The unfortunate fact of the matter is that some places in the Beaver State have a larger percent of their population that never graduated from high school.
While the emphasis on going to college might be overblown, the fact is that not graduating from high school puts you at a significant disadvantage on average. Educational attainment might not be the best way to measure one person’s intelligence, but it does shine a light on the state.
We will use Saturday Night Science to determine what places in Oregon have the highest percentage of adults without a high school degree.
A recent study we published found that Oregon is the 23rd smartest state in the United States, with an average IQ of 101.
But that doesn’t mean that a few cities in Oregon are a bit slower than others due to a lack of basic education.
#1 dumbest in Oregon
Located in
Umatilla County, Oregon
Milton-Freewater is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. The city received its current name in 1951 when the neighboring rival cities of Milton and Freewater voted to merge. The population was 7,050 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Pendleton-Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area. Milton-Freewater is home to a growing wine industry.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#2 dumbest in Oregon
Located in
Marion County, Oregon
Woodburn is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. Incorporated in 1889, the community had been platted in 1871 after the arrival of the railroad. The city is located in the northern end of the Willamette Valley between Portland and Salem. Interstate 5 connects it to major cities to the north and south. Oregon routes 211, 214, 219, and 99E also serve the city, as do Union Pacific and Willamette Valley Railway freight rail lines.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#3 dumbest in Oregon
Located in
Linn County, Oregon
Sweet Home is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States. The population was 8,925 at the 2010 census. According to the city, “Sweet Home is sometimes referred to as the ‘Gateway to the Santiam Playground’ due to its proximity to nearby lakes, rivers and the Cascade Mountains.”
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#4 dumbest in Oregon
Located in
Umatilla County, Oregon
Umatilla is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. It is named for the Umatilla River, which enters the Columbia River on the side of the city. The river is named after the Umatilla Tribe. The city is on the south side of the Columbia River along U.S. Route 730 and I-82.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#5 dumbest in Oregon
Located in
Malheur County, Oregon
Ontario is the largest city in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It lies along the Snake River at the Idaho border. The population was 11,366 at the 2010 census. The city is the largest community in the region of far eastern Oregon, also known as the Western Treasure Valley.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#6 dumbest in Oregon
Located in
Yamhill County, Oregon
Sheridan is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. Platted in the 1860s when it received a post office, the city was incorporated in 1880. A major fire burned much of the city in 1913, and a flood covered much of the city in 1964. The population of the city as of the 2010 Census was 6,127, an increase from 3,570 at the 2000 census. However, the 2000 Census count failed to include those incarcerated at the federal prison in the city, while the newer count did include those inmates.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#7 dumbest in Oregon
Located in
Umatilla County, Oregon
Hermiston is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. The population of 17,985 makes it the largest city in Eastern Oregon. Hermiston is the largest, and fastest-growing, city in the Hermiston-Pendleton Micropolitan Statistical Area, the eighth largest Core Based Statistical Area in Oregon with a combined population of 87,062 at the 2010 census. Hermiston sits near the junction of I-82 and I-84, & is 7 miles south of the Columbia River, Lake Wallula, and the McNary Dam. The Hermiston area has become a transportation and logistics hub due to the proximity of the I-82 and I-84 interchange, and central location between the major Pacific Northwest metropolitan areas. The city is also known for its watermelons, which are part of its branding.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#8 dumbest in Oregon
Located in
Washington County, Oregon
Cornelius is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. Located in the Portland metropolitan area, the city’s population was 11,869 at the 2010 census. The city lies along Tualatin Valley Highway between Forest Grove to the west and Hillsboro to the east. Cornelius was incorporated in 1893 and is named for founder Thomas R. Cornelius.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#9 dumbest in Oregon
The city of Tillamook is the county seat of Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The population was 4,935 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#10 dumbest in Oregon
Located in
Crook County, Oregon
Prineville is a city in and the county seat of Crook County, Oregon, United States. It was named for the first merchant located in the present location, Barney Prine. The population was 9,253 at the 2010 census.
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.
On the map
Where Oregon’s dumbest cities are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the dumbest cities in the Beaver State
We realize that formal education is only part of it when it comes to being intelligent, but on the other hand, knowing the difference between they’re, their, and there is always going to make you look pretty stupid.
So, we used Saturday Night Science to narrow down our criteria to focus on a city’s educational opportunities and what percentage of the population takes advantage of those opportunities.
In short, we came up with these criteria to determine the dumbest cities in Oregon:
- % of the city’s population with less than a high school education (Age 25+)
- % of city’s population with a college degree (Age 25+)
We got the data from the U.S. Census 2020-2024 American Community Survey.
Then, our algorithm generates a rank for each place in these categories. After crunching all the numbers, a ranking of the cities in Oregon from dumbest to brightest.
For this ranking, we used every Oregon city with at least 5,000 residents. We updated this article for 2026, and it’s our eleventh time ranking the dumbest cities in Oregon.
