Demographics

See also: Gentrification of Portland, Oregon

Historical population

Census Pop. %±

1860 2,874 —

1870 8,293 188.6%

1880 17,577 111.9%

1890 46,385 163.9%

1900 90,426 94.9%

1910 207,214 129.2%

1920 258,288 24.6%

1930 301,815 16.9%

1940 305,394 1.2%

1950 373,628 22.3%

1960 372,676 −0.3%

1970 382,619 2.7%

1980 366,383 −4.2%

1990 437,319 19.4%

2000 529,121 21.0%

2010 583,776 10.3%

Est. 2019 654,741 [6] 12.2%

U.S. Decennial Census[100]

Demographic profile 2010[101] 1990[102] 1970[102] 1940[102]

White 76.1% 84.6% 92.2% 98.1%

Non-Hispanic whites 72.2% 82.9% 90.7%[103] —

Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 9.4% 3.2% 1.7%[103] —

Asian 7.1% 5.3% 1.3% 1.2%

The 2010 census reported the city as 76.1% White (444,254 people), 7.1% Asian (41,448), 6.3% Black or
African American (36,778), 1.0% Native American (5,838), 0.5% Pacific Islander (2,919), 4.7% belonging
to two or more racial groups (24,437) and 5.0% from other races (28,987).[101] 9.4% were Hispanic or
Latino, of any race (54,840). Whites not of Hispanic origin made up 72.2% of the total population.[101]

In 1940, Portland's African-American population was approximately 2,000 and largely consisted of
railroad employees and their families.[104] During the war-time Liberty Ship construction boom, the
need for workers drew many blacks to the city. The new influx of blacks settled in specific
neighborhoods, such as the Albina district and Vanport. The May 1948 flood which destroyed Vanport
eliminated the only integrated neighborhood, and an influx of blacks into the northeast quadrant of the
city continued.[104] Portland's longshoremen racial mix was described as being "lily-white" in the 1960s,
when the local International Longshore and Warehouse Union declined to represent grain handlers since
some were black.[105]

At 6.3%, Portland's African American population is three times the state average. Over two thirds of
Oregon's African-American residents live in Portland.[104] As of the 2000 census, three of its high
schools (Cleveland, Lincoln and Wilson) were over 70% white, reflecting the overall population, while
Jefferson High School was 87% non-white. The remaining six schools have a higher number of non-
whites, including blacks and Asians. Hispanic students average from 3.3% at Wilson to 31% at Roosevelt.
[106]

Graph showing the city's population growth from 1850 to 2010[107]

Portland residents identifying solely as Asian Americans account for 7.1% of the population; an
additional 1.8% is partially of Asian heritage. Vietnamese Americans make up 2.2% of Portland's
population, and make up the largest Asian ethnic group in the city, followed by Chinese (1.7%), Filipinos
(0.6%), Japanese (0.5%), Koreans (0.4%), Laotians (0.4%), Hmong (0.2%), and Cambodians (0.1%).[108] A
small population of Iu Mien live in Portland. Portland has two Chinatowns, with New Chinatown along SE
82nd Avenue with Chinese supermarkets, Hong Kong style noodle houses, dim sum, and Vietnamese
phở restaurants.[109]
With about 12,000 Vietnamese residing in the city proper, Portland has one of the largest Vietnamese
populations in America per capita.[110] According to statistics there are 21,000 Pacific Islanders in
Portland, making up 4% of the population.[111]

Map of racial distribution in Portland, 2010 U.S. Census. Each dot represents 25 people, according to the
following color code: White, Black, Asian, Hispanic or Other (yellow).

Portland's population has been and remains predominantly white. In 1940, whites were over 98% of the
city's population.[112] In 2009, Portland had the fifth-highest percentage of white residents among the
40 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. A 2007 survey of the 40 largest cities in the U.S. concluded Portland's
urban core has the highest percentage of white residents.[113] Some scholars have noted the Pacific
Northwest as a whole is "one of the last Caucasian bastions of the United States".[114] While Portland's
diversity was historically comparable to metro Seattle and Salt Lake City, those areas grew more diverse
in the late 1990s and 2000s. Portland not only remains white, but migration to Portland is
disproportionately white.[113][115]

The Oregon Territory banned African American settlement in 1849. In the 19th century, certain laws
allowed the immigration of Chinese laborers but prohibited them from owning property or bringing their
families.[113][116][117] The early 1920s saw the rapid growth of the Ku Klux Klan, which became very
influential in Oregon politics, culminating in the election of Walter M. Pierce as governor.[116][117][118]

