Is Portland a city in decline?
KGW's news partner, the Portland Business Journal, found that the population of the Portland metro area went up by just 0.1% between 2020 and 2021 — much lower than in years past. When it comes to Multnomah County, it's seen a net loss in people, especially higher income earners.
According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the population of Portland and the rest of the state has declined for the first time in decades. The latest federal census numbers show Oregon's population is shrinking for the first time in decades. And it's losing residents at the sixth fastest rate.
With a 2023 population of 673,122, it is the largest city in Oregon and the 25th largest city in the United States. Portland is currently growing at a rate of 1.03% annually and its population has increased by 3.16% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 652,503 in 2020.
According to Bankrate.com, the city of Portland comes in at #23 as the Best Place to live in 2022. While affordability comes into a play, there were several other factors that came into play. Other factors such as diversity, job opportunities, safety, wellness were considered.
In the last decade, the fastest shrinking city out of the country's 384 metropolitan areas was Pine Bluff, Ark., southeast of Little Rock, where the population dropped by 12.5 percent between 2010 and 2020, according to The New York Times. The population is now 87,751, down from 100,258, Business Insider reports.
Oregon's homelessness crisis has been fueled by a housing shortage, the coronavirus pandemic and high drug addiction rates. More than 3,000 people are living without shelter in Portland, a 50 percent jump from 2019, and there are more than 700 encampments across the city, Wheeler said.
The top destination people moving out of Portland are looking to relocate to is Seattle, WA. With a median home sale price of $840,000, this popular destination has caught the eye of thousands of Portland-based residents. Home to 741,500 people, Seattle is famous for its coffee culture and its grunge music scene.
Its cost of living is 5.5% higher than the national average, yet less expensive than many cities in California. According to Best Places, Bend boasts the highest median home cost in Oregon ($634,200), yet this is still 38% less expensive than Costa Mesa, California or almost 50% less expensive than San Jose.
Portland is a city in Oregon with a population of 650,380. Portland is in Multnomah County and is one of the best places to live in Oregon. Living in Portland offers residents an urban suburban mix feel and most residents own their homes. In Portland there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks.
That said, like most other cities through 2021, Portland also experienced a rise in rates for certain forms of crime. So, Portland still experiences its fair share of crime regularly, be it petty theft, robberies, gang activity, gun violence, or other minor and major forms of crime.
Are people moving to Portland Oregon?
Stats About Who is Moving to Portland and the Future
This is a 19% increase over how many people were added to the city between 2013 and 2014. It's now 23rd in a list of the nation's largest metro areas. Nearly half of the city's growth is from domestic areas, and 15% is from international arrivals.
According to the report, Oregon had a net moving loss of 19.5%. Portland was also ranked 63 out of 144 cities with an 11.3% net moving loss. Neighboring Beaverton was also listed with a loss of 42.9%. Where are people moving to?
As its population grew over the past decade, Portland has struggled to manage its homelessness surge. This year, Multnomah County's point-in-time homeless count showed more than 5,200 people experiencing homelessness, a 30% increase from the 2019 count. More than 3,000 of those people are unsheltered.
When it comes to which city is better to live in, it's a personal preference. But when it comes to cost of living and crowds, Portland is the winner. If you live city living and prefer that environment, Seattle is better. If you like green space and outdoor activities, Portland is superior.
“Taking into account the cost of consumer goods, services, and housing, the overall cost of living in the Portland metropolitan area is 5.7% higher than the national average,” stated the study. “Out of all large U.S. metros, Portland is the 12th least affordable place to live.”
The biggest gains from net domestic migration last year were in Florida (318,855), Texas (230,961) and North Carolina (99,796), while the biggest losses were in California (-343,230), New York (-299,557) and Illinois (-141,656).
| Rank | Nation | City |
| 1 | US | St. Louis |
| 2 | Latvia | Riga |
| 3 | Estonia | Talinn |
And though the news coming out of Silicon Valley has caused San Francisco's housing market to become one of the fastest declining in the nation, the city still landed the top spot with a 4.8% GDP growth in 2022.
Potluck In The Park – Feeding Portland Homeless since 1991
Potluck has been serving a free hot meal to anyone in need since 1991. Rain or shine, 52 weeks a year, we are feeding Portland homeless, every Sunday, in our temporary Winter Location under the Hawthorne Bridge.
EUGENE, Ore. - An analysis of federal data found Eugene leads the nation in the number of people experiencing homelessness per capita, ahead of both Los Angeles (No. 2) and New York City (No.
Which US city has the most homeless?
Portland could be your next home! Known as one of the best places to live on the West Coast, this Oregon city has become a destination for young professionals, families, and world travelers alike.
People are looking for more affordable housing while still taking advantage of the perks that come with big-city living. And Portland is a great option for many. The current metro area population of Portland in 2022 is 2,197,000, a 1.06% increase from 2021.
Portland has fewer people experiencing homelessness than other large cities (source), but, due to a lack of shelter availability for those in need, our unsheltered population is more visible.
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Oregon Ranked 39th Happiest State.
| Overall Rank (1 = Happiest) | 1 |
|---|---|
| State | Hawaii |
| Total Score | 66.48 |
| 'Emotional & Physical Well-Being' Rank | 1 |
| 'Work Environment' Rank | 25 |
From his research, Clark has found that Californians are almost exclusively moving to Texas' four large metro areas — Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin.
