Read the entire article here on the Business Journal of Portland website.

Young professionals flocking to Portland

The Business Journal of Portland

The Portland area sports the country's fourth-fastest growth rate among college-educated 25- to 34-year-olds.

So says local economist Joe Cortright, who studied the trend for the report "The Young and the Restless: How Portland Competes for Talent."

Cortright and consultant Carol Colletta maintain that those within that age bracket flock to cities that welcome new ideas and encourage diversity.

Portland also tallies the eighth-fastest growth rate among 25- to 34-year-olds regardless of education, Cortright reported. Young adults are often attracted by public transportation, attitudes toward bicyclists, distinctive neighborhoods and independent businesses, the report said.

The bad news is that the age group decreased in size nationally by 3.9 million between 1990 and 2000.

The study was commissioned by the Westside Economic Alliance and the Portland Development Commission, with financial assistance from the cities of Hillsboro, Beaverton and Tigard and Nike Inc.