Portland's numbers pull in two directions. Property crime at 5,526 per 100k, 183% above the national 1,954, drives the D grade and the 3rd-percentile rank among the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades, while the same city's 150 rated public schools average 7.0/10, with elementary schools at 7.2 and Hayhurst Elementary at 10.0. A buyer weighing Portland is weighing property-crime exposure against school quality, not choosing between them. The 0.5% year-over-year rise in violent crime is classified stable, so this is a standing condition rather than a worsening one. Oregon's 16 federal flood declarations between 1955 and 2020 set a state-level backdrop; they say nothing about whether a given parcel sits in a FEMA flood zone. Every figure here is a city-wide average. The block you buy on can differ dramatically from it.
Crime in Portland vs. the national average
Portland reports 720 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 89% above the U.S. average of 381, and 5,526 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (183% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate rose 0.5% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as stable.
| Portland | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 720 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 5526 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Portland can differ dramatically. For a specific address, a SafeNest report covers it directly — or search free in the iPhone app.
Flood & natural hazard risk
Federal disaster records for Oregon — the state SafeNest uses for Portland's flood context — list 16 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1955 and 2020, most recently "Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides". Oregon has also seen 1 hurricane or tropical-storm declaration, events that frequently drive flooding. These are state-level federal declarations, not a parcel-level flood-zone determination — a specific Portland address may sit inside or well outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine; check FEMA's flood maps and flood-insurance requirements for that address.
Schools in Portland
Public schools in Portland average 7.0/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 150 rated schools. By level, elementary schools rate strongest at 7.2/10 on average, while middle schools average 6.5/10. The highest-scoring is Hayhurst Elementary School at 10.0/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Portland: a single citywide number would blend blocks with very different profiles and mislead more than it informs. Registered offender counts by distance band for any specific Portland address are included in a SafeNest report, drawn directly from the state's public registry. The iPhone app shows that count free for any address, and maps each registrant with Premium.
Compare other cities
- Compare with Seattle crime rate.
- Also on SafeNest: is Spokane safe?
- See also crime and safety data for Boise.
- Compare how safe Reno is.
- Another city on the same data: the Sacramento safety report.
Check a specific Portland address
City averages are a starting point. A SafeNest report covers one specific address — crime, registered offender counts, flood and disaster history, schools, air quality, taxes — delivered by email as a PDF.
Or search any Portland address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Portland
Is Portland, OR safe?
Portland records 720 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 89% above the US national average of 381. Overall SafeNest grade: D, a city-wide average of reported crime. It does not describe a specific street or address.
What is the crime rate in Portland?
Portland reports approximately 720 violent crimes and 5526 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Portland have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Portland, federal records show 16 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Oregon, most recently in 2020; a specific address may still sit inside or outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine — check FEMA's flood maps for that address.
How this page was built
Every figure here comes from the same public records behind SafeNest's grading. We published the full method and what it does and doesn't support in We graded 13,216 American cities with FBI data — including where a letter grade means almost nothing. City comparisons: safest cities in Oregon.
Other city safety reports
Data compiled from public sources including FBI crime statistics, FEMA disaster declarations and the FEMA National Risk Index, NCES education data, and state registries. Last updated 2026-08-17. Figures are city-level estimates; verify with primary sources before making decisions. SafeNest is not a consumer reporting agency (see Terms).