Feeling like there are a lot of new faces at the communal hot tubs lately?
Well, don't schedule a meeting with your shaman to deal with latent paranoia just yet—your brain might be reacting to a very real phenomena. According to a report by mover United Van Lines, for the third year in a row, Oregon had the highest percentage of inbound moves of any state in the union: 69 percent. [Editor's note: Stop giggling. It's a number like any other.]
That means waaay more people are moving into Oregon than are moving out (see: your rent increase).
California technically had the highest number of inbound moves, 13,670, but when adjusted for population, "Oregon still came out on top, with a net of 39 inbound moves for every 100,000 residents."
In the report, economist Michael Stoll links the high number of inbound moves to baby boomers and the "combination of a boom in the technology and creative marketing industry, as well as a growing 'want' for outdoor activity and green space."
He doesn't mention the fact that these newcomers are arriving to a sin-soaked, iced-over wasteland where bathtub art is no longer welcome. But oh well. Welcome to Oregon, I guess.
Willamette Week