Travel Patterns in Multnomah County – 2022

March 12, 2025

One of the facts of living in an urban county like Multnomah County is that there is a lot of commuting. The U.S. Census Bureau provides data about commuting patterns with its OnTheMap tool. In 2022, about half of jobs located in Multnomah were filled by Multnomah residents, and nearly two-thirds of Multnomah residents worked at a job located in Multnomah. In other words, Multnomah is a jobs center for people commuting in, and most, though not all, residents of the area stay here to work.

The vast majority (88%) of the more than 512,900 jobs located in Multnomah County were held by a resident of the seven-county Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro Metropolitan Statistical Area (Portland MSA) in 2022. Looking at specific counties in the Portland MSA, 242,200 (47%) of all Multnomah jobs were held by Multnomah residents. For the rest of the Portland MSA counties, Washington County residents accounted for 81,100 (16%) of Multnomah jobs; followed by Clackamas, 69,400 (14%); Clark, Wash., 44,900 (9%); Columbia, 7,000 (1%); Yamhill, 4,300 (1%); and Skamania, Wash., 700 (<1%). Residents outside the Portland MSA held the remaining 12% of Multnomah County jobs (63,100) led by Marion, 13,200 (3%); Lane, 6,900 (1%); Deschutes, 5,300 (1%); and Cowlitz, Wash. 3,600 (1%).

On the flip side, of the 385,000 jobs held by a resident of Multnomah, 91% were located in the Portland MSA. Again, most of those jobs (242,200; 63%), were in Multnomah. A considerable number of Multnomah residents work in the other Portland MSA counties; in Washington County, 55,300 jobs are held by Multnomah residents (14% of total jobs held by Multnomah residents); Clackamas, 40,500 (11%); Clark, Wash., 11,000 (3%); Yamhill, 1,800 (1%); Columbia, 800 (<1%); and Skamania, Wash., 100 (<1%). Non-Portland MSA counties where a substantial share of Multnomah residents worked include Marion with 8,800 (2% of total jobs held by Multnomah residents); Lane, 3,500 (1%); King, Wash., 2,500 (1%); Deschutes, 2,400 (1%); and Jackson, 1,200 (<1%).

Most Multnomah County Residents and Laborers Work Outside Their Neighborhood

Neighborhood Jobs

Only about 15% of Multnomah jobs were worked by someone who lives in the same neighborhood. Northwest and Southwest Portland see by far the largest number and share of in-commuters in the county by neighborhood, with 152,800 coming from outside the neighborhood, accounting for 88% of the 174,600 jobs in the neighborhood. The Southeast Portland neighborhood saw the fewest number of in-commuters with only 32,300, but that still accounted for an overwhelming share (85%) of the jobs in the neighborhood. Gresham and Troutdale had a large number of in-commuters (47,500) but had the smallest share of in-commuters among Multnomah County neighborhoods with 72%.

Neighborhood Residents

Looking at residents in different neighborhoods within Multnomah County, a pattern starts to emerge. While most of Multnomah residents work within the county, it is not necessarily in the neighborhood where they live. Only about 20% of Multnomah County residents worked in the same neighborhood they live in. This ranges from a low of 10% of Southeast Portland residents working where they live to a high of 31% in Northwest and Southwest Portland.

There are a few potential reasons why such a small share of people in Multnomah work where they live. First, many workers commute into the downtown core (within the Northwest and Southwest Portland neighborhood here) from surrounding Multnomah neighborhoods and surrounding counties. Workers may prefer to live in a neighborhood less densely populated than Portland, or they may not be able to afford living near their workplaces. Additionally, the commercial density (and relatively sparse housing) of Portland’s downtown core necessitates that workers commute in from elsewhere.

In-Commuters to Multnomah County Tend to Be Older and Have Higher Incomes

Typical of large urban counties, substantially more Multnomah residents work within the county (242,200) than outflow to jobs outside the county (142,800). Other differences of note among commuting characteristics include that out-commuters are more likely to be younger and tend to work in goods producing industries (e.g. natural resources, construction, and manufacturing). In-commuters to Multnomah tend to be slightly older and are more likely to work in trade, transportation, and utilities. Workers who stay in place (interior flow) are more likely to work in service-providing industries (e.g. information, professional and business services, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality).

Commutes Differs by Occupation

While OnTheMap is a powerful tool for looking at commuting, its data doesn’t tell us how commutes occurred or how long commuters stayed for work. Several scenarios are possible and likely. Commuters can be full or partial telecommuters, working for a firm outside their county of residence and infrequently making a physical commute. Home-based call center employees and outside sales representatives are examples of occupations that fit this scenario. Commuters can commute for extended shifts, short stays, or even seasons, traveling to where the job demand is and returning home when the work is complete. Nurses and physicians are examples of extended shift or short stay occupations. Commuters with either of these occupations could work for a two- or three-day shift and then return home for three or four days. Construction workers on special projects and certain agriculture workers are examples of seasonal positions that require extended stays but might not encourage year-round residence.