Population Trends in Northwest Oregon
May 29, 2026Portland State University’s Population Research Center published its 2025 Annual Population Report in April 2026, providing certified population estimates for Oregon along with every county and incorporated city. The Northwest Oregon region, consisting of Benton, Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln, and Tillamook counties, recorded a combined population of 271,700 in 2025, equal to 6.3% of the statewide total. Three of the five counties lost population over the year, with Benton and Columbia being the only counties to grow.
Population Growth
All five counties recorded population growth over the past decade. Although county populations differ in size, their growth patterns can be compared by indexing each county’s population to a common base year, 2015.
Clatsop County experienced the strongest relative population growth in the region, beginning in 2020 and has maintained this pace since. All three coastal counties, Clatsop, Lincoln, and Tillamook, showed significant population increases in 2020. This trend coincided with expansion of remote work and COVID-19 related early retirements, both of which may have prompted relocations to coastal communities. Columbia County experienced the slowest population growth over the last decade, however, indexed population growth converged with Lincoln and Tillamook counties in 2025.
What Drives Population Change?
Population change results from two components: natural population change and net migration. Natural population change is the difference between the number of births and deaths. When deaths outnumber births, the result is a natural population decrease. Net migration is the difference between the number of people moving into an area and those moving out. Positive net migration means more people moved in than left.
Natural Population Change
Between 2020 and 2025, all five counties in Northwest Oregon recorded more deaths than births, resulting in negative natural population change. Lincoln County saw the largest natural population decrease, with losses more than double those of any other county in the region. In the five-year period, Lincoln and Tillamook counties experienced an overall population decrease due to natural change alone.
Net Migration
Despite natural population decreases, all five counties experienced positive net migration, meaning more people moved into the region than out. In general, net migration tends to increase during periods of expansion and job growth, while slowing during economic downturns. The economic impact of migration also depends on the age composition of migrants and the extent to which migrants participate in the labor force.
In Benton, Clatsop, and Columbia counties, net migration exceeded natural population losses, leading to overall growth. This pattern reflects the statewide trend. Between 2020 and 2025, Oregon experienced a natural decrease of 18,745 residents, offset by 76,962 in net migration.
Further data and information is provided by Portland State University’s Population Research Center and can be found in the 2025 Portland State University Annual Population Estimates Report.