Portland Has the Fewest Commuters in America
Email to a friend
Permalink
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
Melanie Sevcenko, GoLocalPDX Contributor
On a rainy morning at
Five Points Coffee Roaster on Southeast Division Street, it’s business as usual. Each small café table is occupied by only one person. Heads are bowed to MacBooks. No one is idly chatting over coffee – they’re far too busy.
The freelance culture that has turned coffee shops into offices for 20 to 30-something graphic designers, bloggers, writers, and start-up types, is no foreign concept to most metros across the nation.
But in Portland, that culture holds a special place.
Of the 30 biggest cities in the U.S., Portland has the highest percentage of people who work from home, according to a recent study by Michael Sivak, at the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute,. It’s a paradise for the non-commuter.
Portland is tied only with its “keep our city weird” counterpart, Austin, Texas. Denver ranked 2nd in the study, followed by San Francisco, Seattle and San Diego at 5th place.
At Five Points, barista Markus notes that, “particularly in a place like this, people are here to work, not to socialize. Those who socialize are the exception. Mostly they’re freelancers who don’t want to work at home, so they come here.”
Jesse, a writer and local customer of Five Points, is one freelancer who prefers the coffee shop to his home. He said he often spends four to five hours per day working in a café. “I like the separation of spaces, and white noise,” he said. “Also, since my work is solitary, it’s nice to be around a social environment, even if I’m not socializing.”
The creative entrepreneur
Amy Vander Vliet, regional economist at the Oregon Employment Department, suggests a reason that Portland scored the highest for non-commuters might be related to its relatively high share of self-employed workers.
And the self-employed statistic can be directly connected to another fact.
In Oregon, small businesses hold the majority, which can often easily be operated from home. And as the state’s largest city, Portland champions the small business entrepreneur.
“Portland has, and long has had, a much higher rate of entrepreneurship than the typical city in the U.S.,” said Joe Cortright, Portland-based urban economist who runs City Observatory, a think tank offering data analysis of cities. “Contrary to the ‘anti-business’ message you frequently hear, lots of people in Portland start their own businesses, far more than in the average U.S. city.”
Cortright provided the following statistics. Of the 51 largest metros, Portland ranks:
- 4th in small businesses per capita
- 4th in self-employment rates
- 5th (smallest) in average firm size
- 7th in patents per capita
- 14th in venture capital per capita
Portland also harbors a considerably larger creative industry compared to the standard metroplex, and jobs such as writers, musicians, artists, software engineers and designers are amenable to being home-based with a sole-practitioner.
Again, according to Cortright’s findings, of the 51 largest metros, Portland ranks 3rd in Bandcamp, Kickstarter, and Indie-GoGo. Forbes also crowned Portland the 6th most creative city in America, just behind New York.
But apart from the creative entrepreneurial spirit of the Rose City, Cortright believes that the accessibility of nature coupled with its convenient urban amenities, continues to pull people to Portland, regardless of where the work is.
“A significant number of people prefer to live here and have their own, smaller-scale business than to move somewhere else,” said Cortright.
The rise of the virtual office
Mike Culberston used to work for a local software company in Beaverton, before Pivotal Software, based in Palo Alto, California, acquired it. “I don’t work directly for or with anyone local any longer, so I just stopped going in.”
He works for Pivotal now, from his living room in Portland. “The nature of my work lends itself to lots of technical work that doesn't require a physical presence, and tons of phone calls and video calls with people who are remote from an office anyway,” explains Culberston.
“The biggest issue I have is working too much. With no physically separate office and no commute, there’s no natural boundary between work and home,” continued Culbertson. “You wake up, grab coffee, sit down and you're at work. And this doesn't stop in the afternoon. I pass by 5 p.m. without noticing.”
Helping to make the virtual office an everyday reality is Upwork, a global online workplace where freelancers and businesses can connect and collaborate. On Upwork, combined freelance earnings have reached $1 billion annually.
