Oregon’s most dangerous cities in 2026 aren’t where most people expect — and the city with the worst overall crime numbers isn’t the one with the worst violent crime. According to Reolink’s 2026 “Most Dangerous Cities in Oregon” analysis of FBI-based crime data, Portland leads the state with a total crime rate of 66.9 per 1,000 residents, driven overwhelmingly by property crime. But the state’s highest violent crime rate belongs to Coos Bay, at 9.8 per 1,000 — the equivalent of 964 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, per supporting figures from SafeHome.org’s analysis of FBI Crime in the U.S. 2025 Table 8.
Oregon’s crime story in 2026 is really two stories: a property-crime problem concentrated in the big metro, and a violent-crime problem in smaller cities like Coos Bay and Ontario. Here’s what the data actually shows.
TL;DR: Portland tops Oregon’s most dangerous cities for 2026 with a total crime rate of 66.9 per 1,000 residents, driven by a property crime rate of 59.8 per 1,000 — including 13.4 motor vehicle thefts per 1,000. Coos Bay has Oregon’s highest violent crime rate at 9.8 per 1,000 (964 per 100,000), ahead of Portland’s 715. These are rate-based rankings of reported crime, and crime clusters in hot spots rather than spreading evenly.
The 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Oregon (2026)
Reolink’s 2026 analysis ranks Oregon cities by total crime rate per 1,000 residents, with violent crime rates per 1,000 in brackets:
- Portland — 66.9 total (7.2 violent)
- Coos Bay — 64.8 total (9.8 violent — the state’s highest)
- Ontario — 50.2 total (7.3 violent)
- Roseburg — 47.6 total (3.4 violent)
- Medford — 42.7 total (4.0 violent)
- Grants Pass — 40.4 total (4.4 violent)
- Salem — 37.0 total (4.6 violent)
- Eugene — 35.7 total (3.6 violent)
- Klamath Falls — 25.8 total (5.2 violent)
- Springfield — 30.9 total (3.2 violent)
The split between total and violent crime matters. Portland’s 66.9 per 1,000 looks dominant, but most of that is property crime. Coos Bay, with a smaller population, posts the state’s most alarming violent crime figure — nearly one violent crime per 100 residents per year.
Why Coos Bay Tops Violent Crime
Coos Bay’s violent crime rate of 964 per 100,000 residents is the highest in Oregon, well ahead of second-place Portland at 715 per 100,000, according to SafeHome.org’s analysis of FBI data. Ontario follows with the second-highest violent rate in the ranking at 7.3 per 1,000 — a reminder that smaller cities can post worse per-capita numbers than big metros.
Portland: Property Crime Capital
Portland ranks first in total crime because of property crime, not violence. The city’s property crime rate of 59.8 per 1,000 residents is the worst in the state — and motor vehicle theft is a major driver, at 13.4 per 1,000. In practical terms, Portland’s crime problem is far more about stolen cars, break-ins, and theft than about personal violence.
Portland still makes a great base for exploring the region — see our guide to the best day trips from Portland for ideas beyond the city limits. But if you live there, the data says the biggest risk to your wallet is your car, not your safety.
What the Numbers Don’t Tell You
These rankings are rate-based and built on reported crime, so two caveats matter. First, crime clusters: in Portland, incidents concentrate in hot spots like Downtown and Old Town/Chinatown rather than spreading evenly across the metro. A resident of the west hills experiences a very different city than the statistics suggest.
Second, “most dangerous” here refers explicitly to reported crime rates. Tourists sticking to well-traveled areas face a risk weighted toward property crime rather than violence — and Oregon remains, by national standards, a relatively low-violence state outside these hot spots.
FAQ
What is the most dangerous city in Oregon in 2026?
Portland tops Reolink’s 2026 ranking of Oregon’s most dangerous cities with a total crime rate of 66.9 per 1,000 residents — the highest in the state, driven overwhelmingly by property crime.
Which Oregon city has the highest violent crime rate?
Coos Bay has Oregon’s highest violent crime rate at 9.8 per 1,000 residents — 964 violent crimes per 100,000 people, according to SafeHome.org’s analysis of FBI data. Portland ranks second for violent crime at 715 per 100,000.
Is Portland dangerous for tourists?
Portland’s crime problem is overwhelmingly property crime — 59.8 per 1,000 residents, with motor vehicle theft a major driver. Violent crime clusters in hot spots like Downtown Portland and Old Town/Chinatown. Visitors who avoid leaving valuables in cars and stay in well-traveled areas face far lower risk than the headline rate suggests.
How does Reolink determine the most dangerous cities in Oregon?
Reolink’s 2026 analysis uses FBI-based crime data, ranking Oregon cities by their total crime rate per 1,000 residents, combining violent and property crime figures into per-capita rates for fair comparison.
Is violent crime or property crime the bigger problem in Oregon?
Property crime dominates Oregon’s statistics. Portland alone posts a property crime rate of 59.8 per 1,000 residents versus a violent crime rate of 7.2. Only Coos Bay (9.8) and Ontario (7.3) post violent rates above 7 per 1,000.
Which Oregon city has the most motor vehicle thefts?
Portland, at 13.4 motor vehicle thefts per 1,000 residents — a key driver of its state-leading property crime rate of 59.8 per 1,000.
Are these rankings based on total crime or violent crime?
The Reolink ranking is by total crime rate per 1,000 residents (violent plus property crime). That’s why Portland leads overall while Coos Bay — with Oregon’s highest violent crime rate — ranks second.
Should I avoid moving to Oregon because of these rankings?
The rankings are rate-based and crime clusters in specific hot spots. Much of Oregon falls well below the rates on this list, and the state’s violent crime problem is concentrated in a handful of cities. Research specific neighborhoods, not just cities, before deciding.