...
The Top Five Cities That Californians Are Moving To
- Dallas, TX.
- Austin, TX.
- Seattle, WA.
- Phoenix, AZ.
- Houston, TX.
The city ranked #22 in U.S. News and World Report's latest survey of the Best Places to Live in the U.S. Portland continues to grow at a steady pace, with its population growing by 11.4% over the last decade.
Here's the thing: Most Portland folks are indeed friendly, but they are very reserved.
The living wage is used to determine the minimum amount of money required to live above the poverty level. In Portland, you'll need to earn at least $20.84 per hour if you're single with no children or $42.33 per hour for a family of four.
Is Vancouver Washington safer than Portland Oregon?
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Salem and Vancouver have trumped Portland on the list of 2022's Safest Cities in America, according to a recently-released WalletHub report.
The ACBJ study analyzed 40 markets in which Business Journals are published. Among those, Portland ranked 21st in per capita crime, according to the Salt Lake City-based Major Cities Chiefs Association.
Oregon's population decreased by over 16,000 people between July 2021 and July 2022, a 0.4% drop from the previous year. This marks the first time Oregon has seen a population decrease since 1983.
Portland Housing Market Trends – July 2022
Portland is a seller's market, as evidenced by rising prices and a low supply of homes. The inventory of available residential homes is enough to last for 2.0 months at the current pace of sales.
The last two years have been record breaking numbers in terms of number of visitors coming over the summer months. And this year, so far, preliminary data shows us down about 10% from where we were this time last year.
1. California
Rising housing costs, rising taxes and politics seem to be driving many people to look for opportunities elsewhere. Other factors that emigrants have cited are the rising threat of wildfires and the constantly increasing cost of living. Many families from the state are relocating to Texas.
The population growth of Portland suburbs (the whole metro) and population loss within the official City of Portland boundaries (the city proper). The U.S. Census Bureau for Portland city proper says Portland (not its suburbs) lost 11,000 residents from July 2020 to July 2021.
In 2019, more than 4,400 people moved from Texas to Oregon, making Texas a major feeder state to the Pacific Northwest.
“The media coverage of Portland with civil unrest and the pandemic unfortunately scared a lot of these folks away and that means less money getting brought into the city,” he said. Portland's reputation has fallen dramatically among investors, lenders and developers.
Many Portland residents believe so. “The services that they're offering here as opposed to other places are a lot better. There's probably a lot better food,” said Portlander Chris Blair. “People realizing this, see that this is an easy place to exist and they just flock here.”
What part of Portland has the most homeless?
Old Town is arguably the epicenter of homelessness in the city.
But hey, if I'm being honest, Portland locals are reserved as well. However, they're known to be friendlier than Seattleites.
Portland is known for being a friendly town where people are nice to strangers. Living in Portland means your Uber driver will probably expect you to sit in the front seat. (You might even hurt their feelings if you don't.) People smile, wave and chat with strangers.
| Population | |
|---|---|
| White alone, percent | 73.8% |
| Black or African American alone, percent(a) | 5.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent(a) | 0.9% |
| Asian alone, percent(a) | 8.5% |
Most salaries in Portland range between $51,667 (25th percentile) to $86,320 (75th percentile) annually. Of course, salaries will vary depending on your occupation, experience, and many other factors.
| 1 ADULT | 2 ADULTS (BOTH WORKING) | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 Children | 2 Children | |
| Living Wage | $21.60 | $26.93 |
| Poverty Wage | $6.19 | $6.37 |
| Minimum Wage | $14.75 | $14.75 |
To no major surprise, Los Angeles was found to be the least affordable. Two other California cities – Bakersfield and Modesto – found themselves among the top 10 least affordable cities in the U.S. Three Texas cities made the list as well. Here are the top 10 least affordable cities: Los Angeles.
| Rank | Nation | City |
| 1 | US | St. Louis |
| 2 | Latvia | Riga |
| 3 | Estonia | Talinn |
Since deaths usually outpace births in Oregon, the state has relied on migration to boost its population numbers. But this year, Oregon had a negative 17,000 net domestic migration compared to last year — meaning 17,000 more people left Oregon than moved here.
| Rank | State | Population Change Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | -0.80% |
| 2 | West Virginia | -0.76% |
| 3 | Illinois | -0.54% |
| 4 | New York | -0.45% |
Which cities in the US are shrinking?
Among major metro areas experiencing suburban population declines in the last year are Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
The biggest gains from net domestic migration last year were in Florida (318,855), Texas (230,961) and North Carolina (99,796), while the biggest losses were in California (-343,230), New York (-299,557) and Illinois (-141,656).
The short answer is yes. Visiting Portland should not bring you too much concern. It certainly doesn't have the same high crime rates as Detroit, Houston, Seattle, New Orleans, or other large cities. That said, like most other cities through 2021, Portland also experienced a rise in rates for certain forms of crime.
Many businesses in the downtown area have been boarded up to protect storefronts from damage. A photo composite showing a block on SW 5th Avenue, which is boarded up. For some Portlanders, a sign of downtown's recovery will be when the boards come off the storefronts.
Tourism is Big Business in Maine
An estimated 5.4 million visitors come to the Greater Portland region. Greater Portland visitor spending reached $682 Million and generated over $67 Million in tax revenues supporting 11,500 jobs.
