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Census data shows thousands of people leaving Portland — but they may not be going far
Portland’s population went down by more than 4,000 residents between July 2022 and July 2023, according to recent U.S. Census Data.
But that doesn’t mean people are abandoning the Portland metro region altogether — though, it could mean they are leaving Oregon. Vancouver, Washington, gained nearly 1,950 residents during the same time period.
Portland and Vancouver are inextricably linked economically and have been for decades, say economists who study the region. The relationship is somewhat unique, though, because the cities reside in two different states with different tax policies.
People living and working in southwest Washington are able to minimize income taxes, according to Oregon State Economist Josh Lehner, and they are able to soften the impact of sales tax by shopping in Oregon.