The largest influxes of minority populations occurred during World War II, as the African American
population grew by a factor of 10 for wartime work.[113] After World War II, the Vanport flood in 1948
displaced many African Americans. As they resettled, redlining directed the displaced workers from the
wartime settlement to neighboring Albina.[114][117][119] There and elsewhere in Portland, they
experienced police hostility, lack of employment, and mortgage discrimination, leading to half the black
population leaving after the war.[113]

In the 1980s and 1990s, radical skinhead groups flourished in Portland.[117] In 1988, Mulugeta Seraw, an
Ethiopian immigrant, was killed by three skinheads. The response to his murder involved a community-
driven series of rallies, campaigns, nonprofits and events designed to address Portland's racial history,
leading to a city considered significantly more tolerant than in 1988 at Seraw's death.[120]

Households
As of the 2010 census, there were 583,776 people living in the city, organized into 235,508 households.
The population density was 4,375.2 people per square mile. There were 265,439 housing units at an
average density of 1989.4 per square mile (1,236.3/km2). Population growth in Portland increased 10.3%
between 2000 and 2010.[121] Population growth in the Portland metropolitan area has outpaced the
national average during the last decade, and this is expected to continue over the next 50 years.[122]

Out of 223,737 households, 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were
married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.1%
were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9% had someone living
alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size
was 3. The age distribution was 21.1% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44,
22.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For
every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9
males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,146, and the median income for a family was
$50,271. Males had a reported median income of $35,279 versus $29,344 reported for females. The per
capita income for the city was $22,643. 13.1% of the population and 8.5% of families were below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.4% of those 65 and
older were living below the poverty line. Figures delineating the income levels based on race are not
available at this time. According to the Modern Language Association, in 2010 80.9% (539,885) percent
of Multnomah County residents ages 5 and over spoke English as their primary language at home.[123]
8.1% of the population spoke Spanish (54,036), with Vietnamese speakers making up 1.9%, and Russian
1.5%.[123]

Social

St. Michael the Archangel Church; of the 35% of religiously affiliated Portland residents, Roman Catholics
make up the largest group.[124]

The Portland metropolitan area has historically had a significant LGBT population throughout the late
20th and 21st century.[125][126] In 2015, the city metro had the second highest percentage of LGBT
residents in the United States with 5.4% of residents identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender,
second only to San Francisco.[127] In 2006, it was reported to have the seventh highest LGBT population
in the country, with 8.8% of residents identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, and the metro ranking
fourth in the nation at 6.1%.[128] The city held its first pride festival in 1975 on the Portland State
University campus.[129]
Portland has been cited as the least religious city in the United States,[130] with over 42% of residents
identifying as religiously "unaffiliated",[131] according to the nonpartisan and nonprofit Public Religion
Research Institute's American Values Atlas.[132] Of the 35.9% of the city's residents who do identify as
religious, Roman Catholics make up the largest group, at 15.8%.[124] The second highest religious group
in the city are Evangelical Christians at 6.0%, with Baptists following behind at 2.5%. Latter Day Saints
make up 2.3% of the city's religiously affiliated population, with Lutheran and Pentecostal following
behind.[124] 1.5% of religiously affiliated persons identified themselves as following Eastern religions,
while 0.9% of the religiously affiliated population identified as Jewish, and 0.3% as Muslim.[124]

Economy

See also: Companies based in Portland, Oregon

Portland's location is beneficial for several industries. Relatively low energy cost, accessible resources,
north–south and east–west Interstates, international air terminals, large marine shipping facilities, and
both west coast intercontinental railroads are all economic advantages.[133] The U.S. consulting firm
Mercer, in a 2009 assessment "conducted to help governments and major companies place employees
on international assignments", ranked Portland 42nd worldwide in quality of living; the survey factored
in political stability, personal freedom, sanitation, crime, housing, the natural environment, recreation,
banking facilities, availability of consumer goods, education, and public services including transportation.
[134] In 2012, the city was listed among the 10 best places to retire in the U.S. by CBS MoneyWatch.
[135][136]

Adidas has its North American headquarters in the Overlook neighborhood

The city's marine terminals alone handle over 13 million tons of cargo per year, and the port is home to
one of the largest commercial dry docks in the country.[137][138] The Port of Portland is the third-
largest export tonnage port on the west coast of the U.S., and being about 80 miles (130 km) upriver, it is
the largest fresh-water port.[133] The city of Portland is the largest shipper of wheat in the United
States,[139][140] and is the second-largest port for wheat in the world.[141]

