The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Polk County, OR: Crime Maps and Statistics

B+

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	B
Property Crime Grade	C+
Other Crime Grade	A

Which crimes are included?

$28.6 million

Cost of Crime™ for Polk County, OR

In 2025, crime will cost $841 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Polk County with the least crime overall and red marks the most. Each area is weighted by the type and severity of every offense, so a place with rare but serious violent crime can grade differently from one with frequent petty theft. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read the colors.

Is Polk County, OR Safe?

The B+ overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US county, where Polk County's combined rate is lower than the norm. Polk County sits in the 71st percentile, ahead of 71% of counties and behind 29%. The grade covers only Polk County's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.

The overall crime rate in Polk County is 23.85 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the south part of the county the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 34 in the east areas to 1 in 54 in the south.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the northeast parts of Polk County, OR report the most crime, about 521 cases per year. The north part reports the fewest, around 19 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Polk County, OR

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Polk County for 2025 is $28,583,727, about $309 per resident and $841 per household. That equals 0.8% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 59.2%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 29.0%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 11.8%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Polk County Compared to Other Counties?

Polk County, OR:	$309
Multnomah County, OR:	$858
Linn County, OR:	$337
Oregon:	$550
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Polk County is $309 per year, which is $155 less than the national average and $241 less than Oregon's state average. The comparison below uses counties similar to Polk County:

In Multnomah County, OR, crime costs $858 per person, which is $549 more than in Polk County.
In Linn County, OR, crime costs $337 per person, which is $28 more than in Polk County

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of Polk County for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.

Crime	Cost to Polk County	Cost per Polk County Resident
Murder	$5.06 million	$55
Rape/Sexual Assault	$3.88 million	$42
Robbery	$1.32 million	$14
Assault	$4.72 million	$51
Kidnapping	$435,058	$5
Vehicle Theft	$2.01 million	$22
Burglary	$1.49 million	$16
Theft	$5.93 million	$64
Arson	$263,675	$3
Vandalism	$2.33 million	$25
Animal Cruelty	$60,289	$1
Drug Crimes	$163,364	$2
Identity Theft	$927,171	$10
Total Cost of Crime	$28,583,727	$309

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Polk County, OR

The totals above count tangible costs only. Violent crime also carries a human cost, the pain and trauma borne by victims and their families, which research-based methods estimate so it can be compared across places. That intangible cost in Polk County totals $54,076,615 ($585 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $82,660,342 ($894 per resident). All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Crime Maps

Crime rates on the map are measured per resident, so areas with heavy visitor traffic can read high because crime follows crowds, even where few people live. The central part of the county holds more retail establishments, which lifts recorded crime around those blocks. A red area does not always mean the neighborhood is unsafe for residents.

Airports, parks, and transit hubs create the same effect. Major airports draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas, of which Polk County has 11, do the same, and of Polk County's 92,508 residents few live beside them. Before assuming an area is unsafe, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total number of incidents, and note what sits nearby.

The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Polk County, OR at ISP Reports.

Polk County Crime Breakdown

The tables below show which crimes are used to calculate the Crime Grades above. All crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 Polk County residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	1.775
Robbery	0.4543
Rape	0.6912
Murder	0.0291
Total Violent Crime	2.950 (B)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	12.37
Vehicle Theft	1.403
Burglary	1.779
Arson	0.1180
Total Property Crime	15.67 (C+)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.0776
Drug Crimes	0.2387
Vandalism	3.523
Identity Theft	1.295
Animal Cruelty	0.0881
Total "Other" Rate	5.222 (A)

Individual Polk County Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties

Compared to surrounding counties, the rate of crime in Polk County is lower. The table below shows Crime Grades for counties close to Polk County.

Nearby County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Marion County, OR	D-	B-	D-
Yamhill County, OR	C+	B-	C-
Benton County, OR	D+	B	D
Linn County, OR	B-	B+	C
Lincoln County, OR	D	D+	D
Washington County, OR	D+	C+	D-
Clackamas County, OR	C-	B	D
Tillamook County, OR	D+	C	D
Jefferson County, OR	C	C+	C-
Gilliam County, OR	C-	C-	D+

Crime Maps and Rates for County with Similar Populations

Polk County is lower versus other counties of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in counties with comparable overall population in the county‘s boundaries.

Similar County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Lynchburg City, VA	C-	D+	D+
Pottawattamie County, IA	B+	B+	B+
Payne County, OK	D	C-	C-
Orange County, TX	C-	D+	D+
Oconee County, SC	C-	C-	C-
Northumberland County, PA	A	A	A
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT	A	A+	A+
Newport County, RI	B+	A+	A+
Natrona County, WY	A-	A+	A+
Nash County, NC	D	D-	D-

Considering only the crime rate, Polk County is safer than the Oregon state average and safer than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Polk County, OR average SchoolGrade of A, with 60% actual proficiency versus 41% projected; overall, schools greatly exceed expectations. See Polk County schools on SchoolGrade

About the Data

CrimeGrade.org provides highly detailed and accurate crime data, used by insurance companies, home security firms, and other industries. Our data is available for licensing—learn more about our USA crime data and licensing.

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All maps and statistics above are projections, not certainties, and provided without guarantee free of charge. Verify all info before making any decisions based on the data.