon City, OR safe?

Yes. Crime is low across most of the US, and lower still in Oregon City: an overall CrimeGrade™ of A, safer than the neighborhoods where 60% of Americans live. Violent crime grades A and property crime A-. What matters most is the neighborhood: grades within Oregon City run from A+ to B+, so check the map or the safest and least safe neighborhoods below.

A
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 879 of 1,000
Safer than most US neighborhoods What this means

60% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Oregon City as a whole, and 40% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Oregon City scores 879.

Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more crime than most US neighborhoods.

A
Violent crimeSafety score 900 of 1,000Less violent crime than most US neighborhoods
A-
Property crimeSafety score 840 of 1,000About as much property crime as the typical US neighborhood

How it works


Crime map of Oregon City

Map of Oregon City shaded by overall CrimeGrade™, from green for the least crime to red for the most
Click the map to explore
F D C B A+
Highest crime Safest
Colorblind friendly off

How to read the map: each area's color compares its crime with the people, homes and cars there, on one national scale, from green for the least crime to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Oregon City, OR at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Oregon City, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.

Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports


What stands out in Oregon City

One part of Oregon City stands out for vehicle theft. Car thefts in Barclay Hills, in central Oregon City, run at more than double the rate in the rest of the city.

Burglaries are uncommon. Oregon City has burglaries at about half the US rate: 1.2 a year per 1,000 residents, against 2.4 nationally.


The safest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Oregon City

Every part of Oregon City where people live grades A or B on the national scale. Grades across Oregon City run from A+ to B+; 80% of residents live in areas with less crime than the typical US neighborhood.

A or B 100%

Share of residents, by the overall CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.

  1. 1Park Place, northeastActs of vandalism run at less than half the rate in the rest of Oregon City.A917
  2. 2Hazel Grove-Westling Farm, southwestSimple assaults run about 40% lower here than in the rest of Oregon City.A906
  3. 3Caufield, southeastThefts run about 30% lower here than in the rest of Oregon City.A901
  4. 4Gaffney Lane & Hillendale, southClose to the rest of Oregon City on most crimes.A871
  5. 5Tower Vista, Rivercrest & South End, westThefts run about 50% higher here than in the rest of Oregon City.A-846
  6. 6McLoughlin, northSimple assaults run about 90% higher here than in the rest of Oregon City.A-813
  7. 7Barclay Hills, centralAggravated assaults run about 60% higher here than in the rest of Oregon City.A-812

Neighborhood areas of Oregon City, ranked by overall CrimeGrade™; beside each grade is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer). Each one combines several of the smaller areas on the map.


Is crime going up in Oregon City?

Reported crime in Oregon City has fallen since 2019: violent crime is down 25% and property crime down 26%. Murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults went from about 3.0 to 2.3 a year per 1,000 residents (US: 3.7); burglaries, thefts and vehicle thefts from about 18 to 13 (US: 18). In 2024 alone, property crime fell 18%.

Violent crime, change since 2019

Property crime, change since 2019

Oregon CityUnited States

Source: crime reports to the FBI from the police department that serves Oregon City. The charts follow crimes per resident.

Data table
YearViolent, Oregon CityViolent, USProperty, Oregon CityProperty, US
2016-31%+4%+18%+15%
2017-17%+4%+32%+12%
2018+24%+0%+35%+4%
2019+0%+0%+0%+0%
2020+8%+4%-7%-8%
2021-21%+6%+8%-10%
2022+24%+5%+28%-6%
2023-21%+2%-9%-7%
2024-25%-4%-26%-15%

Crime rates and types in Oregon City

CrimeGrade™ estimates Oregon City has about 23 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 39% less than the US as a whole and 46% less than Oregon.

Overall crime

Violent crime

Property crime

Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. These figures include simple assaults and vandalism, which the FBI's violent and property crime rates leave out.

Theft is the most common crime in Oregon City, about 40% of everything reported, but assault costs more, because each one does more harm.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA+under 10.010.05
RapeB+210.380.38
RobberyA+90.150.62
AssaultA3175.712.3
Property crime
BurglaryA671.22.4
TheftA-5129.213.1
Vehicle theftA+661.22.7
ArsonB+120.220.12
VandalismA-2624.75.5

Each CrimeGrade™ compares a crime with what it affects: people for assaults and robbery, homes for burglary, parked cars for vehicle theft. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.

Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.


Where and when crime happens in Oregon City

Oregon City has its own police department, and these figures come from its reports, 2022 to 2024.

In Oregon City, 43% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally. Thefts from cars happen most often at homes: 44% of them, against 34% nationally.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
BurglaryHomes (43%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Car theftHomes (48%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Theft from carsHomes (44%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
VandalismStores and businesses (30%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Aggravated assaultHomes (55%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)

Shares of the crimes reported to police, 2022 to 2024. Reports with no time recorded are left out of the times.


How Oregon City compares with nearby cities

Oregon City has less crime than 6 of its 8 nearest cities; only Beavercreek and West Linn have less.

Nearby cities

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Oregon CityA879AA-55,500
Gladstone 4 milesB+741A-B-12,200
West Linn 4 milesA922A+A29,900
Johnson City 5 milesB+724A-B1,430
Portland 13 milesC447C+D+696,300
Show all 8
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Oatfield 5 milesA-788A-B+12,000
Clackamas 6 milesA-824A-A-25,700
Oak Grove 6 milesB+741A-B16,500
Beavercreek 6 milesA+950A+A+5,220

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Oregon City. Beside each overall CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).

Compared with cities of similar size and density, Oregon City is safer than 51% of them.

Cities of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Oregon CityA879AA-55,500
Evans, GAA+948A+A+55,500
Loveland, OHA+935A+A+55,900
West Chester, OHA915A+A55,500
Friendswood, TXA882AA55,000
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Sebring, FLA874AA56,200
Bluffton, SCA862AA55,700
Asheboro, NCA861AA56,200
Goshen, INA-840A-A-55,800
Lufkin, TXA-819A-A56,100
Holladay, UTA-818AB55,300

Transit, night lighting and walkability in Oregon City

Two things set Oregon City apart: it has 7 buses and trains an hour at the evening rush, where most Americans have none nearby, and 3.8% of its homes standing empty, against 7.1% nationally. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft and robbery; here theft sits near the national middle.

Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft and robbery. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for Oregon City: D (18 of 100).7 trips an hourUS: noneHigher than for 79% of US city residents
Lit at nightSatellite images show which neighborhoods are lit at night, a sign of busy streets and businesses. Brightly lit places tend to report more theft and vandalism.69% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 78% of US city residents
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft and assault. 86% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.D (14 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 63% of US city residents
Show all 6
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.7.5 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Lower than for 77% of US city residents
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary, vandalism and arson.3.8% of homesUS: 7.1%Lower than for 77% of US city residents
Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery and car theft.9% of residentsUS: 24%Lower than for 63% of US city residents

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Oregon City on shops, parks, home prices, getting around and more.

These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.


What crime costs Oregon City

Crime costs Oregon City about $649 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 46% less than the US figure of $1,205.

Cost of crime per resident, per year

Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost comes to about $39 million a year, or $699 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$1.4 million$26
Rape$1.3 million$23
Robbery$270,000$5
Assault$4.0 million$73
Burglary$610,000$11
Theft$2.6 million$47
Vehicle theft$1.0 million$18
Arson$290,000$5
Vandalism$1.9 million$33
Total$13 million$241

How CrimeGrade™ works

A CrimeGrade™ shows how much crime an area has compared with the rest of the country, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most. Every neighborhood in the US is graded on the same scale, so a B in Oregon City means the same as a B anywhere else.

CrimeGrade™ starts from the crimes people report to police and measures each kind of crime against what it affects: people for assaults, homes for burglaries, parked cars for car thefts.

The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them. Oregon City is the other kind of example: few people work in, shop in or visit it, so its crime per resident looks lower than its CrimeGrade™ suggests.

Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.

Where the numbers come from

  • Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
  • State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
  • Population and housing figures from the US Census Bureau
  • Published research on what crime costs victims and communities

These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.

More about CrimeGrade™ data


Schools in Oregon City

Schools in Oregon City, OR average a SchoolGrade of B-: 34% of students test proficient, against 39% projected for schools like them. Overall, they meet expectations. See schools in Oregon City on SchoolGrade