Before the pandemic, Portland was in a population upswing. Portland has now shed more than 18,200 residents from the beginning of pandemic to this time last year shows new estimates from the Census. This is big news because it is being reported that this data makes the Rose City fastest shrinking city of the big cities in the country.
Many saw Portland on the news during the uprising caused by the death of George Floyd and began to view the city as unlivible. Homelessness in Portland has made national news. However, Portland remains on lists as a place many want to visit. The city lost 2.8% of it population between July 2020 and July 2022.
The loss is not like a wide open faucet. The data shows that the population decline in Portland has slowed. Going into July 2022, the city lost 8,300 residents as the pandemic eased. But the economy was on the rise. In 2021 the city lost 9,900. The city now has just over 635,000 residents.
Another interesting point the data shows deals with housing in Portland. The new census data show that the number of occupied homes in the city continues to increase. This can mean a number of things including people are moving out and getting their own place.
The suburbs also lost people. Lake Oswego, Gresham, West Linn and Troutdale all show numbers of a populations drop since the start of the pandemic. But, not all lost residents. The town of Ridgefield in Clark County, Washington saw its population grow a whopping 38% during the same time frame. Estacada and Happy Valley in Clackamas County also saw a 21% and a 11% growth, respectively.
