The 10 Most Dangerous And Worst Neighborhoods In Portland | Upgraded Home (2023)

FAQs

What should I avoid in Portland? ›

Some areas you may want to avoid include: Hazelwood around the Gateway Transit Center (highest rate of violent crime in the city). An area known locally as 'Felony Flats' between roughly Duke and Johnson from 70th east.

Portland Safety Tips – How to Avoid Crime in Portland, OR

Avoid the Hazelwood area around the Gateway Transit Center which has one of the city's highest rates of violent crime.

SE and outer East Portland have the most number of people living in poverty; over 16,000 for each. However, poverty is most concentrated along both sides of the Willamette near the Steel Bridge: in Old Town and also in the Boise/Eliot NE neighborhoods.

Oregonpoppa has it right, the homeless in Portland are no worse a situation than most other major metro areas, but it's an issue everywhere. But a direct answer: currently, there are homeless encampments under the bridges on SW Naito (Front) Ave, on SE 12th near Stark, and in Old Town (and further out).

This neighborhood is the safest and most comfortable part of the city (while actually being in the city.) Pearl District is not considered Old Town or Downtown. This is a new and upcoming portion of the city with shoppes and unique restaurants.

To look at the Foster-Powell neighborhood of Southeast Portland today, with its revitalized storefronts, food cart pods, booming small businesses, and international flavor, you might be forgiven for thinking things have always been this way in the neighborhood that locals call “FoPo.”

Lloyd District is a neighborhood in Portland, Oregon with a population of 2,961. Lloyd District is in Multnomah County and is one of the best places to live in Oregon.

As already mentioned, Portland has a reputation as one of the safest major cities in the United States by virtually any measure. Pretty much anyplace around Portland is safe. The suburbs in Portland, like suburbs everywhere else, do see crime from time to time.

Is it safe to live in downtown Portland? ›

Yes, Portland remains a safe city for visitors.

In February 2021, the Major Cities Chiefs Association issued a report noting that 63 of 66 major cities saw at least one violent crime category grow in 2020. Among cities of comparable size, Portland generally experiences violent crime at somewhat lower rates.

Portland

North Tabor is in Multnomah County and is one of the best places to live in Oregon. Living in North Tabor offers residents an urban suburban mix feel and most residents rent their homes. In North Tabor there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks.

The urban study called “Homelessness is a Housing Problem” found that the biggest factors in the homeless crisis are not necessarily addiction or mental health but rather a combination of high rent prices and a lack of affordable housing.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

Santa Cruz-Watsonville metropolitan area has the highest rate of homelessness in the US which is located in the state of California,. The homeless rate in Santa Cruz-Watsonville is 825.9, five times higher than the national homeless rate.

“Clatsop County has the highest number of homeless individuals per capita in rural Oregon.

Nestled in between Barnes and Willamette Heights, Forest Park is possibly the most expensive neighborhood to live in when it comes to pricy Portland neighborhoods. This area has approximately sixty-five percent higher cost of living overall than the national average.

The latest forecast by Zillow shows that prices will decline by 0.1% from July 2022 to July 2023. Portland City home values have gone up 8.5% over the past year.

What is the safest city in the US 2022? ›

Frisco, Texas

First up on our list of Safest Cities in the US is Frisco Texas. We begin our list by looking at Frisco, Texas. This city is just north of Dallas and is home to over 200,000 people. This city appears on this list due to the meager rates of violent crimes.

Frisco, TX

With just over 200,000 residents, Frisco is the safest city in America according to our metrics. Located approximately 30 miles north of Dallas, Frisco has the fifth-lowest violent crime rate across our study, with 86 violent crimes reported per 100,000 residents.

District of Columbia. The District of Columbia has the highest crime rate in the United States, with a 999.8 crime rate per 100,000 people. According to me Metropolitan Police Department, homicides increase by 14% compared to 2021, robbery by 24%, burglary by 8%, and 4% in motor vehicle theft.

As many as 44 families facing homelessness will soon have a place to call home in the Pearl District, thanks to a new housing development from the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB).

Safety. Overall, Nob Hill is a very safe neighborhood. Both local forums and third-party reviewers rank it as a safe place, with violent crimes like assault ranking incredibly low or nonexistent. There are some issues with theft and burglary, which is an issue many parts of Portland have been grappling with.

The Portland New Chinatown/Japantown Historic District is located in Portland, Oregon near the Willamette River. The district is made up of Portland's original Japanese community (Nihonmachi) and its second or "new" Chinatown, once the second largest Chinatown in the U.S.

The street was named for Dr. William J. Powell, surgeon of the U.S. sloop of war Warren, which was active during the conquest of California.

Long known as Felony Flats, Kendall Yards has injected new life and increased market activity into the West Central Neighborhood. Located on the north bank overlooking the Spokane River, West Central is only a short distance from downtown and many neighborhood views provide a sweeping panorama of the City's core.

Safety in the Brentwood-Darlington Neighborhood

While the area's proximity the Spring Water Corridor has lead to slightly higher crime rates compared to other Portland neighborhoods, the good news seems to outweigh the bad.