Portland has 10,000 registered freelancers on the platform, and is one of its top 20 metros in the U.S.
Nowadays, physical office space makes less sense than it used to, according to Shoshana Deutschkron, head of communications at Upwork.
“It’s a remnant of industrial age hiring models,” said Deutschkron. Now, “in the information age, teams are becoming what we call ‘hybrid’ – blended teams of full-time, on-premise employees, along with freelance team members who have the freedom to choose when and where they work from, thanks to technology.”
Advantages of the virtual office are freedom and flexibility, while allowing businesses to select from a vast pool of candidates, without the hindrance of geography.
“Cities like Portland have incredible talent, but the jobs those professionals want may not be within commuting distance,” said Deutschkron.
Later this month, Shoshana Deutschkron is relocating to Portland, where she’ll be working for Upwork, remotely.
Melanie Sevcenko is a journalist for radio, print and online. She reports internationally for BBC World Service and Monocle Radio (M24) in the UK, and for Deutsche Welle in Germany. Melanie also reports for the online news source GoLocalPDX, in Portland, Oregon. Her work has been broadcast by CBC in Canada and the Northwest News Network, and published by Al Jazeera English, Global Post, Pacific Standard, the Toronto Star and USA Today, amongst others.
Related Slideshow: 60 Most Dangerous Intersections in Oregon
In 2013, Oregon’s 60 most dangerous intersections generated nearly 3,400 accidents, resulting in 56 deaths and more than 1,800 injuries. GoLocalPDX brings you a list of these intersections, showing you where to drive with the most caution.
Prev
Next
#60 Most Dangerous
OR-99 & turning leg to Garfield St.
Medford, Jackson County
Total Crashes: 13
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 8
Property Damage: 4
Prev
Next
#59 Most Dangerous
OR-43 & SW Iowa St.
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 12
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 9
Property Damage: 2
Prev
Next
#58 Most Dangerous
OR-219 & Everest Rd.
Newberg, Yamhill County
Total Crashes: 19
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 4
Property Damage: 14
Prev
Next
#57 Most Dangerous
I-405/Exit 2B
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 14
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 9
Property Damage: 4
Prev
Next
#56 Most Dangerous
OR-8 & SW 187th Ave.
Aloha, Washington County
Total Crashes: 14
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 9
Property Damage: 4
Prev
Next
#55 Most Dangerous
US-20 & NE Seward Ave.
Bend, Deschutes County
Total Crashes: 16
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 8
Property Damage: 7
Prev
Next
#54 Most Dangerous
OR-126B & N 54th St.
Springfield, Lane County
Total Crashes: 16
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 8
Property Damage: 7
Prev
Next
#53 Most Dangerous
OR-99 & NW East St.
Grants Pass, Josephine County
Total Crashes: 17
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 8
Property Damage: 8
Prev
Next
#52 Most Dangerous
OR-99 & E Park St.
Grants Pass, Josephine County
Total Crashes: 20
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 9
Property Damage: 10
Prev
Next
#51 Most Dangerous
OR-99 & Richard Ave.
Eugene, Lane County
Total Crashes: 19
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 10
Property Damage: 8
Prev
Next
#50 Most Dangerous
OR-8 & SE 11th Ave.
Hillsboro, Washington County
Total Crashes: 18
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 11
Property Damage: 6
Prev
Next
#49 Most Dangerous
OR-213 & SE Center St.
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 102
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 53
Property Damage: 49
Prev
Next
#48 Most Dangerous
US-199 & Allen Creek
Grants Pass, Josephine County
Total Crashes: 19
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 11
Property Damage: 7
Prev
Next
#47 Most Dangerous
US-20 & 27th St.
Bend, Deschutes County
Total Crashes: 22
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 9
Property Damage: 12
Prev
Next
#46 Most Dangerous
OR-99EB/Mile Point 4.64-4.8
Salem, Marion County
Total Crashes: 20
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 11
Property Damage: 8
Prev
Next
#45 Most Dangerous
OR-8 & SW 110th Ave.
