Oregon’s Natural Population Continued to Decrease in 2024
June 05, 2025Oregon’s population increased to 4,267,621 in 2024 according to Portland State University’s Population Research Center, up 13,200 residents since 2023. This marked growth of 0.3% over the year and 0.7% since the 2020 Census.
Oregon Continues to Attract Migrants, Offsetting Natural Population Decline
Population growth results from natural population change (total births minus deaths) and net migration (people moving in minus people moving out). Oregon continued to have more deaths than births in 2024, leading to an annual natural population loss of 3,850, the fourth straight year of natural population decline. The Research Center doesn’t publish annual data between 2010 and 2020, but prior to 2010, Oregon averaged about 15,000 more births than deaths every year.
Given its natural population decline, all of Oregon’s population increase in 2024 was due to migration. About 17,000 more people moved into Oregon than moved out. That was a bit below the net migration levels in 2023 and 2022 (22,300 and 21,000, respectively) but continued the positive rebound in net migration which fell by 16,700 in 2021.
Unlike natural population change, Oregon’s net migration has varied considerably over the last half-century. In general, net migration increases as the economy expands and more jobs become available and decreases as the economy contracts. The decade with the lowest average net migration was the 1980s, when Oregon experienced a deep economic downturn.
Population Growth Was Mixed in Metro Areas
Like Oregon as a whole, an influx of migrants was able to offset natural population decline in most of Oregon’s metropolitan areas. Between 2020 and 2024, metro areas saw net migration of 26,900 which accounted for 59% of total net migration into the state. Migration was the only source of population growth for six of Oregon’s eight metro regions. Salem was the only Oregon metro area to have growth from both natural increase and net migration. Unusually for Oregon, the Portland metro area had negative net migration, so its population gain of 5,800 was due solely to natural increase.
A sizable majority (85%) of Oregonians live in Metro areas but non-metro areas grew slightly faster. Between 2020 and 2024, non-metro areas grew by 0.9% compared to the 0.7% growth of metro areas.
Population Declined in Ten Oregon Counties
Ten Oregon counties (ranked by largest to smallest population decline: Multnomah, Jackson, Josephine, Wasco, Lane, Malheur, Union, Douglas, Grant, and Harney counties) lost population between the 2020 census and 2024. Multnomah County had the largest numerical and percentage decrease, losing 13,900 or 1.7% of its population
Multnomah and Malheur counties were the only two counties in Oregon to have negative net migration between 2020 and 2024. Malheur County lost 220 more people than it gained. Multnomah County lost 15,800.
Out of Oregon’s 36 counties, only nine (ranked by largest to smallest natural population gain: Washington, Marion, Multnomah, Umatilla, Deschutes, Morrow, Hood River, Malheur, and Sherman counties) had a natural population increase between 2020 and 2024. These counties tended to have younger populations, containing 50% of Oregon’s total population, but only 41% of the population aged 65 and over.
Oregon’s Population Got Older, Prime Working Age Population Grew
The share of Oregon’s population over 65 grew by about a percentage point from the 2020 census, increasing from 18.6% of the total population in 2020 to 19.9% in 2024. At the same time, the percentage of the population under 18 fell from 20.3% to 18.6%.
PSU estimates populations for more granular age groups, usually in four-year increments. Every age group younger than fourteen declined in population between 2020 and 2024 and every group older than 70 grew, with the exception of the 85+ population. The population of the youngest Oregonians, aged 0-4, saw the biggest decline of any age group during this period, dropping by 37,000, pointing to a sharp drop off in Oregon’s birthrate.
At the same time, Oregon’s prime working age population, or individuals between the ages of 25 and 54, grew by nearly 2% during this period, from 39.3% in 2020 to 41.0% in 2024. Every age group in this range saw an increase in population. Oregonians aged 40-44 grew by nearly 30,000, the most of any age group. Part of this growth likely reflects the aging of the millennial generation, the oldest of whom are approaching the age of 45. However, it could also point to the expanding role of working age migrants in Oregon’s population growth.
To explore and use population estimates data for 2024 and prior years for Oregon and its counties, visit https://www.pdx.edu/population-research/population-estimate-reports.