Home > Facts > Economy > Income
Oregon's Economy: Income
Lightning strikes over the Three Sisters. (Photo courtesy Craig M. May)
According to state rankings from the 2000 U.S. Census, Oregon had the 27th lowest percentage of population living with incomes below the federal poverty level. Back then, 11.6 percent of Oregon residents were living in poverty. As the decade came to a close, the poverty rate in Oregon began to rise. Recently, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated Oregon’s poverty rate to be 13.4 percent, which is about the same as the national poverty rate of 13.2 percent, ranking Oregon 33rd among the states for lowest poverty rate.
Oregon’s poverty rate increase over the decade was partially tied to the decline in personal income. After adjusting for increases in the price of consumer goods, the state’s per capita personal income in Oregon actually fell between 2000 and 2009.
Oregonians in 2009 earned $35,667 per person, which is $112 less per person than in 2000. Much of the loss was due to the recession, and Oregon incomes held steady during 2008 and 2009 — better than incomes nationally. However, the national per capita personal income increased by $1,366 over the decade and was $39,138 in 2009.