Portland, Oregon Population 2023

619,286

Portland is a city located in Clackamas County, Multnomah County, and Washington County Oregon. Portland has a 2023 population of 619,286. It is also the county seat of Multnomah County.Portland is currently declining at a rate of -1.72% annually and its population has decreased by -5.07% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 652,388 in 2020.

The average household income in Portland is $106,948 with a poverty rate of 12.55%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Portland is 37.9 years, 37.8 years for males, and 38 years for females.

Portland is the most populous city in the state of Oregon and the third most populous city in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle and Vancouver. With its many rose gardens, Portland is known as the City of Roses, and it has been incorporated since 1851.

Portland is currently the 26th largest city in the US, just a few spots behind Seattle, the largest city in the Northwest. When the entire metro area of Portland (five counties in Oregon, and two counties in Washington) is tallied, and the total is nearly 2.4 million. There are about 4,375 Portlanders per square mile.

Portland Diversity

The African American population of Portland was just 2,000 in 1940, comprised mostly of railroad employees, many of whom were drawn to the area during the wartime ship construction boom. Many black people who came to the city settled in certain neighborhoods, including Vanport and Abina. Today, the African American population of Portland (6.3%) is more than three times the Oregon average, with more than two-thirds of all African American residents of Oregon living in the city.

Vietnamese Americans makeup 2.2% of the city's total population and represent the largest Asian ethnic group, followed by Chinese (1.7%), Filipino (0.6%), Korean (0.4%), Laotian (0.4%), Hmong (0.2%) and Cambodian (0.1%). There are two Chinatowns in Portland. About 12,000 Vietnamese people live in the city, which is one of the largest Vietnamese populations in the country.

Portland does remain a predominantly white city, although the percentage has dropped over the last fifty years. In 1940, 98% of the population was white. In 2009, Portland still had the 5th highest percentage of white residents among the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the country, while a study in 2007 found that Portland's urban area has the highest rate of white people in the United States.

The most significant influx of minorities into Portland occurred during World War II when the African American population grew more than ten times. After the war, a flood in Vanport displaced many. Issues like police hostility, mortgage discrimination, and job discrimination led to half of the black population leaving Portland after the war.

Portland Population Growth

's population grew more than 10% from 2000 and 2010, and population growth in the Portland metro area has outpaced the national average for the last decade. This trend is expected to continue for the next five decades. Since the 2010 census, the population has grown an additional 8.3%.

A recent Forbes article found that Portland is the 10th fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States with a stable growth rate of 1.8% per year. Portland also leads Oregon's population growth, with numbers declining in many rural and eastern areas in favor of the city.

In October 2015, Oregon Metro released its urban growth report, which contains their population projections for the next twenty years. Metro is projecting continued growth until 2040, albeit at a slower rate than in previous forecasts. The metro area is anticipated to cross 3 million residents by 2040.

Oregon's population growth temporarily declined during the recession, which hit the region harder than most areas of the country, but it has already started to pick up with home values rising and job opportunities improving. The state still has higher-than-average unemployment and underemployment.

The area that is now Portland was occupied for centuries by two different bands of Upper Chinook Indians, who fished and traded along the river. The Tualatin Plains eventually became a settlement of Portland. In 1843, a man named William Overton saw commercial potential but lacked the money for a land claim. He made a deal with his partner, Asa Lovejoy, and Boston, for $0.25 to share the claim of 640 acres of land.

Overton eventually sold his half to Francis Pettygrove of Portland, Maine. Pettygrove and Lovejoy both wanted to name the new city after their home towns. This was settled in 1845 by a coin toss, which Pettygrove of Portland, Maine won.

When it was incorporated in 1851, Portland had more than 800 inhabitants, which grew to 17,500 by 1879.

Portland Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Portland was:

  • White: 73.79%
  • Asian: 8.53%
  • Two or more races: 7.99%
  • Black or African American: 5.63%
  • Other race: 2.59%
  • Native American: 0.92%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.55%
State
Oregon
Land Area (mi²)
133.4 sq mi
Density (mi²)
4,641.60/sq mi
Growth Rate
-1.72% (-10,843)
Growth Since 2020
-5.07% (-33,102)
The current population of Portland, Oregon is 619,286 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 652,388.

