Chart du jour: College-educated movers
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Only about 1% of out-of-county movers with a college degree left their homes to come to Portland, according to the latest census data.
The big picture: White-collar workers tend to go where they think the jobs are, and cities are constantly competing with one another to attract well-paid professionals — and the tax revenue they often bring.
Zoom in: Oregon has one of the lowest birth rates in the country, so its population, economy and workforce are largely reliant on in-migration for growth — all of which have shrunk rapidly over the last few years.
- If the state can't attract highly-skilled workers in industries it's been heavily investing in recently (like manufacturing, technology and healthcare), it could see a sharp decline in government services.
Zoom out: Among Americans age 25 and up with a bachelor's degree or better who moved to a new county in 2023, 6.1% went to NYC, 3.5% to D.C. and 3.2% to Dallas.
- These numbers are based on the 2023 one-year American Community Survey and include people who moved in the year prior to answering the survey.