Did you know that Oregon is home to the world’s smallest park in Portland, the University of Oregon Ducks in Eugene, Bart Simpson’s home in Springfield, and some pretty cool family friendly places to call home.
That’s right, The Beaver State knows how to keep families safe, educated, happy, healthy, and entertained. And lucky for you, HomeSnacks has found all of those qualities and rolled them into the top ten best places for families in Oregon for 2026. How did we determine Oregon’s most family friendly places? We consulted the US Census on places in this Pacific Northwest state with more than 10,000 residents. We looked at several factors: crime, education, family friendly activities, and the percent of households that currently have children. We ended up with 48 family friendly Oregon places that any family would be lucky to call home.
Besides being a great state for families, Oregon is also one of the fastest growing states. Are we surprised? Absolutely not. Oregon currently has 1.3 million families, and that number is expected to increase over the next ten years; and that folks, is because the state has a ton of awesome “Oregon” stuff to do. Like, biking the world class trails in Bend, visiting one of the state’s 120 farmers’ markets, or spending the day at the Medford Railroad Park. And it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t mention all of the great companies that keep Oregon families safe and comfortable, and the state affordable. Just think, if you live in Oregon, you and/or your kids could work for Nike in Beaverton or the biggest cheese factory in Tillamook.
More importantly, if you want to hear more about where your cheddar will go the furthest for your family in Oregon, keep reading.
$146,507 median income · 37.0% households with kids
Located in
Clackamas County, Oregon
West Linn is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. Now a southern suburb within the Portland metropolitan area, West Linn has a history of early development, prompted by the opportunity to harvest energy from nearby Willamette Falls. It was named after U.S. Senator Lewis F. Linn of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, who had advocated the American occupation of Oregon as a counterclaim to the British. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 25,109.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$108,984 median income · 39.2% households with kids
Located in
Clackamas County, Oregon
Sandy is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, and named after the nearby Sandy River. The city serves as the western gateway to the Mount Hood Corridor, 25 miles east of Portland. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 9,570.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$141,549 median income · 30.7% households with kids
Located in
Washington County, Oregon
Lake Oswego is a city in the State of Oregon, primarily in Clackamas County with small portions extending into neighboring Multnomah and Washington counties. Located about 8 miles south of Portland and surrounding the 405-acre Oswego Lake, the town was founded in 1847 and incorporated as Oswego in 1910. The city was the hub of Oregon’s brief iron industry in the late 19th century and is today an affluent suburb of Portland. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 36,619, a 3.8% increase over the 2000 population of 35,278.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$109,966 median income · 45.4% households with kids
Located in
Washington County, Oregon
Sherwood is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. Located in the southeast corner of the county, it is a residential community in the Tualatin Valley, southwest of Portland. As of the 2010 census, Sherwood had a population of 18,194 residents. The city’s population for 2014 was estimated to be 18,978 by the U.S. Census. Sherwood was first incorporated in 1893 as a town. Originally named Smockville after its founder, James Christopher Smock, the town was given its current name by local businessman Robert Alexander in 1891, who likely named it after his hometown of Sherwood, Michigan.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$69,170 median income · 29.0% households with kids
Located in
Polk County, Oregon
Monmouth ( is a city in Polk County in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was named for Monmouth, Illinois, the origin of its earliest settlers. The population has reached 9,534 as of the 2010 census and it is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$89,318 median income · 42.3% households with kids
Located in
Clackamas County, Oregon
Molalla is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 8,108 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$100,989 median income · 31.5% households with kids
Located in
Clackamas County, Oregon
Canby is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 15,829 at the 2010 census. It is along Oregon Route 99E, 2 miles northeast of Barlow. In May 2016 Canby was featured on ABC’s series 20/20, when the local “Canby Psychic” was part of an investigation of swindling a local rancher of $15 million.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$85,375 median income · 33.3% households with kids
Located in
Polk County, Oregon
Independence is a city in Polk County, Oregon, United States, on the west bank of the Willamette River along Oregon Route 51, and east of nearby Monmouth. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thirty square blocks of the oldest part of Independence form the National Register of Historic Places-listed Independence Historic District.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$87,933 median income · 33.9% households with kids
Located in
Washington County, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, 25 miles west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850, then incorporated in 1872, making it the first city in Washington County. The population was 21,083 at the 2010 census, an increase of 19.1% over the 2000 figure.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$68,007 median income · 20.0% households with kids
Located in
Clatsop County, Oregon
Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River where it meets the Pacific Ocean, the city was named after John Jacob Astor, an investor from New York City whose American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811, 206years ago. Astoria was incorporated by the Oregon Legislative Assembly on October 20, 1876.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Oregon’s statewide median.
Oregon statewide median: $83,011
Oregon statewide median: $499,004
On the map
Where Oregon’s most family-friendly cities are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in Oregon anyways?