“Gang activity has shifted from Northeast Portland to east Portland.” Of the top 35 most dangerous neighborhoods, there are 13 located in east Portland, and nine with over 2,000 calls for police service on serious and violent crime, way above the average for a Portland city neighborhood.

Is St Johns safe Portland? ›

St. Johns is described by locals as “extremely friendly“, “A town within a city…,” and “There seems to be quite an underground of artists and fellow travelers in these parts.” Some parts of St. Johns feel new and others gritty and perhaps not so safe, especially at night.

In Nov. of 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Portlanders took another hit with the announcement that the Lloyd Center shopping mall might be closing its doors for good. Many mourned the assumed closing of the mall, but the announcement proved premature.

Seattle's crime rate is 5,829 incidents per 100,000 people. Portland's crime rate is 5,980 incidents per 100,000 people. So, they are very similar, but Portland's is slightly higher.

The cool season lasts for 3.2 months, from November 15 to February 22, with an average daily high temperature below 52°F. The coldest month of the year in Portland is December, with an average low of 36°F and high of 45°F.

The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Gresham is 1 in 32. Based on FBI crime data, Gresham is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Oregon, Gresham has a crime rate that is higher than 81% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

The overall risk of crime in Central Eastside is 99% lower than the National Average. As for weather, the average summer temperature is 68.1°F, while the average winter temperature is 41.1°F.

Hipster Neighbourhoods

While Portland is peppered with excellent hipster joints, many of the best are found in SE Portland, around Belmont, Hawthorne, and Division streets. Hawthorne is chock full of alternative pizza joints, vintage warehouses, food carts, New Age lovers of kitsch and a number of crazy concert venues.

According to Bankrate.com, the city of Portland comes in at #23 as the Best Place to live in 2022. While affordability comes into a play, there were several other factors that came into play. Other factors such as diversity, job opportunities, safety, wellness were considered.

Some of the most chilling results in the poll had nothing to do with downtown at all: Only 41% of respondents felt “very safe” walking alone in their neighborhood during the day, and only 16% felt “very safe” walking alone at night. Almost half felt “somewhat unsafe” or “very unsafe” walking alone at night.

The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in South Portland is 1 in 61. Based on FBI crime data, South Portland is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Maine, South Portland has a crime rate that is higher than 88% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

Is Mississippi Ave in Portland safe? ›

Thanks! Completely 100% safe in the daytime and early/mid evening. Lots of foot traffic, no worries. This is true, FWIW, of most of Portland.

Yes, Portland remains a safe city for visitors.

Visitors to Portland should use the same caution as when traveling to any metropolitan destination.

As already mentioned, Portland has a reputation as one of the safest major cities in the United States by virtually any measure. Pretty much anyplace around Portland is safe. The suburbs in Portland, like suburbs everywhere else, do see crime from time to time.

Whereas many cities in America have a consistent crime rate, Portland is currently a very special case. Even as recent as 4 or 5 years ago, we would've called Portland one of the safest cities in the western hemisphere.

Seattle's crime rate is 5,829 incidents per 100,000 people. Portland's crime rate is 5,980 incidents per 100,000 people. So, they are very similar, but Portland's is slightly higher.

This neighborhood is the safest and most comfortable part of the city (while actually being in the city.) Pearl District is not considered Old Town or Downtown. This is a new and upcoming portion of the city with shoppes and unique restaurants.

Due to the pandemic, cities across the United States are experiencing an uptick in graffiti. Portland is no exception, with some taking to the streets with cans of spray paint to express their feelings about the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and the Portland police.

Defining "middle class"

With a median income of $50,251, a household in Oregon would have to earn between $33,501 and $100,502 to be considered middle class.

The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in South Portland is 1 in 61. Based on FBI crime data, South Portland is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Maine, South Portland has a crime rate that is higher than 88% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

Is Mississippi Ave in Portland safe? ›

Thanks! Completely 100% safe in the daytime and early/mid evening. Lots of foot traffic, no worries. This is true, FWIW, of most of Portland.

“Gang activity has shifted from Northeast Portland to east Portland.” Of the top 35 most dangerous neighborhoods, there are 13 located in east Portland, and nine with over 2,000 calls for police service on serious and violent crime, way above the average for a Portland city neighborhood.

That gets us to our number one spot, the safest neighborhood in Portland, Oregon… and it's not even in that pocket of the Northwest region! Head over to Southeast Portland and you'll find East Moreland. It runs next to the Sellwood Moreland area, which is another highly desired area a little closer into the West.

Yes. It's 34% more expensive than the national average. Housing in Portland is 84.3% more expensive than the national average, and the only thing below the national average is Portland's utilities, which are 12.8% cheaper than the average. From the looks of it, Portland is getting more expensive too.

North Portland's rampant homeless problem has residents fleeing the city, according to a report.

According to a post today on GoBankingRates, you need to make $60,195 to "live comfortably" in Portland. And the median household income here is $53,230 (which still seemed pretty good to lots of folks we surveyed by reading the numbers aloud).

Portland is known for being a friendly town where people are nice to strangers. Living in Portland means your Uber driver will probably expect you to sit in the front seat. (You might even hurt their feelings if you don't.) People smile, wave and chat with strangers.