Nearly 20 new Central Oregonians arriving every day

C ount the next 20 people you see in Central Oregon. That’s how many newcomers are moving to (or being born on) the High Desert every single day, according to new population estimates released Thursday.

Portland State University’s Population Research Center released their July 1, 2018 population figures, and as is often the case in recent decades, the High Desert is high on the list of fastest-growing areas.

Oregon as a whole added 54,200 residents in the year ended July 1, for a total of 4,195,300 residents, up 1.3 percent from a year earlier.

But Deschutes County grew by 6,050 residents, to 188,980 – a 3.3 percent growth rate, fastest in the state and more than double the statewide rate.

Crook County added an estimated 605 residents for a new tally of 22,710 people, a 2.7 percent increase that puts them at No. 2 in the state. Jefferson County added 370 residents for a total of 23,560 people, tied with Clackamas County for fourth-fastest growth rate in the state (Washington County is No. 3, at 1.7 percent).

That means Central Oregon added 7,025 residents over the year ending last July 1 — which comes to 19.24 new residents per day.

Deschutes County’s two largest cities, Bend and Redmond, also grew by more than 3 percent in the past year. Bend added 2,740 residents, for a total estimated population of 89,505, while Redmond added 920 residents to reach a population of 29,185.

La Pine grew a bit too, adding 110 people over the year for a July 1 estimate of 1,840 residents, up about two-thirds of a percent. Madras grew at a similar pace, adding 45 residents for a total population July 1 estimate of 6,345, up .7 percent.

But some new figures are flat, with no population growth estimated for Sisters, which held at 2,540 residents, and Culver, still with a population of 1,420.

PSU says it uses birth and death registration to estimate the state’s natural increase, and for “net migration,” they use data on school enrollment, employment, labor force, income tax exemptions, driver’s licenses issued, voter records and Medicare enrollees. Other methods are used to estimate county and city populations; see their methodology here.