Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Grants Pass grades D− overall, 126th among Oregon's 142 graded towns, mostly because of safety. It reports more crime per resident than 87% of U.S. towns, including 145 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. One bright spot: it is more walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. 49% of working residents work locally in Grants Pass, where Oregon’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 8%. Its National Register listings include Newman United Methodist Church and Redwoods Hotel. On cost of living, just 21 of Oregon’s 228 towns do worse.
Where Grants Pass beats most towns.
Thomas Croxton House| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Rogue Community College | 2,801 |
Census counts: 250 in 1880, 39,189 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1894 and 4 maps from 1954 on.
24 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Grants Pass is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Grants Pass, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Grants Pass.
Grants Pass has seen reported crime fall by a third or more, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Oregon.
Reported crimes fell from 1,560 to 1,024 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Grants Pass is 22.2 per 1,000 residents. Grants Pass reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 87% report less. The violent crime rate in Grants Pass is 3.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Grants Pass | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 22.2 per 1,000 residents | 15.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by Grants Pass SD 7. Three of its 15 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 673 | A |
| Grants Pass High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,658 | – |
| South Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 610 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Grants Pass.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Grants Pass beats the Oregon average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 18% of Grants Pass adults report frequent physical distress.
| Grants Pass | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 20% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | Grants Pass | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 74.9% | 71.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.9% | 12.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Grants Pass has mild winters and warm summers. Grants Pass’ July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 6.6 years of the Grants Pass metro’s $60K median household income, the typical home (about $398K) costs more against local pay than in 75% of Oregon towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.
The typical Grants Pass home is worth about $398,000, about the same as a year ago, 19% below the Oregon typical home. 57% of households own their home in Grants Pass.
| Grants Pass | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,217 a month | $1,415 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Since 2013, Grants Pass has added 4,826 jobs, to 21,511 in 2023. The top destinations are Medford (13%), Roseburg (2%) and Portland (2%). Half commute less than 4 miles.
| Grants Pass | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 10% | 14% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
5.0 miles of trail in 16 parks and preserves. Reinhart Volunteer Park, at 59 acres with 1.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Grants Pass | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.8% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Reinhart Volunteer Park | 1.4 mi | 59 |
| 2. Riverside Park | 0.6 mi | 31 |
| 3. Morrison Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Grants Pass
About 4 of every 100 Grants Pass residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
24 places in Grants Pass on the National Register of Historic Places.
22 notable people were born in Grants Pass.
City in Oregon, United States
Grants Pass is a city in and the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, along the Rogue River. The population is 39,194 according to the 2020 census, making it the 15th most populous city in Oregon.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Grants Pass.
| Town | OR rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants Pass | #126 | D− | D | D | B− | C |
| Redwood | #113 | D | C− | — | B− | C− |
Redwood reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Grants Pass with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Grants Pass grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #126 of 142 in Oregon. It grades C for health, D for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
22 notable people were born here, including Ty Burrell and David Anders.
