Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Oregon a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Oregon.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Beaver State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Oregon, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 36 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Oregon For 2024
Clackamas County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Oregon. And you should avoid Malheur County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Oregon. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Oregon and the cheapest places to live in Oregon.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Oregon For 2024
1. Clackamas County
Biggest Place: Portland
Population: 420,925
Median Income: $95,740 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $601,201 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (9th best)
More on Clackamas County: Data
2. Washington County
Biggest Place: Portland
Population: 599,541
Median Income: $100,121 (best)
Median Home Price: $568,915 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (7th best)
More on Washington County: Data
3. Deschutes County
Biggest Place: Bend
Population: 199,352
Median Income: $82,042 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $662,115 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (10th best)
More on Deschutes County: Data
4. Columbia County
Biggest Place: St. Helens
Population: 52,865
Median Income: $83,265 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $434,012 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (6th best)
More on Columbia County: Data
5. Polk County
Biggest Place: Salem
Population: 87,600
Median Income: $77,353 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $458,607 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (12th best)
More on Polk County: Data
6. Multnomah County
Biggest Place: Portland
Population: 808,098
Median Income: $83,668 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $493,722 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (17th best)
More on Multnomah County: Data
7. Crook County
Biggest Place: Prineville
Population: 24,987
Median Income: $74,969 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $444,148 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (4th best)
More on Crook County: Data
8. Yamhill County
Biggest Place: McMinnville
Population: 107,674
Median Income: $80,125 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $489,400 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (5th best)
More on Yamhill County: Data
9. Tillamook County
Biggest Place: Tillamook
Population: 27,345
Median Income: $63,098 (20th best)
Median Home Price: $518,035 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (11th best)
More on Tillamook County: Data
10. Hood River County
Biggest Place: Hood River
Population: 23,965
Median Income: $80,254 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $669,323 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (3rd best)
More on Hood River County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Oregon county is the best?
To give you the best county in Oregon, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Oregon across each of the criteria from one to 36, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Oregon.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Beaver State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Oregon.
Read on to see why Clackamas County is the best county, while Malheur County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Oregon.
Summary: The Best Counties In Oregon To Call Home For 2024
Living in Oregon can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Oregon are Clackamas County, Washington County, Deschutes County, Columbia County, Polk County, Multnomah County, Crook County, Yamhill County, Tillamook County, and Hood River County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Oregon according to the data:
- Malheur County
- Lake County
- Grant County
For more Oregon reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Oregon
- Best Places To Retire In Oregon
- Best Counties To Live In Oregon
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Oregon
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Oregon
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clackamas County | 420,925 | $95,740 | $601,201 |
| 2 | Washington County | 599,541 | $100,121 | $568,915 |
| 3 | Deschutes County | 199,352 | $82,042 | $662,115 |
| 4 | Columbia County | 52,865 | $83,265 | $434,012 |
| 5 | Polk County | 87,600 | $77,353 | $458,607 |
| 6 | Multnomah County | 808,098 | $83,668 | $493,722 |
| 7 | Crook County | 24,987 | $74,969 | $444,148 |
| 8 | Yamhill County | 107,674 | $80,125 | $489,400 |
| 9 | Tillamook County | 27,345 | $63,098 | $518,035 |
| 10 | Hood River County | 23,965 | $80,254 | $669,323 |
| 11 | Clatsop County | 41,190 | $68,025 | $516,116 |
| 12 | Benton County | 95,615 | $72,882 | $527,449 |
| 13 | Wheeler County | 1,407 | $50,774 | $271,411 |
| 14 | Wallowa County | 7,439 | $62,238 | $417,988 |
| 15 | Curry County | 23,404 | $64,300 | $461,690 |
| 16 | Jackson County | 222,604 | $67,690 | $420,662 |
| 17 | Lane County | 382,218 | $65,157 | $443,158 |
| 18 | Linn County | 128,598 | $69,523 | $392,883 |
| 19 | Douglas County | 111,322 | $56,440 | $331,387 |
| 20 | Sherman County | 1,900 | $57,171 | $243,509 |
| 21 | Marion County | 345,815 | $70,926 | $424,796 |
| 22 | Umatilla County | 79,904 | $70,322 | $293,385 |
| 23 | Union County | 26,286 | $61,946 | $301,944 |
| 24 | Baker County | 16,685 | $51,657 | $274,130 |
| 25 | Coos County | 64,908 | $57,563 | $348,969 |
| 26 | Lincoln County | 50,334 | $57,794 | $479,695 |
| 27 | Gilliam County | 1,983 | $58,409 | $222,914 |
| 28 | Morrow County | 12,140 | $64,975 | $285,372 |
| 29 | Harney County | 7,496 | $45,462 | $201,759 |
| 30 | Jefferson County | 24,659 | $69,345 | $406,884 |
| 31 | Wasco County | 26,639 | $61,316 | $380,219 |
| 32 | Josephine County | 87,994 | $56,068 | $393,248 |
| 33 | Klamath County | 69,506 | $57,219 | $284,940 |
| 34 | Grant County | 7,237 | $56,045 | $268,437 |
| 35 | Lake County | 8,201 | $54,663 | $174,257 |
| 36 | Malheur County | 31,538 | $48,371 | $273,745 |