2023 Best Suburbs to Live in the Portland Area

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 4.1 out of 5  50 reviews

Current Resident: Very safe, clean, and quiet neighborhood. Great for families with kids, singles, or couples. Lots of dogs and great walking paths.... Read 50 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Population 29,277

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 4.43 out of 5  14 reviews

Current Resident: I was born and raised in Cedar Hills. My parents were one of the first to move to Cedar Hills in the 40’s. Some refer to Cedar Hills as similar to the Leave It To Beaver neighborhood. Cedar Hills had one of the first shopping centers dedicated for a subdivision; Cedar Hills Shopping Center, and we had our own airport, Bernard’s Airport. Back then everybody knew everybody. I remember mom belonged to the Cedar Hills Garden Club. And Foothill St was featured in the Oregonian during Christmas as every house had a white Christmas Tree in the front yard. Many of the streets had block parties, and many homeowners got together to plant flowering trees in the parking strips. There was never any crime. Walking to Ernie’s Store and towing your red wagon was super fund. You give the grocery list to a checker and they would fill the wagon; including s carton of Kool’s cigarettes. No money was needed because they would put it on mom’s account. Life was simple then.... Read 14 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• Population 9,511

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 4.13 out of 5  95 reviews

Current Resident: I love my neighborhood! We have such kind, thoughtful neighbors. Everything we need is within 10 minute drive... resturants, grocery, movies. The Lake Theater is the best!... Read 95 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Population 40,390

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 3.8 out of 5  30 reviews

Current Resident: SO many friendly families in the area, we moved from a neighborhood with NO kids to play with to Oak Hills that has literally dozens within a stone’s throw. Great schools, beautiful surroundings, lots of job opportunities for white collar workers.... Read 30 reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• Population 11,715

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 4.12 out of 5  25 reviews

Current Resident: Cedar Mill is an upper middle-class suburb outside of Portland, OR and to the north of Beaverton, OR. It is a mostly residential area, although there are good chain restaurants and bigger national stores like target, best buy, new seasons, and more. Most of the students in the area attend the Beaverton School District school, which is a great school district but not outstanding. The cost of living is relatively high, and new houses can easily reach 1 million. The people in the area are nice but not very extroverted and willing to start conversation with anyone like one might experience in the South. Overall, I would rate my experience in Cedar mill a 4.5/5 rounded to a 5. The only downside is the cost of living and being ok with people that will grow to like you but are somewhat distant if you don't interact with them.... Read 25 reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• Population 18,987

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 4.05 out of 5  85 reviews

Current Resident: West Linn is a great place to live, lots of trees and natural areas. There is an overall diverse selection of housing, with tidy upscale residential in Hidden Springs, Rosemont, and BHT built in the 90s/early 2000s. Marylhurst has a bit more of a range with many houses being built as far back as the 60s/70s, and the Robinwood, Bolton, and Sunset areas have a lot more affordable homes in the sub-$600k area. The charming Old Willamette area has many different shops and bars/places to eat and two(!) large hardware stores. Oh, and you can't forget the beautiful estates in the Stafford and Pete's Mountain area. Overall the city is safe and tidy, having everything you would need. Multiple grocery stores, hardware stores, and fast food places. One downfall is the lack of gas stations up on the hill, you need to go all the way to basically Oregon City to fill up, which is a pity as most of the nicer homes are on the hill. There is a nice Chevron with a touchless carwash in Willamette though.... Read 85 reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• Population 27,173

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 4.1 out of 5  20 reviews

Current Resident: I have really enjoyed living in Raleigh Hills. There is a great variety of options for supermarkets, restaurants, etc. that are not far away and most general commute times are very reasonable! It is very calm with a great family-friendly feel.... Read 20 reviews

• grade A

• grade A minus

• Population 6,726

• Suburb in Washington

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  Rating 4.27 out of 5  99 reviews

Current Resident: Camas happens to be a very nice town in Washington. It is a smaller one compared to its neighbor, Vancouver, but Camas has its perks with being a relatively nice community. I've spoken to other residents and friends, and they all confirmed that Camas and the Vancouver area near it is a "safe region" from others with druggy homeless, aggressive residents, low quality areas (broken roads). Camas has clean air, and somewhat large fields of plants.... Read 99 reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• Population 25,774

• Suburb in Washington

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  Rating 4.38 out of 5  8 reviews

Current Resident: Lived in many places and Felida is the best for Metro Portland-Vancouver area, with numerous parks, new and emerging restaurants, shops, and local services within walking and biking distances. No east Gorge winds and patrolled routinely by Clark County's finest, providing a safe environment for diverse families, kids and grandparents. Love it!... Read 8 reviews

• grade A

• grade B+

• Population 10,389

• Suburb of Portland, OR

• grade A

• grade A

• Population 6,970

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 4.32 out of 5  60 reviews

Current Resident: Was looking to buy in Lake Oswego but chose HV. It's so safe and clean. And the city is well run. Right now the main park is getting new sports fields, the already awesome library is expanding and I see improvements coming for the Scott Creek trail and Southern Lites Park. I run up Scouters Mtn. And Talbert all the time. A little worried about all the new homes being built. May make Sunnyside congested or push away the wildlife critters I love.... Read 60 reviews

