How People Die on Portland’s Streets

The average age of a homeless person who died last year was just 49.

Portland snowstorm on Jan. 11, 2017. (Joe Riedl)
By Aaron Mesh

Life on the streets of Portland can be nasty and short.

That's the bleak conclusion of a Multnomah County report examining fatalities among local homeless people. Widely reported: 80 people died on county streets in 2016.

The average age of a homeless person who died last year was just 49. A third of homeless people who died were in an outdoor public space. And more than half the deaths had alcohol or drugs as a cause or contributing factor.

Here are the primary causes of death.

Explore more on:

accidentsalcoholismcold weatherdeathdrug addictionhomelessness

Aaron Mesh

Aaron Mesh

Aaron Mesh is WW's editor. He’s a Florida man who enjoys waterfalls, Trail Blazers basketball and Brutalist architecture.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office.

Help us dig deeper.

Support