The full plate
Dumbest Cities In Oregon For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | % Adult High School Dropout | % Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milton-Freewater | 7,036 | 26.0% | 8.0% |
| 2 | Woodburn | 27,875 | 31.0% | 15.0% |
| 3 | Sweet Home | 10,078 | 16.0% | 12.0% |
| 4 | Umatilla | 7,508 | 18.0% | 13.0% |
| 5 | Ontario | 11,842 | 19.0% | 15.0% |
| 6 | Sheridan | 6,339 | 15.0% | 13.0% |
| 7 | Hermiston | 19,546 | 25.0% | 17.0% |
| 8 | Cornelius | 14,255 | 23.0% | 18.0% |
| 9 | Tillamook | 5,218 | 14.0% | 15.0% |
| 10 | Prineville | 11,470 | 15.0% | 16.0% |
| 11 | Madras | 7,676 | 15.0% | 21.0% |
| 12 | Molalla | 10,186 | 12.0% | 19.0% |
| 13 | Winston | 5,690 | 10.0% | 16.0% |
| 14 | St. Helens | 14,258 | 10.0% | 17.0% |
| 15 | Eagle Point | 9,839 | 13.0% | 23.0% |
| 16 | Gresham | 112,378 | 13.0% | 23.0% |
| 17 | Brookings | 6,703 | 10.0% | 19.0% |
| 18 | Fairview | 10,735 | 14.0% | 24.0% |
| 19 | Grants Pass | 39,311 | 10.0% | 20.0% |
| 20 | The Dalles | 15,917 | 12.0% | 23.0% |
| 21 | Sutherlin | 8,599 | 8.0% | 16.0% |
| 22 | Klamath Falls | 22,115 | 11.0% | 24.0% |
| 23 | Coos Bay | 15,925 | 9.0% | 22.0% |
| 24 | McMinnville | 34,596 | 12.0% | 26.0% |
| 25 | Veneta | 5,200 | 8.0% | 19.0% |
| 26 | Independence | 10,199 | 13.0% | 28.0% |
| 27 | Keizer | 39,082 | 11.0% | 26.0% |
| 28 | Estacada | 5,152 | 6.0% | 12.0% |
| 29 | Florence | 9,482 | 10.0% | 25.0% |
| 30 | Pendleton | 16,950 | 10.0% | 25.0% |
| 31 | Roseburg | 23,778 | 8.0% | 22.0% |
| 32 | Creswell | 5,621 | 8.0% | 23.0% |
| 33 | Dallas | 17,531 | 8.0% | 23.0% |
| 34 | Lebanon | 19,344 | 8.0% | 21.0% |
| 35 | Springfield | 61,499 | 8.0% | 23.0% |
| 36 | Salem | 178,865 | 12.0% | 31.0% |
| 37 | Gladstone | 11,977 | 9.0% | 26.0% |
| 38 | Newberg | 26,066 | 13.0% | 33.0% |
| 39 | Cottage Grove | 10,698 | 7.0% | 21.0% |
| 40 | Warrenton | 6,327 | 7.0% | 21.0% |
| 41 | Troutdale | 15,923 | 9.0% | 29.0% |
| 42 | Forest Grove | 26,529 | 10.0% | 32.0% |
| 43 | Central Point | 19,216 | 8.0% | 28.0% |
| 44 | Astoria | 10,109 | 9.0% | 31.0% |
| 45 | Scappoose | 8,179 | 6.0% | 24.0% |
| 46 | Newport | 10,583 | 9.0% | 31.0% |
| 47 | Hillsboro | 108,231 | 10.0% | 42.0% |
| 48 | Stayton | 8,292 | 7.0% | 27.0% |
| 49 | Canby | 18,134 | 8.0% | 30.0% |
| 50 | Medford | 86,315 | 8.0% | 31.0% |
| 51 | Albany | 56,839 | 7.0% | 29.0% |
| 52 | Hood River | 8,361 | 10.0% | 55.0% |
| 53 | Redmond | 36,092 | 7.0% | 30.0% |
| 54 | Sandy | 12,854 | 6.0% | 29.0% |
| 55 | North Bend | 10,171 | 6.0% | 29.0% |
| 56 | Monmouth | 11,428 | 5.0% | 28.0% |
| 57 | Seaside | 7,192 | 6.0% | 31.0% |
| 58 | La Grande | 13,058 | 4.0% | 28.0% |
| 59 | Beaverton | 97,812 | 8.0% | 50.0% |
| 60 | Tualatin | 27,763 | 7.0% | 46.0% |
| 61 | Happy Valley | 26,738 | 6.0% | 46.0% |
| 62 | Silverton | 10,456 | 5.0% | 33.0% |
| 63 | Eugene | 179,591 | 6.0% | 45.0% |
| 64 | Milwaukie | 21,392 | 5.0% | 41.0% |
| 65 | Philomath | 5,642 | 6.0% | 50.0% |
| 66 | Portland | 641,165 | 6.0% | 54.0% |
| 67 | Talent | 6,254 | 4.0% | 40.0% |
| 68 | Wilsonville | 26,974 | 4.0% | 45.0% |
| 69 | Tigard | 56,011 | 5.0% | 50.0% |
| 70 | Sherwood | 20,307 | 4.0% | 50.0% |
| 71 | Bend | 103,390 | 4.0% | 52.0% |
| 72 | Corvallis | 59,960 | 5.0% | 61.0% |
| 73 | Ashland | 21,259 | 3.0% | 66.0% |
| 74 | West Linn | 26,935 | 2.0% | 63.0% |
| 75 | Lake Oswego | 40,381 | 1.0% | 75.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 75 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
There You Have It – Now That You’re Asleep
If you’re measuring the locations in Oregon where there are a high number of dropouts and adults who never received a formal education, this is an accurate ranking.
The dumbest cities in Oregon are Milton-Freewater, Woodburn, Sweet Home, Umatilla, Ontario, Sheridan, Hermiston, Cornelius, Tillamook, and Prineville. Not sold on Oregon? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
