Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story said that living in Bend could be a more affordable alternative to living in the Portland metropolitan area, but we omitted that for accuracy.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Pacific Northwest’s often-gray skies and consistent rainfall haven’t seemed to turn people away from moving to the region. In fact, a recent study reports that several cities in the PNW have seen growth in the past few years.
Personal finance company SmartAsset compiled a list of the Top Boomtowns in America based on factors like population, income, new businesses and housing. Of the 494 cities ranked, three Oregon and Washington cities made the top 50.
Pasco, Wash., performed especially well at No. 8 on SmartAsset’s list.
“Income in Pasco, Washington has seen nearly a 45% increase between 2016 and 2021, ranking 18th-highest for this metric,” the report said. “The city also ranks 21st-best for five-year population change, which has increased by 17.04% over the same time period. Business within the county where Pasco is located is also booming, as Franklin County has had an 18.33% increase in the number of businesses between 2015 and 2020.”
Bend, Ore., was the next PNW city to make the list at No. 21. According to SmartAsset, Bend has had a 17.36% increase in the number of housing units from 2016 to 2021, as well as an average 2.58% increase in economic growth from 2017 to 2020.
As the biggest city in Central Oregon, Bend can be an alternative option for those who want to live in the state of Oregon without experiencing the hustle and bustle associated with the Portland metropolitan area.
Although Portland itself didn’t secure a spot at the top of SmartAsset’s list, the neighboring city of Vancouver, Wash., did.
At No. 39 overall, Vancouver had a 9.92% increase in its population according to the Census Bureau’s 2016 and 2021 1-year American Community Surveys. The city had a 12.76% growth in new businesses between 2015 and 2020 as well.
They didn’t all make the top 50, but many other PNW cities — particularly in Washington — were named Boomtowns by SmartAsset. See the full rankings here.
Washington’s “Boomtowns” in SmartAsset’s Top 100
Seattle: No. 56
- Average yearly GDP growth: 5.27%
- Five-year population growth: 4.19%
- Five-year increase in number of businesses: 5.1%
- Five-year growth in housing units: 13.57%
Auburn: No. 60
- Average yearly GDP growth: 5.27%
- Five-year population growth: 14.6%
- Five-year increase in number of businesses: 5.1%
- Five-year growth in housing units: 6.31%
Bellingham: tied at No. 73
- Average yearly GDP growth: 4.13%
- Five-year population growth: 5.38%
- Five-year increase in number of businesses: 7.16%
- Five-year growth in housing units: 9.54%