More than one-third of Oregonians are considering moving within the next five years, according to a survey commissioned by The Oregonian/OregonLive and conducted by DHM Research.
Statewide, 37% of respondents said they were considering a move, while 41% said they were not. Another 21% were unsure.
Younger Oregonians were far more likely to consider moving than older residents. Among adults ages 18 to 29, 54% answered yes, compared with 29% who said they were not considering a move. Another 17% were undecided.
The percentage considering relocation declined with age. Among adults ages 30 to 44, 41% said they were considering moving, followed by 35% of those ages 45 to 64.
Residents 65 and older were the least likely to consider moving. Just 26% answered yes, while 55% said no.
The survey also found differences by political affiliation.
Among Democrats, 28% said they were considering moving within five years. That compared with 40% of Republicans and 43% of respondents who identified as nonaffiliated or belonging to another party.
A majority of Democrats, 55%, said they were not considering a move. Among Republicans, 32% said no, as did 36% of nonaffiliated or other respondents.
Responses varied less consistently across income groups.
Among households earning less than $50,000 annually, 37% said they were considering moving. The figure was 33% among households earning between $50,000 and $100,000 and 36% among those earning between $100,000 and $150,000.
Households earning $150,000 or more reported the highest percentage considering a move, at 43%. Another 39% in that income group said they were not considering relocating.
Geographic differences were relatively modest. In Portland, 32% of city respondents said they were considering moving, compared with 39% across the Portland metropolitan area and 37% statewide.
The Oregonian/OregonLive Fall Insights Survey included 600 respondents and had an overall margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Margins of error were larger for individual demographic groups.
The survey asked respondents whether they were considering moving within the next five years. It did not ask whether they had made definite plans to relocate, and the published results do not establish whether those considering a move intend to remain in Oregon or leave the state.
The results also do not identify respondents' reasons for considering relocation.
Although 37% of Oregonians surveyed expressed interest in moving, the findings measure what respondents were considering at the time of the survey, not how many are expected to move over the next five years.
