Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011)

This article, the twenty-fourth in a 50-state series, ranks the best places to live in Oregon based on three criteria: (1) median household income (adjusted for cost of living); (2) educational attainment (% of residents 25 years and over who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher); and (3) property crime rates per 1,000 residents (burglary and automobile thefts). For purposes of these rankings, “places” are incorporated municipalities with populations greater than 2,000.

Among the twenty best places to live in Oregon, fourteen are suburbs of Portland, two are suburbs of Salem, two are suburbs of Medford, one is a county seat, and one is a university town. By county, eight of the best places to live in Oregon are located in or partially in Washington County, six in or partially in Clackamas County, two each in Jackson, Marion, and Yamhill Counties, one each in Benton and Deschutes Counties, and one partially in Multnomah County.

After reading “Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011),” return to this link to read “Largest Cities in Oregon_(2011).” A collection of similar articles for the remaining 49 states can be found at these links: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

For the culmination of the 50-state series, read “Best Places to Live in America (2011).”

1. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – West Linn, OR (Clackamas County)

Population: 25,042

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $87,114
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 54.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.33

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 19 miles NNW
Salem, OR: 38 miles SSW

2. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Lake Oswego, OR (Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties)

Population: 38,256

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $77,600
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 66.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.26

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 10 miles N
Salem, OR: 41 miles SSW

3. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Sherwood, OR (Washington County)

Population: 16,997

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $76,766
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 40.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.55

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 17 miles NW
Salem, OR: 36 miles SSW

4. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Happy Valley, OR (Clackamas County)

Population: 11,239

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $99,416
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 43.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.49

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 12 miles NW
Salem, OR: 48 miles SSW

5. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Banks, OR (Washington County)

Population: 2,052

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $77,979
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 26.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.04

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 25 miles ESE
Salem, OR: 59 miles S

6. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Dundee, OR (Yamhill County)

Population: 3,016

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $65,504
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 22.6%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.14

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 26 miles NE
Salem, OR: 27 miles S

7. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Tualatin, OR (Washington and Clackamas Counties)

Population: 26,199

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $59,281
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 41.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.13

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 13 miles NNE
Salem, OR: 35 miles SSW

8. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Tigard, OR (Washington County)

Population: 47,994

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $62,430
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 38.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.65

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 10 miles NE
Salem, OR: 39 miles SSW

9. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Beaverton, OR (Washington County)

Population: 90,523

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $54,130
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 41.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.88

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 8 miles ENE
Salem, OR: 43 miles SSW

10. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Jacksonville, OR (Jackson County)

Population: 2,775

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $54,200
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 44.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.59

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 271 miles N
Salem, OR: 228 miles N
Medford, OR: 5 miles E

11. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Hillsboro, OR (Washington County)

Population: 90,408

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $58,131
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 31.6%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.72

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 19 miles E
Salem, OR: 59 miles S

12. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Ashland, OR (Jackson County)

Population: 20,949

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $37,905
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 53.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.42

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 240 miles N
Salem, OR: 285 miles N
Medford, OR: 13 miles NW

13. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Canby, OR (Clackamas County)

Population: 15,371

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $59,640
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 24.5%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.57

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 24 miles N
Salem, OR: 31 miles SSW

14. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Sublimity, OR (Marion County)

Population: 2,514

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $64,102
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 15.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.72.

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 58 miles N
Salem, OR: 14 miles NW

15. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Newberg, OR (Yamhill County)

Population: 22,160

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $48,927
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 25.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.14

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 23 miles NE
Salem, OR: 30 miles S

16. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Scappoose, OR (Columbia County)

Population: 6,159

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $57,431
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 19.5%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.9

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 23 miles SSE
Salem, OR: 67 miles S

17. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Wilsonville, OR (Clackamas and Washington County)

Population: 20,408

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $55,861
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 35.2.%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.98

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 17 miles NNE
Salem, OR: 30 miles SSW

18. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Keizer, OR (Marion County)

Population: 35,092

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $54,945
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 23.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.16

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 42 miles NNE
Salem, OR: 6 miles S

19. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Corvallis, OR (Benton County)

Population: 50,800

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $35,671
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 53.5%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.04

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 83 miles NNE
Salem, OR: 40 miles NNE

20. Best Places to Live in Oregon (2011) – Bend, OR (Deschutes County)

Population: 73,353

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $53,662
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 35.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.89

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Portland, OR: 177 miles NW
Salem, OR: 133 miles NW
Eugene, OR: 118 miles W

*In some cases, municipalities either do not report their crime statistics to the FBI or they contract for services with a county law enforcement agency. For those towns, crime rates are extrapolated from county or contiguous municipality data.

The sources used in support of this article include the latest 1, 3, and 5-year estimates from the U.S. Census and the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report.

More Articles from J.C. Grant

“Average ACT Scores by State (2010)”
“Average SAT Scores by State (2010)”
“Largest U.S. Cities: Population Size and Demographics”
Most Dangerous Cities in America – Murder Rates
State Education Rankings: Graduation Rates for High School, College, and Grad/Professional School
“State Education Rankings: SAT Scores”

Source(s):

“All Cities in Oregon,” City-Data.com
“2009 ACS 1-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2007-2009 ACS 3-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2006-2008 ACS 3-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2005-2009 ACS 5-Year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
Uniform Crime Report,” Federal Bureau of Investigation