A for sale sign in West Salem on Friday, May 22. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)
Polk County is a popular place to move.
New Census data released Thursday shows Polk is the third fastest-growing county in Oregon, adding about 12,030 residents over the past decade.
For the 2020 Census, Polk County recorded a population of 87,433, a 16% increase over 2010 Census numbers.
Commissioner Craig Pope attributed the growth to the county’s lower tax rate and said it’s one of the few in Oregon where it’s still possible to build homes under the state’s land use laws.
“We have a lot of state government folks that have decided that living closer to their offices in Salem is easier to do with a more affordable cost of housing,” he said.
Only Deschutes and Crook counties recorded steeper population increases over the decade, at 25.7% and 17.9% respectively.
Marion County grew 9.7% over the decade, adding 30,585 people. Its 2020 population was 345,920, the Census showed.
Every Oregon county but Grant recorded a population increase. The state’s overall population grew 10.6% over the decade, with 4,237,256 residents in 2020.
-Rachel Alexander
