The Portland Tribune is a KOIN 6 News media partner.
PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — The population of Multnomah County fell by 12,494 people last year, the largest decline of any county in the larger Portland region, according to U.S. Census figures released Thursday, March 24.
Multnomah County’s population declined by 1.5% compared to an overall 0.2% decrease for the seven-county region that includes Clark County in Washington. Portland is the largest city in Multnomah County.
The decrease happened during a year of unprecedented turmoil, including job losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing political protests, rising gun violence, and increasing housing costs. Recent polls show the vast majority of voters believe Portland and the surrounding region are headed in the wrong direction.
The loss seems especially significant because Oregon’s overall population grew 0.54% during the same period — increasing from 4,243,791 on July 1, 2020, to 4,266,560 one year later.
But the regional loss is far less than a number of other large metropolitan areas experienced, including San Francisco, which lost 6.3% of its population in 2021. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco lost a total of over 700,000 people from July 2020 to July 2021.
Some large metropolitan areas saw population increases, however. The included Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, Austin and Atlanta, which gained more than 300,000 residents.
Many smaller metropolitan areas also saw big gains, including Boise, Idaho, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The figures are included in a census report that can be found here.