The steel industry's history in Portland predates World War II. By the 1950s, the steel industry became
the city's number one industry for employment. The steel industry thrives in the region, with Schnitzer
Steel Industries, a prominent steel company, shipping a record 1.15 billion tons of scrap metal to Asia
during 2003. Other heavy industry companies include ESCO Corporation and Oregon Steel Mills.[142]
[143]

Technology is a major component of the city's economy, with more than 1,200 technology companies
existing within the metro.[133] This high density of technology companies has led to the nickname
Silicon Forest being used to describe the Portland area, a reference to the abundance of trees in the
region and to the Silicon Valley region in Northern California.[144] The area also hosts facilities for
software companies and online startup companies, some supported by local seed funding organizations
and business incubators.[145] Computer components manufacturer Intel is the Portland area's largest
employer, providing jobs for more than 15,000 people, with several campuses to the west of central
Portland in the city of Hillsboro.[133]

The Portland metro area has become a business cluster for athletic/outdoor gear and footwear
manufacturers.[146] The area is home to the global, North American or U.S. headquarters of Nike,
Adidas, Columbia Sportswear, LaCrosse Footwear, Dr. Martens, Li-Ning,[147] Keen,[148] and Hi-Tec
Sports.[149] While headquartered elsewhere, Merrell, Amer Sports and Under Armour have design
studios and local offices in the Portland area. Portland-based Precision Castparts is one of two Fortune
500 companies headquartered in Oregon, the other being Nike. Other notable Portland-based
companies include film animation studio Laika; commercial vehicle manufacturer Daimler Trucks North
America; advertising firm Wieden+Kennedy; bankers Umpqua Holdings; and retailers Fred Meyer, New
Seasons Market, KinderCare Learning Centers and Storables.

Breweries are another major industry in Portland, which is home to 139 breweries/microbreweries, the
7th most in the nation, as of December 2018.[150] Additionally, the city boasts a robust coffee culture
that now rivals Seattle and hosts over 20 coffee roasters.[151]

Housing

In 2016, home prices in Portland grew faster than in any other city in the United States.[152] Apartment
rental costs in Portland in February 2020 averaged $1,522 per month.[153]

In 2017, developers projected an additional 6,500 apartments to be built in the Portland Metro Area
over the next year.[154] However, as of December 2019, the number of homes available for rent or
purchase in Portland continues to shrink. Over the past year, housing prices in Portland have risen 2.5%.
Housing prices in Portland continue to rise, the median price rising from $391,400 in November 2018 to
$415,000 in November 2019.[155] There has been a rise of people from out of state moving to Portland,
which impacts housing availability. Because of the demand for affordable housing and influx of new
residents, more Portlanders in their 20's and 30's are still living in their parent's homes.[156]

Culture

Music, film, and performing arts

See also: Music of Oregon; Cinemas in Portland, Oregon; and List of films shot in Northwestern Oregon

The Sagebrush Symphony, an early incarnation of the Portland Youth Philharmonic, performing in Burns
c. 1916

Portland is home to a range of classical performing arts institutions, including the Portland Opera, the
Oregon Symphony, and the Portland Youth Philharmonic; the latter, established in 1924, was the first
youth orchestra established in the United States.[157] The city is also home to several theaters and
performing arts institutions, including the Oregon Ballet Theatre, Northwest Children's Theatre, Portland
Center Stage, Artists Repertory Theatre, Miracle Theatre, and Tears of Joy Theatre.

In 2013, the Guardian named the city's music scene as one of the "most vibrant" in the United States.
[158] Portland is home to famous bands such as the Kingsmen and Paul Revere & the Raiders, both
famous for their association with the song "Louie Louie" (1963).[159] Other widely known musical
groups include the Dandy Warhols, Quarterflash, Everclear, Pink Martini, The Hugs, Sleater-Kinney, the
Shins, Blitzen Trapper, the Decemberists, and the late Elliott Smith. In the 1980s, the city was home to a
burgeoning punk scene, which included bands such as the Wipers and Dead Moon.[160] The city's now-
demolished Satyricon nightclub was a punk venue notorious for being the place where Nirvana frontman
Kurt Cobain first encountered future wife and Hole frontwoman Courtney Love in 1990.[161] Love was
then a resident of Portland and started several bands there with Kat Bjelland, later of Babes in Toyland.
[162][163] Multi-Grammy award-winning jazz artist Esperanza Spalding is from Portland and performed
with the Chamber Music Society of Oregon at a young age.[164]

