Medford, Ore — New numbers released by Portland State University show a vast majority of Southern Oregon’s growth in the last decade is due to migration.
Since 2010, Medford has grown by just under 19,000 people.
98% of that growth is due to net migration from other areas as opposed to a natural increase due to deaths and births.
In Grants Pass, 100 percent of the population increase was due to migration.
That’s due to the city having more deaths than births.
Business leaders say the increase is a sign of other types of growth in Southern Oregon.
“Oregon has as one of it’s primary objectives is to become one of the top state for entrepreneurs, so mashing up our great outdoor recreations area, quality of life, quality of place for entrepreneurs is important,” said Colleen Padilla with SOREDI.
As a whole, the State of Oregon increased in population by 8.1% since 2010.
Three quarters of that came from migration from other areas.
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