Portland added residents for the first time since 2020, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, welcoming a little more than 1,400 newcomers.
The city grew by 0.2% to a population of 635,749 in 2024, the Census Bureau reported Thursday in a data release highlighting population change in U.S. cities.
The numbers basically align with Portland State University figures released last November, which showed Portland growing for the first time in three years. Portland State estimated a population increase of 0.1% to 639,448.
Local economic indicators have flashed red on Portland’s stagnating job and population growth, factors that are driving concerns the city is falling behind peer communities five years after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The census data showed the fastest-growing Oregon cities last year.
Central Oregon’s Bend added the most residents in 2024, drawing 2,219 to reach a population of 106,926. That’s an increase of 2.1%.
The eastern Oregon community of Ukiah, over in Umatilla County, technically saw the highest rate of growth when it added 42 residents. It grew 23.2% to reach a new population of 223.
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