Beaverton, Washington County
Total Crashes: 107
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 50
Property Damage: 57
Prev
Next
#44 Most Dangerous
OR-213 & Mollala Ave.
Oregon City, Clackamas County
Total Crashes: 23
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 9
Property Damage: 13
Prev
Next
#43 Most Dangerous
OR-99W & N Deborah Rd.
Newberg, Yamhill County
Total Crashes: 22
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 10
Property Damage: 11
Prev
Next
#42 Most Dangerous
US-30BY & NE 72nd Ave.
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 18
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 14
Property Damage: 3
Prev
Next
#41 Most Dangerous
OR-99 & NE D St.
Grants Pass, Josephine County
Total Crashes: 22
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 12
Property Damage: 9
Prev
Next
#40 Most Dangerous
OR-62 & North Pacific Hallow/Mile Point 0.05-0.14
Medford, Jackson County
Total Crashes: 22
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 13
Property Damage: 8
Prev
Next
#39 Most Dangerous
I-84 & NE 33rd Ave. Exit
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 25
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 11
Property Damage: 13
Prev
Next
#38 Most Dangerous
OR-8 & Yew St.
Forest Grove, Washington County
Total Crashes: 21
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 15
Property Damage: 5
Prev
Next
#37 Most Dangerous
OR-99E & Hull Ave.
Lake Oswego, Clackamas County
Total Crashes: 20
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 16
Property Damage: 3
Prev
Next
#36 Most Dangerous
OR-42 & SW Carnes Rd.
Roseburg, Douglas County
Total Crashes: 25
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 12
Property Damage: 12
Prev
Next
#35 Most Dangerous
US-26 & SE 362nd Ave.
Sandy, Clackamas County
Total Crashes: 25
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 13
Property Damage: 11
Prev
Next
#34 Most Dangerous
US-26 & LEG (To Ruben Ln.)/Mile Point 23.35-23.52
Sandy, Clackamas County
Total Crashes: 22
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 16
Property Damage: 5
Prev
Next
#33 Most Dangerous
I-84 & Irving St. Exit/Mile Point 1.15-1.44
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 104
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 60
Property Damage: 44
Prev
Next
#32 Most Dangerous
OR-213 & SE Boyer Dr.
Milwaukie, Clackamas County
Total Crashes: 23
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 16
Property Damage: 6
Prev
Next
#31 Most Dangerous
US-26 & SE 70th Ave.
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 27
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 13
Property Damage: 13
Prev
Next
#30 Most Dangerous
OR-62 & Merry Lane
Medford, Jackson County
Total Crashes: 25
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 17
Property Damage: 7
Prev
Next
#29 Most Dangerous
I-5 Near Exit 302A/Mile Point 302.76-302.95
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 34
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 19
Property Damage: 14
Prev
Next
#28 Most Dangerous
US-20 & SE Fulton St.
Albany, Linn County
Total Crashes: 37
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 20
Property Damage: 16
Prev
Next
#27 Most Dangerous
OR-62 & Delta Waters Rd.
Medford, Jackson County
Total Crashes: 42
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 17
Property Damage: 24
Prev
Next
#26 Most Dangerous
OR-99W & Warner Ave.
Tigard, Washington County
Total Crashes: 117
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 70
Property Damage: 47
Prev
Next
#25 Most Dangerous
US-26 & SE 170th Ave.
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 118
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 73
Property Damage: 45
Prev
Next
#24 Most Dangerous
OR-22 & LEG (From Airport Rd.)
Salem, Marion County
Total Crashes: 52
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 22
Property Damage: 29
Prev
Next
#23 Most Dangerous
I-5 Near Exit 302A/Mile Point 302.52-302.76
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 140
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 65
Property Damage: 75
Prev
Next
#22 Most Dangerous
US-30BY & N Greenwich Ave.
