Top 5 Safest Portland Suburbs According to the FBI

Portland, Oregon’s crime is rising and that is causing some home buyers to look outside the city for a new place to call home.

Portland had 15,288 violent crimes reported in the last 5 years according to the FBI.

Before making any decisions about purchasing a new home, it is smart to look at some of the crime statistics for that area. While no one wants to think about crime happening in their neighborhood, it is always a good idea to check which Portland suburbs may be safer than others.

If you’re looking to buy a house in Oregon, nationally available FBI collected violent crime data will help you evaluate the neighborhood you’re looking into. This article provides a review of the last five years of crime in the major Portland suburbs of Hillsboro, Beaverton, Gresham, Milwaukie, and Oregon City. Here’s a list of these suburbs ranked from most crimes reported in the past five years to the safest place to live.

5. Gresham – 1928 counts of violent crime last 5 years

Gresham may be considered as the least safe out of the five suburbs mentioned. In the past five years, Gresham has had a total of 1,928 reported incidents of violent crime. These reported incidents include 22 homicides, 353 rapes, 500 robberies, and 1,053 aggravated assaults.

Apart from violent crime, Gresham has had a total of 16,445 reported incidents of property crime such as 97 arsons, 1,969 burglaries, 9,578 larcenies, and 1,053 motor-vehicle thefts since 2015.

Since 2015, there has been an upward trend in all violent crimes in the suburb of Gresham. There has also been an upward trend when it comes to all property crimes, although there has been a noticeable decrease since 2018.

If you’re looking to find a home in Gresham, you can search for all available homes for sale here.

4. Hillsboro – 1334 counts of violent crime last 5 years

In the past five years, the suburb of Hillsboro has had a total of 1,334 reported incidents of violent crime. This number includes five homicides, 420 rapes, 278 robberies, and 631 aggravated assaults.

For all property crimes, Hillsboro has had a total of 10,284 reported incidents including 99 arsons, 989 burglaries, 8,274 larcenies, and 922 motor-vehicle thefts since 2015.

There has been a significant jump in the number of violent crimes in Hillsboro from 2015 to the following year, with a relatively steady trend in the reported cases up to 2019. The same goes for all property crimes, which increased considerably since 2015 and has been experiencing a steady number so far.

If you’re considering living in Hillsboro, discover all the available homes for sale here.

3. Beaverton – 809 counts of violent crime last 5 years

Beaverton has a considerably lower crime rate compared to Gresham and Hillsboro, having had a total of 809 reported incidents of violent crime since 2015 so far. These include six homicides, 236 rapes, 180 robberies, and 387 aggravated assaults.

Aside from violent crime, Beaverton also has had a total of 8,815 reported incidents of property crime such as 76 arsons, 793 burglaries, 7,076 larcenies, and 870 motor-vehicle thefts since 2015.

While it’s true that there has been an upward trend in the total number of violent and property crimes in Beaverton for the past five years, the number is lower than the first two suburbs mentioned. The number of violent crimes in Beaverton is lower than Gresham and Hillsboro by 58% and 39%, respectively. As with property crimes, the number in Beaverton is lower than Gresham by 46% and lower than Hillsboro by 14%.

You can find all available homes for sale in Beaverton here.

2. Oregon City – 378 counts of violent crime last 5 years

Another suburb with a lower crime rate is the suburb of Oregon City. Within the last five years, the city has had a total of 378 reported incidents of violent crime. They include one homicide, 87 rapes, 48 robberies, and 242 aggravated assaults.

With property crimes, Oregon City has had a total of 3,420 reported incidents of property crime such as 39 arsons, 331 burglaries, 2,686 larcenies, and 364 motor-vehicle thefts since 2015.

Although there has been an evident rise in all violent and property crimes in Oregon City since 2015, the number has decreased substantially by 21% since 2018.

With all these numbers in mind, those looking to live in Oregon City should definitely feel a lot safer. Check out all the available properties in Oregon City here.

1. Milwaukie – 108 counts of violent crime last 5 years

Finally, the safest place to live out of the five suburbs is Milwaukie. Its crime summary reports a total of 108 reported incidents of violent crime in the past five years. This number includes no homicides, 31 rapes, 27 robberies, and 50 aggravated assaults.

As with property crimes, Milwaukie has had a total of 1,400 reported incidents of property crime such as eight arsons, 190 burglaries, 943 larcenies, and 259 motor-vehicle thefts since 2015.

There has been an upward trend in all property and violent crimes since 2015, but there has been a marked decrease in violent crimes beginning 2018 and of property crimes since 2017.

Given these numbers for Milwaukie, it is outperforming the other suburbs. Search for all available houses for sale in Milwaukie here.

Population vs. Crime Rates in Portland

City Proper	Portland	Gresham	Hillsboro	Beaverton	Oregon City	Milwaukie
Population	650,000	110,000	106000	98000	36000	21000
Violent Crime	15288	1928	1334	809	378	108
Violent Crime Rate	2.3%	1.7%	1.2%	.8%	1%	.5%

According to the FBI collected statistics, Portland is by far more crime-ridden than any of its surrounding suburbs. Of course, even within Portland some areas are considerably safer than others. You can see a full breakdown of Portland city proper crime by local area here (crime map search).

With the crime histories of all the five suburbs discussed, Milwaukie is evidently one of the safest suburbs in Portland, Oregon. The crime rate is low compared to other major suburbs of Portland.