• grade A

• grade A minus

• Population 23,442

• Suburb of Portland, OR

• grade A minus

• grade A+

• Population 1,999

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 3.95 out of 5  74 reviews

Current Resident: Been living here for a few years now, moving to Orlando soon for my husband to start a new career! Overall it's pretty nice here, my biggest complaints would be how rude and over opinionated everyone seems to be. I would say it's pretty safe, but then again I wouldn't want to walk the streets alone past work hours. The cost of living seems a little ridiculous, I doubt we could ever afford a home here, we can barely afford a one bedroom apartment for the two of us.... Read 74 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

• Population 27,821

• Town in Oregon

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  Rating 4.26 out of 5  309 reviews

Current Resident: Beaverton is a town with lots to see and do, a nice sense of community, plenty of educational options, and lovely nature! The town's powerline park is the perfect place to get outside and explore, stretching across the city and accessible to many neighborhoods! There are always exciting places to be, amazing restaurants, and constantly new development projects to grow and better the community space. Beaverton has always been a pretty safe space as well. I think that there is nothing I would change, except perhaps avoiding removal of so many unique and green natural spaces when building new housing.... Read 309 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A minus

• Population 97,466

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 3.77 out of 5  13 reviews

Niche User: Nice and quiet. good people.... Read 13 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

• Population 9,659

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 3.95 out of 5  165 reviews

Current Resident: Tigard is fairly priced with an abundance of businesses nearby, including a nice variety of smaller restaurants and food trucks - and lots of dispensaries! Some areas are nicer than others but I have yet to feel particularly unsafe.... Read 165 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

• Population 54,750

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 3.83 out of 5  6 reviews

Niche User: This is a very safe community. The police are very nice and are always around to help if they are needed.... Read 6 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

• Population 2,073

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 4.33 out of 5  57 reviews

Current Resident: Wilsonville, Oregon feels safe with its low crime rate and quiet neighborhoods. I appreciate this coming from an inner city where my car was broken into, my boyfriends car was stolen and people were threatened a daily basis. There is a wide variety of restaurants to chose from with different types of cuisines. The public library is very spacious and has a diverse selection or reading materials. They come in a bunch of different formats including audio books and digital copies to “check out”. With numerous parks to choose from, my dog and I get plenty of walking in, keeping us healthy and in shape. The parks are well kept and feel safe. Again something I appreciate due to where we used to live. It’s far enough from the main cities (Portland & Salem) to not have too much traffic, but close enough to not make errands in either a long trip.... Read 57 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

• Population 25,887

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 4.18 out of 5  51 reviews

Current Resident: Sherwood is a fun, small community with plenty of activities for kids and adults! Most neighborhood have a set of trail systems perfect for year round activity. Downtown Sherwood is filled with cute cafes, small pubs, and the library is a hidden gem. The town might be small in stature, but it is filled with personality from the friendly people to the unique shops and resturants.... Read 51 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

• Population 20,281

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 3 out of 5  2 reviews

• grade B+

• grade A minus

• Population 4,282

• Town in Oregon

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  Rating 3.99 out of 5  320 reviews

Current Resident: I absolutely love Hillsboro. I came here close to three years ago and it’s probably been the best decision I’ve ever had. Not only is it an hour away from the coast, hiking trails, waterfalls, etc, but it also has Portland really close by. You can do so much here and the opportunities seem nearly endless. One big pro as well is how incredibly kind the people are here and are willing to lend you a hand, if you come from somewhere else where people are a bit less kind, you’ll notice it right away. At the moment the one drawback I’d say is that I just wish there was slightly more specific food options in Hillsboro itself. However, while this sounds as if there are no food options, that’s completely untrue. All you need to do is explore. Oddly enough, I’ve encountered some amazing restaurants and food trucks just searching around. There’s too much to put in a tiny box, so do yourself a favor and come on down!... Read 320 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B

• Population 105,909

• Suburb in Washington

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  Rating 3.86 out of 5  22 reviews

Niche User: In my years of residence emergency personnel and police had to be called multiple times, whether that was for safety or health concerns. I have always experienced prompt response and friendly assistance. This address is within earshot of the local fire station, and there is an ambulance dispatch center close-by as well.... Read 22 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B+

• Population 7,169

• Suburb in Washington

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  Rating 3.78 out of 5  55 reviews

Current Resident: Salmon Creek is a newer area surrounding Vancouver Washington. There are many grocery stores nearby, as well as fast food or fast-casual. However, there is a severe lack of sit-down restaurants of any sort. The roads are often kept nice, and the scenery is also nice. However, there has been nonstop construction which is annoying. It is a very busy area where road traffic is always busy. Once I am on the interstate, there is rarely congestion. There is a lack of wide walking or biking trails, and even many areas that lack sidewalks. I do witness daily homeless, but I never hear of any violence in this neighborhood. Overall, I enjoy having my home, church, and school in Salmon Creek.... Read 55 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B+

• Population 19,809

• Suburb of Portland, OR

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  Rating 3.75 out of 5  4 reviews

Current Resident: Been here little over a month, super friendly neighbors, no speeding, speed bumps are a plus, speed limits are slower in neighbors than where I came from. Street extremely clean .... Read 4 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B minus

• Population 1,054

• Suburb in Washington

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  Rating 3.89 out of 5  19 reviews

Current Resident: Professionally managed HOA neighborhood with with 431 of 1970-90s well maintained homes with 3 community parks including sports courts and play grounds.... Read 19 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B

• Population 9,924