Oregon, Washington listed among nation's top 10 most dangerous states, according to report

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — In yet another ranking from U.S. News and World Report, Oregon and Washington are listed within the top 10 most dangerous states.

The media outlet looked at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s statistics on violent crime rates and property crime rates to determine its top 10. This data contributed to each place’s public safety ranking in the crime and corrections category of its overall list of the best states.

“The violent crime rate in the U.S. fell for two years in a row after an increase in 2020, according to annual estimates from the FBI,” U.S. News and World Report said. “After spiking by close to 30%, data also indicates the homicide rate was down by about 3% in 2022 compared with that first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

On the other hand, the company reported that property crimes such as vehicle theft and burglaries grew in the U.S. for the first time in 20 years.

In Oregon, specifically — which ranked as the eighth-most dangerous state — data show there were 2,935 property crimes for every 100,000 residents.

With violent crimes, there were 342 incidents for every 100,000 people.

Washington made the list at No. 5, with 376 violent crimes and 3,356 property crimes for every 100,000 residents.

It was also just named the eighth-best state in U.S. News and World Report’s overall rankings.

New Mexico, Louisiana, Colorado and Arkansas joined Washington as the top five most dangerous states, according to the company.

On the other end of the spectrum, New Hampshire, Maine, Idaho, Rhode Island and Connecticut were ranked as the safest in the country.