NEWBERG, Ore. — Newberg-Dundee ranked fifth among Oregon’s safest cities in 2026, according to an annual report released by SafeWise, a national home security research organization. The combined community posted a violent crime rate of 1.22 per 1,000 residents and a property crime rate of 10.65 per 1,000 — figures that placed it well below the state’s more populous urban centers and well below national averages.
“We are incredibly grateful and humbled to learn that the Cities of Newberg and Dundee have been ranked as Oregon’s 5th safest city this year,” said Newberg-Dundee Police Chief Jeff Kosmicki. “While we are proud of this achievement, we want to be clear — this recognition does not belong to the police department alone. It belongs to our entire community: our residents, our businesses, our city government, and every stakeholder who plays a role in making Newberg and Dundee such special places to live and work.”
Kosmicki said partnerships with local government, businesses, and organizations helped the department achieve the ranking. Programs like Operation Safe Schools, where NDPD places a police officer at every school during morning drop-off, contribute to the high ranking and trust of the department, generally.
“At the end of the day, we have a dedicated team that serves the Cities of Newberg and Dundee, and we are honored to do it,” he said. “We will continue to build on the trust and partnerships that make this community great, and we remain committed to being the safest city in Oregon — because that is what our residents and businesses deserve.”
The SafeWise report, based on FBI crime data submitted through the National Incident-Based Reporting System and the FBI Summary Reporting System, ranked 44 Oregon cities on reported violent and property crime per 1,000 residents. SafeWise noted that rankings are based solely on crime rate calculations derived from FBI data; no other characterization of a community is implied.
West Linn claimed the top spot statewide, with a violent crime rate of just 0.53 per 1,000. Lake Oswego ranked second, followed by Sandy and Monmouth. Newberg-Dundee, with a population of 26,302, came in fifth — ahead of well-known communities including Bend (11th), Oregon City (14th), and Corvallis (21st).
At the bottom of the 44-city list sat Portland, ranking last with a violent crime rate of 7.24 and a property crime rate of 55.58 per 1,000 — nearly six times Newberg-Dundee’s property crime rate. Salem (41st), Medford (42nd), and Coos Bay (43rd) also ranked in the bottom tier.
Statewide and national context
The ranking offers a notable point of local comparison for Newberg’s Yamhill County neighbor to the south. McMinnville, with a population of 34,443, ranked 16th statewide, reporting a violent crime rate of 2.26 per 1,000 and a property crime rate of 14.52 per 1,000. Newberg-Dundee’s violent crime rate was roughly 46 percent lower than McMinnville’s, and its property crime rate was about 27 percent lower.
Cities that did not meet population thresholds or submitted incomplete data were excluded from the report.
The 2026 report showed a challenging backdrop nationally. The FBI data underlying the rankings — reflecting crimes reported in 2024 — showed a national property crime rate of 22.9 per 1,000 people, a 20 percent increase year-over-year, and a national violent crime rate of 4.4 per 1,000, a 22 percent increase. SafeWise reported that 26 states followed the trend of increases in both categories.
Newberg-Dundee’s violent crime rate of 1.22 per 1,000 was roughly 72 percent below the national violent crime average. Its property crime rate of 10.65 per 1,000 was less than half the national property crime rate.
“Being consistently ranked in the top 10 is something the men and women of the Newberg-Dundee Police Department should be proud of,” Kosmicki said. “It is a reflection of their daily commitment to doing the right thing on every contact. Although we are not perfect, we strive to provide exceptional customer service while working within the framework of the law. I believe we need to be something positive for everyone if we can.”
West Linn, Lake Oswego, Sandy, and Monmouth rank higher than Newberg-Dundee in the report. West Linn has held the title of safety city in Oregon for seven years. Portland was the least safe, preceded by Coos Bay, Medford, Salem, and Klamath Falls.
SafeWise calculates rankings using voluntary, self-reported crime data submitted by local law enforcement agencies to the FBI.
