Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Oregon? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Salem, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Oregon suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Lake Oswego is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Oregon.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Oregon, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Oregon and the best places to raise a family in Oregon.
Best Suburbs In Oregon For 2025
/10
Population: 40,367
Median Income: $140,441
Average Home Price: $894,000
More on Lake Oswego: Data
Lake Oswego is located 8 miles south of Portland.
/10
Population: 20,227
Median Income: $110,616
Average Home Price: $564,200
More on Sherwood: Data
Sherwood is located 15 miles west of Portland.
/10
Population: 27,065
Median Income: $138,526
Average Home Price: $733,300
More on West Linn: Data
West Linn is located 11 miles south of Portland.
/10
Population: 18,103
Median Income: $100,268
Average Home Price: $479,500
More on Canby: Data
Canby is located 18 miles south of Portland.
/10
Population: 55,395
Median Income: $105,008
Average Home Price: $585,700
More on Tigard: Data
Tigard is located 9 miles west of Portland.
/10
Population: 21,256
Median Income: $82,422
Average Home Price: $477,200
More on Milwaukie: Data
Milwaukie is located 6 miles south of Portland.
/10
Population: 97,502
Median Income: $94,279
Average Home Price: $543,100
More on Beaverton: Data
Beaverton is located 8 miles west of Portland.
/10
Population: 11,986
Median Income: $90,395
Average Home Price: $463,600
More on Gladstone: Data
Gladstone is located 10 miles south of Portland.
/10
Population: 12,738
Median Income: $102,201
Average Home Price: $450,200
More on Sandy: Data
Sandy is located 20 miles east of Portland.
/10
Population: 107,050
Median Income: $103,207
Average Home Price: $483,400
More on Hillsboro: Data
Hillsboro is located 13 miles west of Portland.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Beaver State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Oregon. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Oregon, we looked at every town with at least 8,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Oregon across these criteria from one to 23, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Oregon.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Oregon.
Read on to see why Lake Oswego is the ‘burb with the most, while Fairview is probably not the best place to live in Oregon.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Oregon
If you’re measuring the locations in Oregon where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Oregon are Lake Oswego, Sherwood, West Linn, Canby, Tigard, Milwaukie, Beaverton, Gladstone, Sandy, and Hillsboro.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Oregon according to the data:
- Fairview
- Woodburn
- Gresham
For more Oregon reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Oregon
- Cheapest Places To Live In Oregon
- Most Dangerous Cities In Oregon
- Richest Cities In Oregon
- Safest Places In Oregon
- Worst Places To Live In Oregon
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Oregon
The Best Suburbs In Oregon
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Oswego | 40,367 | $140,441 | $894,000 |
| 2 | Sherwood | 20,227 | $110,616 | $564,200 |
| 3 | West Linn | 27,065 | $138,526 | $733,300 |
| 4 | Canby | 18,103 | $100,268 | $479,500 |
| 5 | Tigard | 55,395 | $105,008 | $585,700 |
| 6 | Milwaukie | 21,256 | $82,422 | $477,200 |
| 7 | Beaverton | 97,502 | $94,279 | $543,100 |
| 8 | Gladstone | 11,986 | $90,395 | $463,600 |
| 9 | Sandy | 12,738 | $102,201 | $450,200 |
| 10 | Hillsboro | 107,050 | $103,207 | $483,400 |
| 11 | Newberg | 25,622 | $91,389 | $453,700 |
| 12 | Happy Valley | 25,572 | $120,324 | $671,800 |
| 13 | Tualatin | 27,710 | $105,073 | $595,800 |
| 14 | Molalla | 10,168 | $83,996 | $416,900 |
| 15 | Scappoose | 8,099 | $99,475 | $430,000 |
| 16 | St. Helens | 14,152 | $82,123 | $350,900 |
| 17 | Forest Grove | 26,406 | $81,998 | $464,300 |
| 18 | Wilsonville | 26,183 | $87,371 | $584,700 |
| 19 | Cornelius | 13,700 | $90,071 | $419,000 |
| 20 | Troutdale | 16,000 | $84,339 | $437,700 |
| 21 | Gresham | 112,818 | $73,608 | $440,000 |
| 22 | Woodburn | 26,845 | $67,469 | $308,400 |
| 23 | Fairview | 10,627 | $71,024 | $410,400 |