To give you the places in Oregon that are best for families, we must look at a handful of metrics. We want to measure the criteria people want in a family-friendly city utilizing Saturday Night Science.
After researching U.S. Census data produced for the state of Oregon, we looked at the data for every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)
We then gave each city a “Family Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with over 10,000 people. For Oregon, that meant a total of 48 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for families in Oregon.
The full plate
Best Places For Families In Oregon
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | % Households w/ Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Linn | 26,935 | $146,507 | $777,229 | 37.0% |
| 2 | Sandy | 12,854 | $108,984 | $523,760 | 39.2% |
| 3 | Lake Oswego | 40,381 | $141,549 | $882,925 | 30.7% |
| 4 | Sherwood | 20,307 | $109,966 | $633,005 | 45.4% |
| 5 | Monmouth | 11,428 | $69,170 | $473,961 | 29.0% |
| 6 | Molalla | 10,186 | $89,318 | $497,975 | 42.3% |
| 7 | Canby | 18,134 | $100,989 | $590,607 | 31.5% |
| 8 | Independence | 10,199 | $85,375 | $425,946 | 33.3% |
| 9 | Forest Grove | 26,529 | $87,933 | $525,623 | 33.9% |
| 10 | Astoria | 10,109 | $68,007 | $474,605 | 20.0% |
| 11 | Tualatin | 27,763 | $104,043 | $638,736 | 31.0% |
| 12 | Bend | 103,390 | $96,394 | $732,650 | 26.9% |
| 13 | Milwaukie | 21,392 | $86,892 | $519,433 | 25.1% |
| 14 | Gladstone | 11,977 | $91,250 | $517,793 | 23.4% |
| 15 | Albany | 56,839 | $78,114 | $435,935 | 32.2% |
| 16 | Tigard | 56,011 | $108,823 | $608,407 | 30.6% |
| 17 | Newport | 10,583 | $60,568 | $445,961 | 18.8% |
| 18 | Prineville | 11,470 | $72,980 | $425,759 | 34.1% |
| 19 | North Bend | 10,171 | $81,320 | $355,605 | 28.3% |
| 20 | St. Helens | 14,258 | $82,865 | $425,040 | 35.6% |
| 21 | Cottage Grove | 10,698 | $80,875 | $395,746 | 31.9% |
| 22 | Hillsboro | 108,231 | $106,409 | $522,557 | 29.5% |
| 23 | Corvallis | 59,960 | $65,012 | $555,988 | 19.6% |
| 24 | Pendleton | 16,950 | $66,563 | $295,556 | 36.1% |
| 25 | Cornelius | 14,255 | $96,273 | $485,775 | 33.1% |
| 26 | McMinnville | 34,596 | $73,736 | $484,842 | 29.9% |
| 27 | Beaverton | 97,812 | $98,622 | $530,795 | 27.5% |
| 28 | Portland | 641,165 | $90,919 | $534,638 | 22.0% |
| 29 | Lebanon | 19,344 | $63,176 | $391,198 | 24.9% |
| 30 | Keizer | 39,082 | $84,813 | $450,015 | 32.1% |
| 31 | La Grande | 13,058 | $58,427 | $298,760 | 23.1% |
| 32 | Roseburg | 23,778 | $53,918 | $361,701 | 28.6% |
| 33 | The Dalles | 15,917 | $62,614 | $389,438 | 24.1% |
| 34 | Klamath Falls | 22,115 | $46,693 | $308,371 | 28.9% |
| 35 | Salem | 178,865 | $75,487 | $436,318 | 31.8% |
| 36 | Central Point | 19,216 | $86,058 | $418,192 | 31.9% |
| 37 | Dallas | 17,531 | $71,549 | $474,062 | 28.6% |
| 38 | Gresham | 112,378 | $77,795 | $471,181 | 32.6% |
| 39 | Grants Pass | 39,311 | $59,646 | $398,231 | 34.4% |
| 40 | Redmond | 36,092 | $84,164 | $514,637 | 33.0% |
| 41 | Medford | 86,315 | $73,230 | $406,689 | 30.6% |
| 42 | Ashland | 21,259 | $68,028 | $551,385 | 15.2% |
| 43 | Sweet Home | 10,078 | $56,927 | $350,175 | 24.8% |
| 44 | Eugene | 179,591 | $66,562 | $473,231 | 21.1% |
| 45 | Woodburn | 27,875 | $67,347 | $425,248 | 32.3% |
| 46 | Coos Bay | 15,925 | $56,524 | $323,165 | 20.9% |
| 47 | Springfield | 61,499 | $68,761 | $414,618 | 30.6% |
| 48 | Hermiston | 19,546 | $66,998 | $339,211 | 48.1% |
Source: U.S. Census data via Saturday Night Science. 48 Oregon cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In Oregon
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Oregon ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
The best places for families in Oregon are West Linn, Sandy, Lake Oswego, Sherwood, Monmouth, Molalla, Canby, Independence, Forest Grove, and Astoria.
