Oregon residents are increasingly relocating to red states, according to recently released data from the US Census.
Arizona and Texas were two favorites among Oregon transplants in 2023, with each attracting more than 10,000 people from the liberal bastion.
Idaho also took in nearly 7,500 Oregon residents last year.
The two most popular states that Oregonians moved to last year were Washington and California.
The data only builds on a trend seen by experts who study demographic shifts.
States like California are losing slowly losing population, while states like Texas and Florida are set to become the most populous in the coming decades.
Like California, Oregon’s population shifted little last year, with the state losing slightly more residents than it took in.
The state saw two population drops after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before the pandemic, Oregon enjoyed rapid population growth. In the 2010s, it added more than 400,000 people.
So far this decade, Oregon has lost a little over 11,000 people, according to the US Census Bureau. But it is still a significant development, since the state has been consistently growing since it was added to the union in 1859.
There are a number of things that could be pulling Oregonians away to Arizona and Texas, states that powered Donald Trump’s decisive win over Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
For one, Arizona has just switched to flat income tax rate of 2.5 percent this filing season, while Texas has no income tax.
Oregon has a progressive income tax system, with people who earn $50,000 to $125,000 paying an 8.75 percent rate.
Any dollars made after $125,000 are taxed at a 9.9 percent marginal rate, one of the highest in the country.
This means Oregonians can move to Austin, Texas or Tucson, Arizona, cities with somewhat similar sensibilities to Portland, and enjoy lower taxes on top of a lower cost of living in general.
And although Oregon as a whole has a low crime rate compared to the rest of the nation, Portland is a city wracked with homelessness and elevated homicides.
Oregonians are also fleeing to deep red Idaho, a state where 67 percent of voters cast their ballots for Trump in the 2024 election.
The state, known for producing the most potatoes in the country, appears to be where disaffected residents of California, Oregon and Washington are now flocking to.
Idaho’s population has surged by 12 percent in the last five years.