A wide range of films have been shot in Portland, from various independent features to major big-budget
productions (see List of films shot in Oregon for a complete list). Director Gus Van Sant has notably set
and shot many of his films in the city.[165] The city has also been featured in various television
programs, notably the IFC sketch comedy series Portlandia. The series, which ran for eight seasons from
2011 to 2018,[166] was shot on location in Portland, and satirized the city as a hub of liberal politics,
organic food, alternative lifestyles, and anti-establishment attitudes.[167] MTV's long-time running
reality show The Real World was also shot in Portland for the show's 29th season: The Real World:
Portland premiered on MTV in 2013.[168] Other television series shot in the city include Leverage, The
Librarians,[169] Under Suspicion, Grimm, and Nowhere Man.[170]

An unusual feature of Portland entertainment is the large number of movie theaters serving beer, often
with second-run or revival films.[171] Notable examples of these "brew and view" theaters include the
Bagdad Theater and Pub, a former vaudeville theater built in 1927 by Universal Studios;[172] Cinema 21;
and the Laurelhurst Theater, in operation since 1923. Portland hosts the world's longest-running H. P.
Lovecraft Film Festival[173] at the Hollywood Theatre.[174]

The Oregon Symphony performs at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Hollywood Theatre is a non-profit organization.

The Art Deco-styled Laurelhurst Theater in the Kerns neighborhood was opened in 1923.

Avalon Theatre in the Belmont neighborhood plays second-run films.

The Moreland Theater in the Westmoreland neighborhood

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest premiered at the Bagdad Theater in 1975.

Museums and recreation

See also: List of museums in Portland, Oregon; Tourism in Portland, Oregon; and List of artists and art
institutions in Portland, Oregon

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)

Portland is home to numerous museums and educational institutions, ranging from art museums to
institutions devoted to science and wildlife. Among the science-oriented institutions are the Oregon
Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), which consists of five main halls and other ticketed attractions,
such as the USS Blueback submarine,[175] the ultra-large-screen Empirical Theater (which replaced an
OMNIMAX theater in 2013),[176] and the Kendall Planetarium.[177] The World Forestry Center
Discovery Museum, located in the city's Washington Park area, offers educational exhibits on forests and
forest-related subjects. Also located in Washington Park are the Hoyt Arboretum, the International Rose
Test Garden, the Japanese Garden, and the Oregon Zoo.[178]

Portland Art Museum

The Portland Art Museum owns the city's largest art collection and presents a variety of touring
exhibitions each year and, with the recent addition of the Modern and Contemporary Art wing, it
became one of the United States' 25 largest museums. Other museums include the Portland Children's
Museum, a museum specifically geared for early childhood development; and the Oregon Historical
Society Museum, founded in 1898, which has a variety of books, film, pictures, artifacts, and maps dating
back throughout Oregon's history. It houses permanent and temporary exhibits about Oregon history,
and hosts traveling exhibits about the history of the United States.[179]

Oaks Amusement Park, in the Sellwood district of Southeast Portland, is the city's only amusement park
and is also one of the country's longest-running amusement parks. It has operated since 1905 and was
known as the "Coney Island of the Northwest" upon its opening.[180]

Cuisine and breweries

Portland has been named the best city in the world for street food by several publications and news
outlets, including the U.S. News & World Report and CNN.[181][182] Food carts are extremely popular
within the city, with over 600 licensed carts, making Portland one of the most robust street food scenes
in North America.[183][184] In 2014, the Washington Post called Portland the fourth best city for food in
the United States.[185] Travel + Leisure ranked Portland's food and bar scene No. 5 in the nation in 2012.
[186][187] Portland is also known as a leader in specialty coffee.[188][189][190] The city is home to
Stumptown Coffee Roasters as well as dozens of other micro-roasteries and cafes.[191]

Widmer Brewing Company headquarters

It is frequently claimed that Portland has the most breweries and independent microbreweries of any
city in the world,[192][193][194][195][196] with 58 active breweries within city limits[197] and 70+
within the surrounding metro area.[197] However, data compiled by the Brewers Association ranks
Portland seventh in the United States as of 2018.[198] The city receives frequent acclaim as the best
beer city in the United States and is consistently ranked as one of the top-five beer destinations in the
world.[199] Portland has played a prominent role in the microbrewery revolution in the U.S. and is
nicknamed "Beertown" and "Beervana" as a result.[200][201][202] The McMenamin brothers alone have
over thirty brewpubs, distilleries, and wineries scattered throughout the metropolitan area, several in
renovated cinemas and other historically significant buildings otherwise destined for demolition. Other
notable Portland brewers include Widmer Brothers, BridgePort, Portland Brewing, Hair of the Dog, and
Hopworks Urban Brewery.

