Top 10 Places Oregonians Move To
Friday, January 02, 2015
Oregonians who move out of the state don’t go far—most end up in the larger metro areas of Washington and California, according to analysis by the Oregon Department of Employment.
Of every resident moving from Oregon in 2013, 24.7 percent relocated to Washington, more than any other state. The next most popular location was California, with 18 percent of Oregon migrants moving there. Most moved to counties with large metropolises such as Seattle and Los Angles.
The other leading states were Arizona, with 8.4 percent, Idaho, with 5.1 percent and Texas, with 3.9 percent of Oregon migrants.
Slides Below: Top 10 Places Oregonians Move To
The fact that most Oregonians who move want to stay in the Northwest speaks of the region’s way of life, said Stephen Gerritson, vice president of the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County.
“I think it’s clear—people live here for the quality life and don’t want to give it up,” Gerritson said. “So they stay in Northwest.”
However, economic forces and opportunity still motivate people to search for a new home outside of Oregon.
Theresa Dunas moved to Los Angles from the Portland area in 2011 to finish her degree in merchandise marketing at the Fashion Institute of Los Angeles and start a career.
“There are more opportunities there,” Dunas said. “Most of the people I graduated with found jobs.”
Gerritson said many people move to Seattle because of its booming economy.
“People are looking for a better job and to improve their lives,” Gerritson said. “King County has 30 to 40 percent of Washington’s residents and over 60 percent of the state’s economic activity.”
Oregonians who moved to another state or country had average incomes 24 percent lower than those who didn’t move. Less affluent residents move in search of better opportunities, and may also have less tying them down—such as a house to sell—according to Fridley.
People looking for a different state tax system could also be a large portion of the group, Fridley said. The state of Washington has no personal income tax, whereas Oregon has one of the highest in the country.
Although many Oregonians leave for Washington and California, the traffic flows both ways. Most migrants moving to Oregon come from California and Washington, making up over 40 percent of inward U.S. immigration.
Overall, more people are moving to Oregon than away from it. Since 1961, there were only three years where Oregon had more people move out than in, according to the Population Research Center at Portland State University. In 2013, there was close to a 25,000 net gain in total migration.
Related Slideshow: Top 10 Places Oregonians Move To
Find out what places the most Oregonians moved to between 2008 and 2012:
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