Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Oregon? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Salem, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Oregon suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Beaver State
Lake Oswego is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Oregon.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Oregon, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Oregon and the best places to raise a family in Oregon.
Best Suburbs In Oregon For 2024
/10
Population: 40,457
Median Income: $127,252
Average Home Price: $880,600
More on Lake Oswego: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Lake Oswego is located 8 miles south of Portland.
/10
Population: 20,286
Median Income: $109,770
Average Home Price: $628,898
More on Sherwood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Sherwood is located 15 miles west of Portland.
/10
Population: 27,167
Median Income: $134,116
Average Home Price: $759,031
More on West Linn: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
West Linn is located 11 miles south of Portland.
/10
Population: 18,127
Median Income: $91,823
Average Home Price: $566,045
More on Canby: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Canby is located 18 miles south of Portland.
/10
Population: 21,195
Median Income: $78,676
Average Home Price: $502,721
More on Milwaukie: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Milwaukie is located 6 miles south of Portland.
/10
Population: 55,161
Median Income: $101,354
Average Home Price: $601,645
More on Tigard: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Tigard is located 9 miles west of Portland.
/10
Population: 106,612
Median Income: $98,891
Average Home Price: $527,280
More on Hillsboro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Hillsboro is located 13 miles west of Portland.
/10
Population: 97,554
Median Income: $88,899
Average Home Price: $534,974
More on Beaverton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Beaverton is located 8 miles west of Portland.
/10
Population: 24,381
Median Income: $126,108
Average Home Price: $682,410
More on Happy Valley: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Happy Valley is located 9 miles east of Portland.
/10
Population: 27,804
Median Income: $105,542
Average Home Price: $637,027
More on Tualatin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Tualatin is located 12 miles south of Portland.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Beaver State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Oregon. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Oregon, we looked at every town with at least 8,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Oregon across these criteria from one to 23, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Oregon.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Oregon.
Read on to see why Lake Oswego is the ‘burb with the most, while Woodburn is probably not the best place to live in Oregon.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Oregon
If you’re measuring the locations in Oregon where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Oregon are Lake Oswego, Sherwood, West Linn, Canby, Milwaukie, Tigard, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Happy Valley, and Tualatin.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Oregon according to the data:
- Woodburn
- Gresham
- Fairview
For more Oregon reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Oregon
- Cheapest Places To Live In Oregon
- Most Dangerous Cities In Oregon
- Richest Cities In Oregon
- Safest Places In Oregon
- Worst Places To Live In Oregon
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Oregon
The Best Suburbs In Oregon
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Oswego | 40,457 | $127,252 | $880,600 |
| 2 | Sherwood | 20,286 | $109,770 | $628,898 |
| 3 | West Linn | 27,167 | $134,116 | $759,031 |
| 4 | Canby | 18,127 | $91,823 | $566,045 |
| 5 | Milwaukie | 21,195 | $78,676 | $502,721 |
| 6 | Tigard | 55,161 | $101,354 | $601,645 |
| 7 | Hillsboro | 106,612 | $98,891 | $527,280 |
| 8 | Beaverton | 97,554 | $88,899 | $534,974 |
| 9 | Happy Valley | 24,381 | $126,108 | $682,410 |
| 10 | Tualatin | 27,804 | $105,542 | $637,027 |
| 11 | Scappoose | 8,003 | $96,339 | $474,121 |
| 12 | Newberg | 25,379 | $87,873 | $519,518 |
| 13 | Gladstone | 11,996 | $88,043 | $504,640 |
| 14 | Molalla | 10,147 | $77,442 | $478,905 |
| 15 | Forest Grove | 26,160 | $77,977 | $512,087 |
| 16 | Sandy | 12,592 | $98,341 | $500,027 |
| 17 | Wilsonville | 25,992 | $83,210 | $637,996 |
| 18 | Troutdale | 16,150 | $86,307 | $469,436 |
| 19 | Cornelius | 13,245 | $83,051 | $471,048 |
| 20 | St. Helens | 14,015 | $77,475 | $407,724 |
| 21 | Fairview | 10,515 | $78,407 | $456,132 |
| 22 | Gresham | 113,525 | $69,437 | $451,470 |
| 23 | Woodburn | 26,222 | $58,916 | $403,723 |