Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Oregon a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Oregon.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Beaver State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Oregon, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 36 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Oregon For 2026
Clackamas County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Oregon. And you should avoid Klamath County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Oregon. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Oregon and the cheapest places to live in Oregon.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Oregon For 2026
1. Clackamas County
Biggest Place: Portland
Population: 423,975
Median Income: $103,517 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $615,068 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (11th best)
More on Clackamas County: Data
2. Washington County
Biggest Place: Portland
Population: 603,947
Median Income: $107,772 (best)
Median Home Price: $567,308 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (13th best)
More on Washington County: Data
3. Deschutes County
Biggest Place: Bend
Population: 206,334
Median Income: $92,758 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $667,867 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (10th best)
More on Deschutes County: Data
4. Wallowa County
Biggest Place: Enterprise
Population: 7,553
Median Income: $67,112 (20th best)
Median Home Price: $433,286 (18th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (6th best)
More on Wallowa County: Data
5. Columbia County
Biggest Place: St. Helens
Population: 53,493
Median Income: $87,458 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $450,363 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (8th best)
More on Columbia County: Data
6. Polk County
Biggest Place: Salem
Population: 89,662
Median Income: $85,118 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $478,642 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.7% (23rd best)
More on Polk County: Data
7. Yamhill County
Biggest Place: McMinnville
Population: 108,734
Median Income: $90,063 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $505,780 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (15th best)
More on Yamhill County: Data
8. Tillamook County
Biggest Place: Tillamook
Population: 27,496
Median Income: $69,105 (18th best)
Median Home Price: $503,130 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (12th best)
More on Tillamook County: Data
9. Multnomah County
Biggest Place: Portland
Population: 801,477
Median Income: $88,766 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $506,895 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.7% (24th best)
More on Multnomah County: Data
10. Clatsop County
Biggest Place: Astoria
Population: 41,363
Median Income: $71,822 (16th best)
Median Home Price: $509,201 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (14th best)
More on Clatsop County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Oregon county is the best?
To give you the best county in Oregon, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Oregon across each of the criteria from one to 36, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Oregon.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Beaver State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Oregon.
Read on to see why Clackamas County is the best county, while Klamath County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Oregon.
Summary: The Best Counties In Oregon To Call Home For 2026
Living in Oregon can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Oregon are Clackamas County, Washington County, Deschutes County, Wallowa County, Columbia County, Polk County, Yamhill County, Tillamook County, Multnomah County, and Clatsop County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Oregon according to the data:
- Klamath County
- Malheur County
- Josephine County
For more Oregon reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Oregon
- Cheapest Places To Live In Oregon
- Best Places To Buy A House In Oregon
- Best Counties To Live In Oregon
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Oregon
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clackamas County | 423,975 | $103,517 | $615,068 |
| 2 | Washington County | 603,947 | $107,772 | $567,308 |
| 3 | Deschutes County | 206,334 | $92,758 | $667,867 |
| 4 | Wallowa County | 7,553 | $67,112 | $433,286 |
| 5 | Columbia County | 53,493 | $87,458 | $450,363 |
| 6 | Polk County | 89,662 | $85,118 | $478,642 |
| 7 | Yamhill County | 108,734 | $90,063 | $505,780 |
| 8 | Tillamook County | 27,496 | $69,105 | $503,130 |
| 9 | Multnomah County | 801,477 | $88,766 | $506,895 |
| 10 | Clatsop County | 41,363 | $71,822 | $509,201 |
| 11 | Hood River County | 23,905 | $88,947 | $687,017 |
| 12 | Benton County | 96,303 | $77,702 | $553,569 |
| 13 | Wheeler County | 1,485 | $55,284 | $316,458 |
| 14 | Jackson County | 222,645 | $73,999 | $434,491 |
| 15 | Crook County | 26,277 | $81,965 | $469,791 |
| 16 | Linn County | 130,706 | $76,329 | $409,098 |
| 17 | Lane County | 384,207 | $71,544 | $452,758 |
| 18 | Curry County | 23,381 | $62,244 | $449,918 |
| 19 | Sherman County | 1,938 | $60,161 | $282,611 |
| 20 | Baker County | 16,840 | $60,936 | $301,878 |
| 21 | Lake County | 8,267 | $62,787 | $194,098 |
| 22 | Gilliam County | 1,971 | $66,917 | $240,780 |
| 23 | Marion County | 349,244 | $77,351 | $443,037 |
| 24 | Umatilla County | 79,940 | $67,728 | $307,920 |
| 25 | Douglas County | 112,072 | $61,310 | $342,175 |
| 26 | Morrow County | 12,300 | $75,448 | $306,116 |
| 27 | Union County | 26,144 | $65,661 | $330,865 |
| 28 | Harney County | 7,499 | $55,208 | $211,050 |
| 29 | Lincoln County | 50,964 | $63,165 | $468,671 |
| 30 | Jefferson County | 25,203 | $76,260 | $428,109 |
| 31 | Grant County | 7,209 | $59,450 | $285,065 |
| 32 | Coos County | 64,827 | $62,143 | $346,172 |
| 33 | Wasco County | 26,552 | $64,175 | $398,015 |
| 34 | Josephine County | 88,179 | $60,098 | $388,613 |
| 35 | Malheur County | 31,954 | $54,519 | $309,311 |
| 36 | Klamath County | 70,247 | $58,830 | $311,078 |