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 56
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 28
Property Damage: 27
Prev
Next
#21 Most Dangerous
US-26/Mile Point 72.74-73.07
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 156
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 70
Property Damage: 86
Prev
Next
#20 Most Dangerous
OR-213 & SE Orchard Lane
Southgate, Clackamas County
Total Crashes: 141
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 85
Property Damage: 56
Prev
Next
#19 Most Dangerous
OR-213 & SE Insley St.
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 70
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 33
Property Damage: 36
Prev
Next
#18 Most Dangerous
I-5/Mile Point 300.19-300.51
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 155
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 77
Property Damage: 78
Prev
Next
#17 Most Dangerous
OR-22 & SE Hawthorne Ave.
Salem, Marion County
Total Crashes: 76
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 35
Property Damage: 40
Prev
Next
#16 Most Dangerous
OR-213 & SE Causey Ave.
Happy Valley, Clackamas County
Total Crashes: 80
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 41
Property Damage: 38
Prev
Next
#15 Most Dangerous
OR-99E & Dunes Dr.
Oregon City, Clackamas County
Total Crashes: 82
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 44
Property Damage: 37
Prev
Next
#14 Most Dangerous
US-26 & SE 38th Ave.
Portland, Multnomah
Total Crashes: 81
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 46
Property Damage: 34
Prev
Next
#13 Most Dangerous
OR-211 Near OR-213 Merge
Molalla, Clackamas County
Total Crashes: 3
Fatalities: 2
Injuries: 0
Property Damage: 1
Prev
Next
#12 Most Dangerous
US-26 Near US-197 Merge
Madras, Jefferson County
Total Crashes: 4
Fatalities: 2
Injuries: 1
Property Damage: 1
Prev
Next
#11 Most Dangerous
OR-58/Mile Point 14.41-14.54
Lowell, Lane County
Total Crashes: 6
Fatalities: 2
Injuries: 0
Property Damage: 4
Prev
Next
#10 Most Dangerous
OR-18 & SW Caleb Payne Rd.
McMinnville, Yamhill County
Total Crashes: 6
Fatalities: 2
Injuries: 1
Property Damage: 3
Prev
Next
#9 Most Dangerous
OR-11 & Ferndale Rd.
Milton-Freewater, Umatilla County
Total Crashes: 5
Fatalities: 2
Injuries: 2
Property Damage: 1
Prev
Next
#8 Most Dangerous
OR-223 & Rickreal Rd. Exit
Dallas, Polk County
Total Crashes: 5
Fatalities: 2
Injuries: 3
Property Damage: 0
Prev
Next
#7 Most Dangerous
US-97 & Rosland Rd.
La Pine, Deschutes County
Total Crashes: 9
Fatalities: 2
Injuries: 4
Property Damage: 3
Prev
Next
#6 Most Dangerous
OR-213 & LEG (From Beavercreek Rd.)/Mile Point 2.89-3.08
Oregon City, Clackamas County
Total Crashes: 92
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 51
Property Damage: 40
Prev
Next
#5 Most Dangerous
I-5 & US-30
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 181
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 89
Property Damage: 92
Prev
Next
#4 Most Dangerous
OR-212 & I-205/Mile Point 4.92Z-5.18Z
Johnson City, Clackamas County
Total Crashes: 98
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 57
Property Damage: 40
Prev
Next
#3 Most Dangerous
US-26 & SE 28th Ave.
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 111
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 56
Property Damage: 54
Prev
Next
#2 Most Dangerous
OR-213 & SE Taggart
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 177
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 109
Property Damage: 67
Prev
Next
#1 Most Dangerous
US-26 & I-405
Portland, Multnomah County
Total Crashes: 381
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 213
Property Damage: 168
Related Articles
Enjoy this post? Share it with others.
Email to a friend
Permalink
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It