Portland, Ore. – For the first time, Oregon tops the list of states people moved to in 2025, according to a new study. The survey was conducted by United Van Lines, showing 65% of their Oregon moves this year were inbound. But, that doesn’t mean the population is booming.
Business Oregon economist Damon Runberg says inbound migration is only part of the equation, “The other side of population growth is natural increase, which is the difference between the number of people born each year versus those that die.” And that “natural increase” is in the negative, because of an aging population and low birth rate. Runberg says in-migration still slightly outpaces the death rate, leaving Oreogn with a net increase. “We’re still growing,” he says, albeit slowly, according to the latest population study from Portland State University. “And that 0.3% that we’ve seen annually, so far, in the last five years, is a reflection of that positive net migration.”
According to the United Van Lines study, the top reason to move to Oregon is for a new job or company transfer. Runberg says, again, the moving company’s numbers don’t provide the big picture. “Business Oregon did our own study about businesses migration – businesses not people – and found that there was significant investment happening by businesses outside the state; businesses either moving or choosing to expand elsewhere.”…