27 Things You Need to Know About Portland

There are some great things about living in Portland, but some aspects of life here aren’t as rosy as we might think. As a community we face some real challenges. Only 63 percent of our students graduate on time. 45 percent of our electricity comes from burning coal. And our unemployment rate tops 11 percent. All this takes a toll: the growing gap between the haves and have-nots. But while Portland is not perfect, we’re serious about becoming a better city. Portland is a place of possibilities, and we want to share opportunities equitably among our increasingly diverse population.

Before we can get started making crucial decisions about our future, though, it’s important to know some key facts about our city. If the information below interests you or you want to learn more, go online to www.PDXPlan.com and open up the Portland Plan Handbook. There’s a wealth of interesting facts about Portland that may surprise you.

Prosperity, Business Success & Equity

1 Unemployment Rate: In September 2009, Multnomah County’s unemployment rate topped 11.2%.
2 Job Growth: While the regional economy continued to grow, the growth of new jobs in Portland was lagging. Between 1980 and 2000, Portland captured 27% of new regional jobs, but between 2000 and 2006, Portland captured only 11% of new regional jobs.
3 Neighborhood Business District Access: 41% of Portland households live within a half mile of a neighborhood business district. Neighborhood businesses provide jobs and offer residents needed goods and services within walking distance of where they live.

Education & Skill Development

4 High School Graduation Rate: 63% of our students graduate on time.
5 Adult Education Attainment: 39% of Portlanders (age 25 and older) have at least a bachelors degree.
6 Aging Schools: 80% of Portland school buildings were built before 1960. Only six out of 137 schools have been built since 1980.

Arts, Culture & Innovation

7 Arts Funding: The Portland region spends $2.47 per capita on the arts.
8 Library Circulation: Multnomah County Library ranks first in annual circulation of books and other materials among U.S. libraries serving fewer than 1 million residents.

Sustainability & the Natural Environment

9 Natural Areas and Watersheds: Portland has 26,825 acres of environmentally sensitive natural areas — about 31% of the land area of Portland. Currently, about one-third of these areas are not protected.
10 Water Quality: While the Willamette River’s water quality is rated “fair” to “good,” the water quality of Portland’s major streams that flow into the Willamette is either “poor” or “very poor.”
11 Tree Canopy: Portland’s tree canopy covers 26% of the city, which helps preserve watershed health and reduce runoff while improving the livability of our neighborhoods.
12 Energy Use: 69% of Portland’s electricity comes from fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.

Human Health, Food & Public Safety

13 Life Expectancy: A newborn infant in Multnomah County is expected to live an average of 77.3 years, which is less than the statewide average of 78.1 years.
14 Obesity: 53% of Multnomah County’s adults and 10% of its youth are overweight or obese. An additional 10-15% of youth are at risk of becoming obese or overweight.
15 Access to Parks: Approximately 76% of Portland’s population lives within a half mile of a park or natural area.
16 Access to Healthy Food: 60% of Portlanders are within a half mile of a full-service grocery store.
17 Sense of Safety: 31% of Portlanders said they feel safe walking alone downtown at night. 59% feel safe walking alone in their neighborhood at night.
18 Crime Rate: Since 1998, Portland’s per capita crime rate has decreased by 55% for person crimes and 34% for property crimes.

Quality of Life & Civic Engagement

19 Volunteerism: Of the 51 largest cities in the country, the Portland metro area ranks second in its rate of volunteerism. Nearly 39% of Portland adults participated in a volunteer activity and contributed more than 75 million hours of service in 2008.
20 Voter Turnout: In Multnomah County, 86% of registered voters participated in the 2008 General Election.

Design, Planning & Public Spaces

21 Walkability: Portland’s citywide walkscore is 66 out of a possible 100. Some neighborhoods, like Irvington (83), have very high walkscores, while other neighborhoods like Bridlemile (46), have lower walkscores. (www.walkscore.com)
22 Community Character: Portland has five major neighborhood types, each with a distinct character: 1) Central City; 2) Western Neighborhoods; 3) Inner Neighborhoods; 4) Eastern Neighborhoods; and 5) Industrial Districts.

Neighborhoods & Housing

23 Neighborhood Affordability: Combined Housing and Transportation Costs: On average Portlanders spend about 49% of their income on housing and transportation, while lower income families spend as much as 79%.
24 Range of Housing Options: Between 2004 and 2008, 62% of new housing units in Portland were apartments or condos. However, single family homes still make up 61% of the total housing stock in Portland.

Transportation, Technology & Access

25 How Portlanders Get To Work: 65% of Portlanders drive alone to work, 15% take transit, 8% bike, 8% carpool and 4% walk.
26 Vehicle Use: Portlanders travel an average of 16 miles per day by car, which is less than the national average of 23 miles per day.
27 Internet Access: As of 2007, about 72% of Oregon individuals over age three were living in households with Internet access, placing Oregon 13th out of the 50 states.

List courtesy of The Portland Curbsider.
The Curbsider is published by the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) promotes integrated land use planning and development based on sustainability principles and practices. BPS also develops and implements policies and programs that provide environmental, economic and social benefits to residents, businesses and government, which strengthen Portland’s position as an international model of sustainable practices and commerce.