It depends on where you are now, and how you d compare the two places. Downtown Portland has it s seedy areas, but overall, I d say it s quite safe. It s probably comparable to a city like Phoenix or Tucson, although I haven t spent too much time in either of those places to make a clear comparison.I definitely wouldn t pass up the opportunity to study what you want at a reputable university for the fear of safety in Portland. It s really not worth the worry. You ll be fine in most areas near downtown, too. Outlying areas are not especially safer, unless you want to pay more.The weather is quite different from Arizona, unless you are in the Flagstaff area right now. It s a lot colder and wetter. A heck of a lot more rainy days. It warms up nicely in the summer, but not nearly as many hot days as Arizona. You get a nice change of seasons here--nice fall colors, nice flowers in the spring after a cold winter. Not too much snow, but you get it pretty good a week or two most winters.
There are also a bunch of little citties around Portland you can live in. Report Abuse