Portland, Oregon Population 2023

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White477,56973.79%
Asian55,1948.53%
Two or more races51,7217.99%
Black or African American36,4205.63%
Other race16,7452.59%
Native American5,9840.92%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander3,5430.55%
showing: 7 rows

White

Asian

Two or more races

Black or African American

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Portland Population by Race

Portland Population Pyramid 2023

Portland Median Age

37.9

Total

37.8

Male

38

Female

Portland Adults

There are 535,611 adults, (86,318 of whom are seniors) in Portland.

Portland Age Dependency

44

Age Dependency Ratio

19.2

Old Age Dependency Ratio

24.8

Child Dependency Ratio

Portland Sex Ratio

Female325,42350.28%
Male321,75349.72%

Portland Population by Age

Portland Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All279,7972.2653.446.6
Non Family140,4071.4536.663.4
Married105,4553.037723
Female23,2813.2548.251.8
Male10,6543.1252.647.4
showing: 5 rows

2.95

Average Family Size

2.26

Average Household Size

53.4%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Portland Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Portland Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Portland Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 88.23%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 52.35%.

Portland Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$48,924

Average Earnings

$53,015

Average Male

$44,378

Average Female

Portland Earnings by Educational Attainment

Portland Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Portland Language

81.49% of Portland residents speak only English, while 18.51% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Asian and Pacific Island languages, which is spoken by 7.75% of the population.

Portland Language

Portland Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White437,11544,25410.12%
Hispanic64,55410,63416.47%
Black35,5899,81327.57%
Asian54,1997,90614.59%
Multiple50,3247,50614.92%
Other16,3863,08818.85%
Native5,7181,25521.95%
Islander3,46664518.61%
showing: 8 rows

12.55%

Overall Poverty Rate

12.09%

Male Poverty Rate

13.01%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Portland

The race most likely to be in poverty in Portland is Black, with 27.57% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Portland is White, with 10.12% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.92%. Among those working part-time, it was 17.32%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 26.24%.

Portland Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade28.75%
High School18.1%
Some College13.55%
Bachelors or Greater5.48%
showing: 4 rows

Portland Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed33.9%
Male Unemployed28.07%
Female Employed7.19%
Male Employed5.36%
showing: 4 rows

Portland Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Portland Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Portland Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

41.1%

Overall Marriage Rate

41.6%

Male Marriage Rate

40.7%

Female Marriage Rate

Portland Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Portland Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Portland Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Portland Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

26,312

Number of Veterans

23,513

Male Veterans

2,799

Female Veterans

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Portland Veterans by War

count

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Portland Veterans by Age

count

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Portland Veterans by Race

Portland Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

9.14%

Veteran Poverty Rate

28.82%

Veteran Disability Rate

Portland Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

71.1%

Labor Force Participation

67%

Employment Rate

5.6%

Unemployment Rate

Portland Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Portland Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Portland Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

39.21%

Born in Portland

88.7%

Native Born

13.34%

Foreign Born

5.76%

Non Citizen

7.58%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

88.7% of Portland residents were born in the United States, with 39.21% having been born in Oregon. 5.76% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Portland Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
18602,874-555,1613.17%
18708,2935,41911.18%
188017,5779,2847.8%
189046,38528,80810.19%
190090,42644,0416.9%
1910207,214116,7888.65%
1920258,28851,0742.23%
1930301,81543,5271.57%
1940305,3943,5790.12%
1950373,62868,2342.04%
1960372,676-952-0.03%
1970379,9677,2910.19%
1980368,148-11,819-0.32%
1990437,31969,1711.74%
2000529,12191,8021.92%
2010583,776
2011590,6496,8731.18%
2012597,5226,8731.16%
2013604,3956,8731.15%
2014611,2686,8731.14%
2015618,1416,8731.12%
2016625,0146,8731.11%
2017631,8876,8731.1%
2018638,7606,8731.09%
2019645,6336,8731.08%
2020652,3886,7551.05%
2021641,162-11,226-1.72%
2022630,129-11,033-1.72%
2023619,286-10,843-1.72%
2024608,630-10,656-1.72%
2025598,157-10,473-1.72%
2026587,864-10,293-1.72%
2027577,748-10,116-1.72%
2028567,806-9,942-1.72%
2029558,035-9,771-1.72%
showing: 35 rows

Portland Population by Year