Oregon Gained More Than 400,000 Residents in the Last Decade, a New Portland State University Population Study Shows

Of Oregon cities, Portland continued to see the most growth.

. (Abby Gordon)
By Elise Herron

Oregon has seen a large influx of new residents in the last decade, new population research from Portland State University shows.

Since 2010, more than 400,000 people have moved to the state. And between 2018 and 2019 alone, Oregon's population grew by 41,100. That exceeds the number of people moving out of state, 35,000.

Portland continued to see the most growth of Oregon cities. The city's population increased 1.3 percent between 2018 and 2019, with 8,360 moving to Portland. Oregon's three most populous counties—Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas—accounted for almost half of the state's growth last year.

Salem saw the second-highest population increase between 2018 and 2019, adding 1,955 residents. And Bend and Eugene both added over 1,500 residents.

The state's population increase is only partially due to natural increases—the number of births minus the number of deaths. Because of an aging population and decreased birth rate, births in Oregon only outnumber deaths by roughly 6,000. Between 2018 and 2019, net migration—the number of people moving in minus those moving out—made up 86 percent of the state's growth.

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