Is being in an area of Oregon that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Portland and Eugene, while others want peace and quiet like in King City and Veneta, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Oregon have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Beaver State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Oregon For 2024
What’s the fastest growing city in Oregon for 2024? Based on the most recent ACS data, Happy Valley ranks as the fastest-growing city in Oregon. If you happen to be a resident of Happy Valley, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Oregon grow like weeds.
For more Oregon state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Oregon
- Cheapest Places To Live In Oregon
- Most Dangerous Cities In Oregon
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Oregon For 2024
1. Happy Valley
/10
Population: 24,381
Population 2010: 12,583
Percent Growth 93.8%
Absolute Growth: 11,798
More on Happy Valley: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
2. King City
/10
3. Sandy
/10
Population: 12,592
Population 2010: 8,860
Percent Growth 42.1%
Absolute Growth: 3,732
More on Sandy: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
4. Wilsonville
/10
Population: 25,992
Population 2010: 18,900
Percent Growth 37.5%
Absolute Growth: 7,092
More on Wilsonville: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
5. Redmond
/10
Population: 34,191
Population 2010: 24,957
Percent Growth 37.0%
Absolute Growth: 9,234
More on Redmond: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
6. Bend
/10
Population: 99,442
Population 2010: 74,327
Percent Growth 33.8%
Absolute Growth: 25,115
More on Bend: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
7. Molalla
/10
Population: 10,147
Population 2010: 7,695
Percent Growth 31.9%
Absolute Growth: 2,452
More on Molalla: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
8. Warrenton
/10
Population: 6,254
Population 2010: 4,844
Percent Growth 29.1%
Absolute Growth: 1,410
More on Warrenton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Junction City
/10
Population: 6,831
Population 2010: 5,358
Percent Growth 27.5%
Absolute Growth: 1,473
More on Junction City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
10. Forest Grove
/10
Population: 26,160
Population 2010: 20,635
Percent Growth 26.8%
Absolute Growth: 5,525
More on Forest Grove: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Beaver State for 2024
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2022)
We ranked all 79 Oregon cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Beaver State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in Oregon.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Oregon with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Oregon, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Oregon are led by Happy Valley which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Oregon are Happy Valley, King City, Sandy, Wilsonville, Redmond, Bend, Molalla, Warrenton, Junction City, and Forest Grove.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Coos Bay
- La Grande
- Pendleton
For more Oregon reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Places In Oregon For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Happy Valley | 24,381 | 12,583 | 93.8% | 11,798 |
| 2 | King City | 5,063 | 3,024 | 67.4% | 2,039 |
| 3 | Sandy | 12,592 | 8,860 | 42.1% | 3,732 |
| 4 | Wilsonville | 25,992 | 18,900 | 37.5% | 7,092 |
| 5 | Redmond | 34,191 | 24,957 | 37.0% | 9,234 |
| 6 | Bend | 99,442 | 74,327 | 33.8% | 25,115 |
| 7 | Molalla | 10,147 | 7,695 | 31.9% | 2,452 |
| 8 | Warrenton | 6,254 | 4,844 | 29.1% | 1,410 |
| 9 | Junction City | 6,831 | 5,358 | 27.5% | 1,473 |
| 10 | Forest Grove | 26,160 | 20,635 | 26.8% | 5,525 |