Portland By The Numbers

By Ethan Smith

Population
1970: 381,877
2008: 551,226

Rank by population among U.S. cities
1974: 35th
2009: 29th

Median age
1970: 32
2008: 37.5

Portlanders with bachelor's degrees or better
1970: 12.4%
2008: 39.6%

Median household rent (2009 dollars)
1970: $640
2009: $700

Median home value
1970: $82,894
1990: $99,954
2009: $293,300

Unemployment rate
1970: 6.6%
2009: 11.7%

Median household income (2009 dollars)
1979: $43,974
2009: $49,000

Timber harvested in Oregon
1974: 8.7 billion board feet
2009: 3 billion board feet

Portland mayor's annual salary
1975: $38,293 (Neil Goldschmidt)
2009: $118,144 (Sam Adams)

Recycling participation
1972: 49%
2009: 80%+

Cost of an abortion
1974: $152 (at the Lovejoy Specialty Hospital)
2009: $450 (at Lovejoy Surgicenter)

Phone-book listings for Hernandez (the most common surname in Mexico)
1974: 1
2009: 346

Bike shops
1974: 31
2009: 70

Breweries and brewpubs
1974: 4
2009: 44

Coffeehouses
1974: 3
2009: 152

WWeek 2015

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