What’s the best part of Eugene? It could be where everyone knows their neighbor. Or it could be where home prices are the highest, meaning it’s where everyone wants to live.
Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Eugene are the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Whether you live in the sticks or in an apartment building downtown, you want a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood offers different perks and benefits.
Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits — less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Eugene neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?
If you’re thinking of moving to Oregon and Eugene is on the top of your list, check out the best neighborhoods for 2026.
$69,982 median income · $387,740 median home value
$87,860 median income · $415,775 median home value
$66,030 median income · $355,644 median home value
$76,480 median income · $369,000 median home value
$103,576 median income · $444,600 median home value
$34,684 median income · $518,750 median home value
$78,920 median income · $302,240 median home value
$77,774 median income · $315,722 median home value
$62,403 median income · $347,686 median home value
$58,236 median income · $492,350 median home value
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
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Eugene, OR neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Eugene, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 21 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Eugene.” We’re lookin’ at you, Cal Young.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Eugene, Oregon has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Eugene.
The full plate
Table: Best Eugene neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal Young | 23,306 | $387,740 | $69,982 |
| 2 | Crest Drive | 5,545 | $415,775 | $87,860 |
| 3 | Friendly Area | 8,033 | $355,644 | $66,030 |
| 4 | Amazon | 1,618 | $369,000 | $76,480 |
| 5 | Laurel Hill Valley | 591 | $444,600 | $103,576 |
| 6 | South University | 3,884 | $518,750 | $34,684 |
| 7 | Santa Clara | 17,963 | $302,240 | $78,920 |
| 8 | Southeast | 11,883 | $315,722 | $77,774 |
| 9 | Harlow | 15,338 | $347,686 | $62,403 |
| 10 | Fairmount | 4,368 | $492,350 | $58,236 |
| 11 | Industrial Corridor | 3,315 | $323,640 | $70,946 |
| 12 | River Road | 14,597 | $241,664 | $56,380 |
| 13 | Jefferson Westside | 6,822 | $292,462 | $35,544 |
| 14 | U Of O Campus | 3,022 | $468,100 | $20,050 |
| 15 | Churchill Area | 9,308 | $281,330 | $63,726 |
| 16 | Downtown | 4,437 | $322,367 | $26,884 |
| 17 | Far West | 4,506 | $222,560 | $41,432 |
| 18 | Whiteaker | 3,610 | $266,267 | $34,549 |
| 19 | Active Bethel | 26,225 | $147,138 | $46,446 |
| 20 | Trainsong | 1,299 | $219,000 | $50,854 |
| 21 | West Eugene | 4,394 | $245,286 | $51,736 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 21 Eugene neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Eugene
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Eugene where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Eugene are Cal Young, Crest Drive, Friendly Area, Amazon, Laurel Hill Valley, South University, Santa Clara, Southeast, Harlow, and Fairmount.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Eugene aren’t all good. West Eugene takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Eugene.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on Oregon? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Eugene FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Eugene?
Cal Young is the best neighborhood in Eugene for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Crest Drive and Friendly Area are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Eugene?
The best neighborhoods in Eugene are Cal Young, Crest Drive, Friendly Area, Amazon, Laurel Hill Valley, South University, Santa Clara, Southeast, Harlow, and Fairmount. We ranked all 21 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Cal Young?
The median household income in Cal Young is $69,982 and the median home costs $387,740. The best blocks in Eugene rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Eugene neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Cal Young, takes the top spot.
Which Eugene neighborhood ranked last?
West Eugene came in last of the 21 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Eugene the numbers put it there.
