This is just an anecdote, but I've had bigger problems with aggressive homeless folks in the central part of the US (Midwest) than on the West Coast. Sure, there's a bunch, but my hunch is that they're a bit more mellow (if you know what I mean). Portland wasn't my favorite city and can be pretty ugly with all of the boarded-up areas (at least in 2021), but I didn't have safety issues.