Best Places for Business and Careers 2019

Portland, OR

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

Portland, OR

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

gross metro product

$163.5B

population

2.5M

median household income

$76,380

median home price

$403,000

cost of living

15% above nat'l avg

college attainment

40.3%

net migration

3,910 (year: 2018)

unemployment

3.9%

major industries

Technology, Manufacturing, Recreation

job growth

1.8% (year: 2018)

As of October 2019

Portland has ranked among the top five places for business by Forbes for the past five years. Credit its strong growth prospects and a large share of highly-educated millenials. The city has been referred to as one of the most environmentally friendly or green cities in the world. Portland is known for its large number of microbreweries and micro-distilleries, as well as its coffee enthusiasm. The city is home to Portland Community College, Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, University of

Portland, Reed College, and Lewis & Clark College. It is also the home of the Trail Blazers of the NBA and the Timbers MLS team. Washington Park, in the West Hills, is where some of Portland's most popular recreational sites are located, including the Oregon Zoo, the Portland Japanese Garden, the World Forestry Center and the Hoyt Arboretum. The Portland Art Museum owns the city's largest art collection presenting a variety of touring exhibitions each year.

On forbes lists

Best Places for Business and Careers 2019

#149

In Cost of Doing Business

#45

In Job Growth

#26

In Education

EmploymentHousingEducationQuality of Life

Job Growth

1.8% (year: 2018)

Projected Annual Job Growth

1.1%

Unemployment

3.9%

Median Household Income

$76,380

Household Income Growth

5.4%

High-Tech Employment

3.7%

Data is for the metro area
Sources: Moody's Analytics; Sperling's BestPlaces; U.S. Census.
Numbers as of October 2019
a - Value of 100 means that a family with the median income has exactly enough income to qualify for a typical mortgage on a median-priced single-family home. An index above 100 signifies that the family has surplus income.