portland in 2026: who's left after the exodus
let's talk about portland. not the one in maine, obviously. the one that's been everyone's favorite punching bag for the last few years. i'm a coffee snob, so i've got a front-row seat to this city's transformation. or maybe regression? who's to say anymore.
portland in 2026... it's a mess, honestly, in the best way possible. the population's hovering around 680k now, but that number's been dropping since the peak in 2021. people are leaving, but new ones are coming too. it's like a weird revolving door of transplants and locals who've finally had enough of the rent.
the weather's doing that thing it does where it's gray for weeks but then suddenly decides to throw a 75-degree day at you just to mess with your wardrobe planning. you can be in shorts one day and a full rain jacket the next. it's like the city's got identity issues. good thing seattle's just a 3-hour drive north and vancouver's about the same distance south if you need a break from the perpetual drizzle.
who's living here now? well, it's a mixed bag. the tech bros who moved here for the "culture" but somehow ended up in suburbs like beaverton and lake oswego, complaining about how the city "isn't what it used to be." then you've got the remaining artsy types who've managed to hang on, mostly in places like alberta and mississippi. and of course, the coffee people. us coffee people are everywhere, really. we're the ones who know which roastery has the best single-origin pour-over and which coffee shop will let you work for 8 hours on one pour-over.
> "heard this dude at a coffee shop the other day complaining about how 'the portland he moved to in 2019 is gone.' like, buddy, welcome to the club. the city you moved to was already a ghost of what it was in the 90s. get over yourself." - overheard at Coava SE
the rent's... well, it's not great. median rent for a one-bedroom's around $1,800 now, which is actually down from the peak but still way too damn high. job market's a mixed bag too. the tech sector's still strong, but not like it was in 2021. healthcare and education are growing, which is nice if you're into that sort of thing. the unemployment rate's hovering around 4.5%, which isn't great but isn't apocalypse-level either.
> "some lady at the farmers market was telling me how her daughter's moving to boise because 'portland's just not safe anymore.' i asked her if she'd actually been to boise in july, and she just stared at me like i'd kicked her dog." - overheard at Portland Saturday Market
safety's... complicated. downtown's still weird, especially after dark. northeast and southeast are mostly fine during the day but sketchy in spots. northwest's pretty safe if you've got money. southwest's where the rich people live, so you know it's fine.
> "the other night i was biking home and this guy on a fixie tried to race me through downtown. i'm 35 with a bad knee, but somehow i still smoked him. city's got faster delivery people than it does actual residents now." - overheard at a coffee shop in the Pearl District
if you're thinking about moving here, i'd say come for a month first. really get a feel for it. check out the Portland subreddit to see what people are actually talking about. if you're into coffee, Stumptown's still good even after all these years. and for real local flavor, hit up Voodoo Donuts just to say you did, even if you don't actually eat the stuff.
it's a weird city, portland. full of contradictions. you'll love it and hate it in the same day. but if you're a coffee snob like me, you'll at least know where to get a decent cup while you're figuring it all out.
You might also be interested in:
- https://topiclo.com/post/el-alto-the-skyhigh-city-that-wont-hold-your-hand
- https://topiclo.com/post/demographics-of-durango-who-lives-here-in-2026
- https://topiclo.com/post/is-palembang-familyfriendly-a-vintage-clothes-pickers-hot-take-on-schools-pempek-and-park-bench-vibes
- https://topiclo.com/post/the-unexpected-charm-of-a-city-i-never-planned-to-visit
- https://topiclo.com/post/crime-statistics-in-pendik-is-it-getting-safer-a-locals-messy-take