By Portland Medium Staff
Portland metro had seen growth over many years according to census data. However, 2021 ended that streak. The mid 2010s saw a boom that mostly resulted from migration between states and internationally. The Metro population stats turned negative as recently as 2010, according to census numbers. Experts believe that the Great Recession temporarily paused growth but it bounced back soon after.
The Portland metro area includes Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Columbia and Yamhill counties and Washington’s Clark and Skamania counties. The data shows that the area’s population dropped 0.2% from July 2020 to July 2021, to an estimated 2,511,612 residents.
This is quite a change from 2000 to 2018 when the area gained an average of 30,000 residents per year. The current loss is about 4,618 people, according to new estimates released.
The Census Bureau execute the census collection ever ten years and updates population estimates every year using the most recent decennial census. Annual population estimates are projected using vital records such as birth and death certificates, tax returns from the IRS, housing counts, building permits and school enrollment.
COVID is considered the recent culprit as there has been a major decline in international, nationally or local migration. However, central Oregon continues to see major population growth. For instance, Bend, located in central Oregon, includes Deschutes County. It saw its population grow 2.7% which makes it the 13th fastest growth among the nation’s 355 metro areas — to an estimated 204,801 residents.
