Oregon

Oregon by the Numbers:
Key Statistical Data and Facts

Key Details

• Oregon has a population of 4.24 million residents, with 49.9% male and 50.1% female residents. 
• The median value of owner-occupied housing units between 2017 to 2021 was $362,200. 
• As of 2022, 74.1% of the state’s population is non-Hispanic White, while 5% are Asian and 4.2% are two or more races. 
• Governor Tina Kotek is the 39th governor and first lesbian governor of the state. 
• Approximately 36.3% of the population have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, while 9% have an Associate’s degree, and 24.6% have some college education. 
• In 2023, Oregon had an unemployment rate of 4%, with Multnomah County having the highest labor force in the state, with 456,886 residents. 
• The median household income in Oregon is $71,562, slightly higher than the national median household income of $69,717. 

Oregon Population Demographics

Set in the Western United States, Oregon shares its borders with Washington to the north, Idaho to the east, and California to the south. According to 2022 US Census estimates, Oregon has a population of 4,240,137 residents. Organized by age groups, 5% of residents are under five, 20.3% are under 18, and 18.6% are 65 years and above. Male residents comprise 49.9% of the population totaling 2,539,843 male residents, while females account for 50.1% or 2,115,825 residents. 

Oregon Housing

1,859,387 housing units

According to US Census data for 2022,  Oregon has 1,859,387 housing units with an average of 2.49 persons per household.

63.2%

The owner-occupied housing units make up 63.2% of the housing units in the state.

$362,200

Between 2017 and 2021, the median value of owner-occupied units was $362,200.

$1,250

The median gross rent was $1,250, while the average monthly rate was $1,129

$1,840

In addition, Oregon recorded a median selected monthly owner cost of  $1,840 with a mortgage and $587 without a mortgage.

Oregon Racial Demographics

Elections in Oregon

Although Oregon has a long history of voting governors from either the Republican or Democratic party, elections have tilted towards Democrats. As of 2023, Oregon has a Democratic Trifecta, as Democrats control the offices of the attorney general, secretary of state, and governor.  

Tina Kotek, a Democrat, serves as the Governor of Oregon. Tina Kotek's administration began on the 9th of January 2023 following the narrow gubernatorial victory over Christine Drazan of the Republican Party. 

Oregon has six representatives to Congress, which include two Senators, Jeff Merkley, and Ron Wyden. The two senators are from the Democratic party, with Jeff Merkley serving in the capacity since January 6, 2009. Ron Wyden has been an Oregon senator since 1996, with his current term ending in 2029.  

2020 Presidential Election 

During the presidential election in 2020, Joe Biden won in Oregon with 56.5% of the votes, while Donald Trump got 40.4%. The Democratic party got 1,340,383 votes, while the Republican party got 958,448 votes, with the other parties sharing the rest. 

Joe Biden

Donald Trump

Oregon Voting Statistics

According to the Secretary of State, Oregon has 3,005,261 registered voters as of May 2023. Total registration includes 1,010,176 Democrat voters and 729,383 Republicans. The General Elections of 2022 recorded 2,985,820 registered voters with a turnout of 66.90%. A total of 1,997,689 voters participated in the elections. The 2022 elections saw fewer voters compared to the 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections which had 70.90%, 80.33%, 7.80%, and 78.50% voter turnout, respectively

General Election Voter Turnout

How Educated is Oregon

Per 2022 Census estimates, 36.3% of residents in Oregon have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. 21.9% of residents have a High School diploma or an equivalent degree, while 13.9% are graduates or have a professional degree. Residents with some college degree make up 24.6%, while 9.0% have an Associate’s degree.  

US Census data also shows that 4.5% of the state residents aged three and above are in Nursery or preschool, 68.9% belong in Kindergarten to 12th grade, 21.1% belong to College or undergraduate studies, and 5.5% are Graduates or in professional school. Oregon has seven public universities, including Oregon State University, Portland State University, University of Oregon, Southern Oregon University, and Eastern Oregon University.  

Oregon Employment Rate

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Oregon’s unemployment stood at 4.0% as of 2023, higher than the 3.6% national unemployment rate. The state’s unemployment rate reduced from the 4.8% recorded the previous year. Nonfarm employment increased by 9,900 jobs at the start of the year.  