Portland hosts a number of festivals throughout the year that celebrate beer and brewing, including the
Oregon Brewers Festival, held in Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Held each summer during the last full
weekend of July, it is the largest outdoor craft beer festival in North America, with over 70,000 attendees
in 2008.[203] Other major beer festivals throughout the calendar year include the Spring Beer and Wine
Festival in April, the North American Organic Brewers Festival in June, the Portland International Beerfest
in July,[204] and the Holiday Ale Festival in December.

Sustainability

Portland is often awarded "Greenest City in America" and similar designations. Popular Science awarded
Portland the title of the Greenest City in America in 2008,[205] and Grist magazine listed it in 2007 as the
second greenest city in the world.[206] The city became a pioneer of state-directed metropolitan
planning, a program which was instituted statewide in 1969 to compact the urban growth boundaries of
the city.[207]

Sports

Main article: Sports in Portland, Oregon

Portland is home to three major league sports franchises: the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA, the
Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer, and the Portland Thorns of the National Women's Soccer
League. In 2015, the Timbers won the MLS Cup, which was the first male professional sports
championship for a team from Portland since the Trail Blazers won the NBA championship in 1977.[208]
Despite being the 19th most populated metro area in the United States, Portland contains only one
franchise from the NFL, NBA, NHL, or MLB, making it America's second most populated metro area with
that distinction, behind San Antonio. The city has been often rumored to receive an additional franchise,
although efforts to acquire a team have failed due to stadium funding issues.[209] An organization
known as the Portland Diamond Project (PDP)[210] has worked with the MLB and local government, and
there are plans to have an MLB stadium constructed in the industrial district of Portland.[211] The PDP
has not yet received the funding for this project.

Providence Park, home of the Portland Timbers and the Portland Thorns

Portland sports fans are characterized by their passionate support. The Trail Blazers sold out every home
game between 1977 and 1995, a span of 814 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in American
sports history.[212] The Timbers joined MLS in 2011 and have sold out every home match since joining
the league, a streak that has now reached 70+ matches.[213] The Timbers season ticket waiting list has
reached 10,000+, the longest waiting list in MLS.[214] In 2015, they became the first team in the
Northwest to win the MLS Cup. Player Diego Valeri marked a new record for fastest goal in MLS Cup
history at 27 seconds into the game.[215]

The Moda Center, home of the Portland Trail Blazers

Two rival universities exist within Portland city limits: the University of Portland Pilots and the Portland
State University Vikings, both of whom field teams in popular spectator sports including soccer, baseball,
and basketball. Portland State also has a football team. Additionally, the University of Oregon Ducks and
the Oregon State University Beavers both receive substantial attention and support from many Portland
residents, despite their campuses being 110 and 84 miles from the city, respectively.[216]

The Shamrock Run, held annually on St. Patrick's Day

Running is a popular activity in Portland, and every year the city hosts the Portland Marathon as well as
parts of the Hood to Coast Relay, the world's largest long-distance relay race (by number of participants).
Portland serves as the center to an elite running group, the Nike Oregon Project, and is the residence of
several elite runners including British 2012 Olympic 10,000m and 5,000m champion Mo Farah, American
record holder at 10,000m Galen Rupp, and 2008 American Olympic bronze medalist at 10,000m Shalane
Flanagan.[citation needed]

Historic Erv Lind Stadium is located in Normandale Park.[217] It has been home to professional and
college softball.
Portland also hosts numerous cycling events and has become an elite bicycle racing destination.[citation
needed] The Oregon Bicycle Racing Association supports hundreds of official bicycling events every year.
Weekly events at Alpenrose Velodrome and Portland International Raceway allow for racing nearly every
night of the week from March through September. Cyclocross races, such as the Cross Crusade, can
attract over 1,000 riders and spectators.[citation needed]

On December 4, 2019, the Vancouver Riptide of the American Ultimate Disc League announced that they
ceased team operations in Vancouver in 2017 and are moving down to Portland Oregon for the 2020
AUDL season.

Portland area sports teams

Club Sport League Championships Venue Founded Attendance

Portland Thorns FC Women's soccer National Women's Soccer League 2 (2013, 2017)
Providence Park2012 16,945

Portland Timbers Soccer Major League Soccer 1 (2015) Providence Park2009 21,144

Portland Timbers 2 Soccer USL Championship 0 Hillsboro Stadium 2014 1,740

Portland Timbers U23s Soccer USL League Two1 (2010) Providence Park2008 —

Portland Trail Blazers Basketball National Basketball Association 1 (1976–77) Moda Center
1970 19,317

Portland Winterhawks Ice hockey Western Hockey League 2 (1982–83, 1997–98) Moda Center
1976 6,080