Although Oregon is attracting many young creatives, the state is apparently the place where older people go to retire. That’s according to a new population study.
Oregon is outpacing the national average for population growth among people 17 and younger. But the state’s median age is still above the national average. That’s according to the study by Oregon’s Office of Economic Analysis.
Overall, the state’s population is growing. The median age in Oregon is 39. That’s about a year older than the national average, primarily because of the growth rate for Baby Boomers.
Josh Lehner is an economist with the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis.
“We just have a little bit larger Baby Boomer cohort than the national average so our median age is higher, which is something many people probably don’t think about," says Lehner. "They tend to think of, you know, ‘Portland is the place where young people go to retire’ or some stereotype like that.”
Lehner says for stronger long run economic growth, Oregon needs a higher birthrate or it needs to attract younger educated families.
