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Is being in an area that's growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask. Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Portland and Salem, while others want peace and quiet like in Tillamook and Creswell, thank you very much.
But today we're going to put opinions aside and just look at the cold hard facts -- over the past five years, which cities in Oregon have the grown the fastest.
After getting knee deep in the Census's American Community Survey, we emerged with this set of cities in the Beaver State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Oregon for 2021 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Oregon For 2021
What's the fastest growing city in Oregon for 2021? Based on the most recent ACS data, Happy Valley ranks as the fastest growing city in Oregon. If you happen to be a resident of Happy Valley, you're probably not too surprised to find it on our list.
If you're surprised--and you're wondering why these places are kind of a big deal--keep reading. We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Oregon are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Oregon or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Oregon state reading:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Oregon For 2021
1. Happy Valley
/10
Population: 20,971
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 12,583
Percent Growth 66.7%
Absolute Growth: 8,388
More on Happy Valley: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Wilsonville
/10
Population: 24,073
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 18,900
Percent Growth 27.4%
Absolute Growth: 5,173
More on Wilsonville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Bend
/10
Population: 93,917
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 74,327
Percent Growth 26.4%
Absolute Growth: 19,590
More on Bend: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Sandy
/10
Population: 11,070
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 8,860
Percent Growth 24.9%
Absolute Growth: 2,210
More on Sandy: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Hillsboro
/10
Population: 106,543
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Population 2010: 88,125
Percent Growth 20.9%
Absolute Growth: 18,418
More on Hillsboro: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Redmond
/10
Population: 30,167
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 24,957
Percent Growth 20.9%
Absolute Growth: 5,210
More on Redmond: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Independence
/10
Population: 9,842
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 8,215
Percent Growth 19.8%
Absolute Growth: 1,627
More on Independence: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Molalla
/10
Population: 9,155
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 2)
Population 2010: 7,695
Percent Growth 19.0%
Absolute Growth: 1,460
More on Molalla: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Forest Grove
/10
Population: 24,457
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 20,635
Percent Growth 18.5%
Absolute Growth: 3,822
More on Forest Grove: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Oregon City
/10
Population: 36,492
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 30,983
Percent Growth 17.8%
Absolute Growth: 5,509
More on Oregon City: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Beaver State for 2021
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we simply had to look at the growth rates for cities sine the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2018)
We ranked all 77 Oregon cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest growing city in the Beaver State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population - Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
Here's a graph of the cities in Oregon with the largest percent increase in population:
These Places Grew Up So Fast In Oregon, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Oregon are led by Happy Valley which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
It'll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We'll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Ontario
- North Bend
- Baker City
For more Oregon reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Oregon For 2021
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Happy Valley | 66.7% |
| 2 | Wilsonville | 27.4% |
| 3 | Bend | 26.4% |
| 4 | Sandy | 24.9% |
| 5 | Hillsboro | 20.9% |
| 6 | Redmond | 20.9% |
| 7 | Independence | 19.8% |
| 8 | Molalla | 19.0% |
| 9 | Forest Grove | 18.5% |
| 10 | Oregon City | 17.8% |
