Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Oregon City grades B− overall, 44th of 142 graded towns in Oregon State, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $98K and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 92% of U.S. towns. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $591K, 6.1 years of the Portland metro’s $97K median household income. Its National Register listings include Capt. John C. Ainsworth House and Morton Matthew McCarver House. Oregon City’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, above both Oregon State’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). Oregon City is home to Clackamas Community College.
Where Oregon City beats most towns.
Its founding year, 1829, comes before those of 99% of the Oregon State towns we grade with a known year.
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1845 and 7 maps from 1914 on.
25 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon State), ordered by how far Oregon City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Oregon City. Close and well known come first.
14 mi Stadium & arenaModa Center
13 mi Stadium & arenaProvidence Park
28 mi WaterfallMultnomah Falls
2 mi WaterfallWillamette Falls
14 mi MuseumPittock Mansion
16 mi GardenForest ParkModa Center: Lugnuts, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Providence Park: Pdx.rollingthunder, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Multnomah Falls: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Willamette Falls: The original uploader was Cacophony at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pittock Mansion: PittockBack.jpg: Cacophony derivative work: Tiptoety talk, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Forest Park: EncMstr, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oregon City, 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 Oregon City.
Oregon City trades workers with Portland and other neighbors and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
For Oregon City, that is above both the Oregon State town median (4.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). 13 miles of trail in 33 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Newell Creek Canyon Nature Park, 112 acres with 1.6 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Newell Creek Canyon Nature Park | 1.6 mi | 112 |
| 2. Canemah Bluff Nature Park | 1.5 mi | 68 |
| 3. End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center | 0.6 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The largest public high school is Oregon City Senior High School, with 1,944 students. Three of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardiner Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 699 | C |
| Oregon City Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,944 | C+ |
| Alliance Charter AcademyTop results in townGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 419 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
Oregon City beats the Oregon State average on 5 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 30% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Oregon City.
| Oregon City | Oregon State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 27% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 73% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Oregon City | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.5% | 6.5% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.3% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Oregon City has mild winters and pleasant summers. Oregon City’s July high is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median rent in Oregon City is $1,708 a month. The typical Oregon City home is worth about $591,000, about the same as a year ago, 20% above the Oregon State typical home.
| Oregon City | Oregon State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,708 a month | $1,413 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 65% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Oregon City has about as many jobs (15,814) as working residents, but only 2,266 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Oregon City for work: only 13% work in town. Since 2013, Oregon City has added 3,286 jobs, to 15,814 in 2023. 6.8% of Oregon City residents live below the poverty line.
| Oregon City | Oregon State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $98,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 9.5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
People 65 and older are 15% of residents (19% statewide). 33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across Oregon State.
| Oregon City | Oregon State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| Median age | 37.5 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 27% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.4 points. Across Oregon State, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 38.1, men 37.1.
| Oregon City | OR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10% | 9.6% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.9% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.6% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.8% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.7% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.8% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.9% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.9% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.8% | 22.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.8% | 23.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.2% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.8% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.5% | 14.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Reported crimes fell from 677 to 401 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within Oregon State, it does better than 67% of towns.
| Oregon City | Oregon State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.8 per 1,000 residents | 15.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 18 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Oregon City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
13 within 15 miles of the center of Oregon City
About 5 of every 100 Oregon City residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Oregon State.
31,859 counted in 2010 and 37,572 in 2020; an estimated 38,175 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
25 places in Oregon City on the National Register of Historic Places.
17 notable people were born in Oregon City.
City in Oregon, United States
Oregon City is a city in and the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, located on the Willamette River near the southern limits of the Portland metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 37,572. Established in 1829 by the Hudson's Bay Company, in 1844, it became the first U.S. city west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Oregon City.
| Town | OR rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon City | #44 | B− | D | C+ | B | B+ |
| Gladstone | #63 | C | D | C+ | B | B |
| West Linn | #6 | A | D− | B+ | A | A |
| Beavercreek | #32 | B | C | — | B | B+ |
Beavercreek reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Oregon City with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Oregon City grades B− overall, better than 49% of U.S. towns and #44 of 142 in Oregon State. It grades B+ for health, C+ for safety and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Oregon State, it does better than 67% of towns.
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.
17 notable people were born here, including Drew Struzan and Jack Taylor.