Multnomah County had the highest labor force in the state with a labor force of 456,886 residents, followed by Washington County, Clackamas County, and Lane County with 322,574, 218,998, and 181,761 labor force, respectively. The state also had an urban and rural labor force of 1,688,616 and 374,907, respectively.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that Oregon has a civilian labor force of 2,165,900 residents in 2023. The Government, Education & Health Services, and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities industries contribute the most employment to the state, with 302,300, 312,700, and 366,700 jobs, respectively. Industries with minimal job contribution in the state include Mining and Logging, with 6,500 jobs, and Information, with 37,600.

Average Income in Oregon

Oregon has a median household income of $71,562, slightly higher than the national median household income of $69,717. Income levels vary based on occupation, location, and educational qualifications. Married couple families in Oregon have a median household income of $101,259. One-earner families in Oregon will earn about $64,975, while homes with two and three earners have a household income of $77,773 and $93,773, respectively. Nonfamily households in Oregon have a median income of $44,491.

Families in Oregon

Oregon Marriage Rates

Oregon Divorce Rates

The divorce rate in Oregon is 2.7 per 1,000 residents, which is higher than the 2.5 per 1,00 residents national divorce rate. The state has seen a steady decline in its divorce rate since 1990, when the state’s highest was recorded, 5.5 per 1,000 residents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oregon has never had its divorce rate this low except in 2020, when a divorce rate of 2.6 divorces per 1,000 residents was recorded. It means that 2.6 persons out of 1,000 in Oregon have been married before and divorced.  

Life Expectancy in Oregon

According to National Center for Health Statistics data, Oregon’s life expectancy in 2020 was 78.8 years, higher than the national life expectancy of 76 years. Oregon’s male population has a life expectancy of 76.3 years, while the female residents have a life expectancy of 81.3 years.  
 

The life expectancy of residents by gender earns the state 7th and 8th positions on the rank for males and females, respectively. Generally, Oregon ranks 8th out of the 50 states in the US on the life expectancy rankings.  

The fertility rate obtained from the CDC data shows 48.9 births per 1,000 women aged between 15 to 44 years. Oregon has a teen birth rate of 9.5 births per 1,000 female residents aged between 15 to 19 years. Oregon’s leading cause of death is Cancer, while Drug overdose death, firearm injury death, and homicide rate are 26.8, 14.9, and 4.9 per 100,000 residents. 

Oregon Crime Rates

The Uniform Crime Reporting Program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has details on crimes by county in Oregon. The state Uniform Crime Reporting data reveal that there were 355,179 district offenses recorded in 2022, with 79,387 so far in 2023. Oregon has one of the lowest crime rates in the country, with a violent crime rate of 284 per 100,000 residents which is higher than the national violent crime rate of 379 per 100,000 residents. Larceny-theft cases recorded in Oregon were 272,189, while robbery cases were 8,403. There were 26,201 aggravated assault cases and 3,854 rape cases in Oregon. The state recorded 512 murder cases, while motor vehicle theft cases were 64,059. 

Oregon Incarceration Rate

555 per 100,000 residents

The incarceration rate in Oregon is 555 per 100,000 residents, which includes jails, prisons, juvenile justice centers, and immigration detention.

19,997

Counties with the top admission rate include Jefferson County, Malheur County, and Coos County, with jail admission rates of 19,997, 17,493, and 13,881, respectively.

36

As of 2023, Oregon has 36 jails located across 36 countries.

$1,872,870,00

According to the National Institute of Corrections, in 2019, Oregon operated with a prison budget of $1,872,870,00 or $42,644 per inmate.

Oregon Bankruptcy Rate

2022

4,108 bankruptcy cases

The United States Bankruptcy Court has statistics on the bankruptcy rate of Oregon residents under its District of Oregon data. Oregon has a bankruptcy rate of 200 per 100,000 residents. The Bankruptcy Court data shows there have been 1194 Chapter 7 filings in 2023 which is higher than the 994 recorded in the same period in 2022. It also included eleven Chapter 11 filings, no Chapter 12, and Five hundred and four Chapter 13 filings. As of July 2023, the state has a total of 1709 bankruptcy filings, more than the 1247 filings recorded in the same period of 2022. 

Weird Laws in Oregon

There are laws in a state that can make strangers question the credibility of the lawmaking process due to their unusual nature. These unusual laws are steps to mitigate unique challenges in the state or drive social change toward a goal. Here are some of the weird rules Oregon residents abide by