The Oregonian’s weekly look at the numbers behind the state’s economy. View past installments here.
People keep moving into Oregon – and relatively few are leaving.
Newly released Census data shows Oregon had the nation’s 10th-fastest rate of net migration from 2018 to 2019, growing at a rate of 6.9 per 1,000 residents. That’s nearly 4 times faster than the national rate.
Nearly all the new arrivals came from another part of the U.S.; immigrants accounted for less than 12% of Oregon’s net migration.
The influx likely reflects Oregon’s robust economy and relatively low housing costs – compared to Seattle and the Bay Area, anyway.
The migration may also reflect Oregon’s proximity to California, the largest state in the nation and also one of the places people are leaving. Oregon’s southern neighbor had a net outmigration rate of 3.3 last year.
Migrants have been key to Oregon’s economic growth, bringing educated workers with skills the state hasn’t developed on its own.
Population growth brings challenges, too, of course, chief among them more competition for housing and more vehicles on the state’s roads.
Oregon’s population grew by just over 10% from 2010 through 2019, according to Census data, 11th-fastest in the nation during that stretch. Migration accounted for three-quarters of that growth.
Still, Oregon economists worry migration may actually be slowing – with potentially serious consequences for the state.
“Oregon’s stronger long-run economic growth historically is tied to migration and faster working-age population gains,” state economists wrote in the quarterly revenue forecast released Wednesday. “The primary risk to the local outlook is the available labor supply, particularly as recent population estimates indicate migration is slowing more than expected.”
-- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699
Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.