Why do we love Washington County? Let us tell you!

Psychologists say self-esteem is the first step toward happiness, and in Washington County we’re proof of that. We’re our own biggest fans. Whether we’re recent college grads in Beaverton just starting out, parents raising a family in Forest Grove, or Tigard Baby Boomers heading toward retirement after a life of hard work, one of the things we appreciate most about Washington County is the people. No matter which neighborhood we live in community is important to us.

“One thing I really can say for it out here is people seem to really care about each other. The community always seems to pull together.”

Living in a fast-growing environment with a robust economy is exciting. The Westside has been a great place for families for a long time. We want to keep it that way for our kids.

We’re passionate about our ever-growing cultural offerings and the influx of new jobs and businesses. We also value the diversity of race, ethnicities, and religions that make our community so compelling—and that have always been a part of this place.

We cherish the beauty of the Westside’s environment. We count on re-invigorating our bodies and minds outdoors in our public parks (gems like Hagg Lake and Cook Park on the banks of the Tualatin River), and on the calming effects of our neighborhood parks, trails, and open spaces.

Above all, we’re aware of how lucky we are to enjoy this life with peace of mind.

Our low crime rate tops the list of qualities we value. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that we also appreciate how relatively easy it is to get involved. Our civic engagement—voting, especially—is higher than in many places. But in order for our multiplicity of voices to have impact on how Washington County prospers as it grows, we’ll need to do better. (For example, our likelihood of volunteering, donating money, or attending public meetings is lower than it was in the 1990s—that clearly won’t do.)

What we appreciate about living here

We feel good about many issues, but we’re extremely worried about just as many—particularly housing and apartment costs and the congestion we’re fighting on our streets and highways every day. Read on to hear more about that.

We’ve changed. But who are we now?

Back in 1990, Washington Country was already a remarkably diverse place. But today, now that we truly recognize and value how multifaceted we’ve become since then, we’re concerned about making sure we stay that way.

We want to prosper together, not become more divided.

Eighty-five percent of us believe racial and ethnic diversity should be encouraged and most of us agree that we need to make more progress engaging people of color. As our population has increased, we’ve become older and more ethnically and racially mixed. We’re more educated, our graduation rates are higher, and we earn more than we did in 1990. That’s part of this study (PDF, 5.6MB).

Population, diversity, education, and income are on the upswing (1990 – 2016)

There’s a delicate balance between livability and growth. As our population here grows older and richer, and the middle class gets smaller, a lot of us are feeling pinched. (It’s a catch-22 situation—some of the driving factors that created our enviable “economic mobility” are becoming endangered by the very growth they brought on.)

Our community continues to diversify

“We had this same experience in Los Angeles,” said one Westsider. “It’s like, Who are the people who can afford this stuff? Where are they coming from? What kind of jobs do they have?”

One thing’s certain: we need to find better ways to integrate the benefits of growth into a more sustainable framework. Otherwise, what we thought were our Good Old Days may be over.  (And get this: polls show that it’s worse than Westsiders even imagine. Most of us think we’re doing a lot better in this respect than we really are.)

We’re going to keep growing.
But what will that look like?

You know we love it here. You know we’re growing. What you might not know? Most of us can’t say with much enthusiasm that we’re optimistic about Washington County’s economic future. According to a recent survey, 58 percent of us no longer believe in the traditional American idea that anyone who works hard and who wants to, can afford to own a home and raise a family. That’s part of this full survey (PDF, 1.2MB).

Sure, there’s an influx of new jobs—in high-paying sectors like professional, science, technology, and management. Which is great, but jobs for middle-income earners aren’t increasing at a similar pace. And we all know what income segregation means: the deterioration of a strong middle class.

If you ask a cross section of those of us who aren’t in that top tier about employment issues, we’ll tell you that seasonal and low-paying work is easy to find, but the kinds of jobs that pay enough to support the cost of living? Those seem few and far between.

Good jobs continue to be a key part of Washington County’s growth

To some of us—especially people of color—the job market feels like a private club. It’s tough to crack if you’re new to the area. And even tougher if you don’t have connections. A focus group Westsider put it this way: “Everybody is somebody’s son, nephew, husband. It’s hard to get in if you don’t know somebody.”  And most discouraging: plenty of us have felt the sting of discrimination based on race and other factors. Explore more (PDF, 288KB) on these issues.

“My name doesn’t sound too Mexican, and on the phone I sound White. But in person it’s a different story.”

What does all of this mean for our kids’ futures? 

For a long time, Washington County has been a better place than most when it comes to raising kids (especially for low- and moderate-income families). In fact, low-income kids who spent their childhood here in the 1980s could expect, as adults, to make about $2,230 a year more than kids who’d grown up in other places. Now, that’s what we call getting ahead. It’s also called economic mobility—you don’t have to stay stuck where you started out—and it feeds into getting ahead in many other areas of life. That’s part of why 74% of us surveyed say a big reason to stay in Washington County is the fact that it’s a good place to grow up, as seen in a recent survey (PDF, 1.2MB).

“We’d rather not, but we’re encouraging our son to look at colleges outside of Oregon so he can earn a living wage.”

What is it about Washington County that creates mobility? A study by ECONorthwest analyzing our livability (PDF, 5.6MB) showed Washington County has lower than average violent-crime rates, low single-parenthood rates, high marriage rates, and high graduation rates. And all of that had large, positive effects on the future earnings of our children. One interesting point, though: when it comes to mobility, most of us thought we were better on the good things and worse on the negative ones than we actually are:

What we believe is happening on things affecting economic mobility doesn't match what’s actually going on

How do we make sure during all this growth that Washington County continues to be a great place to live for everyone? What should we pay attention to? Along with the factors mentioned above researchers also identified several that are in danger of changing for the worse:

• our economic integration—meaning the number households of different incomes in close proximity to one another (a biggie!)

• our commutes (huge!)

• housing we can afford

• and those precious middle-income jobs.

We have growing pains. Are our leaders paying attention?

It’s just something that happens naturally, right? But ask any teenager how weird growing up can get and they’ll tell you: It’s exciting and it also makes life difficult.

Growth brings changes that can improve and revitalize us, of course. In Washington County, we’re drawing high-paying industries (professional, science, technology, and management). Politically, we’re becoming Bluer. Our schools are good. We’re better educated (and so are our kids, who are still outperforming the rest of the country). Learn more about these changes in research reports from ECONorthwest (PDF, 5.6MB) and the Coalition of Communities of Color (PDF, 288KB) as well as survey (PDF, 1.2MB) and focus group responses (PDF, 6.9MB) gathered by DHM Research.

The social and economic trends that drive economic mobility for our kids in Washington County

But like that teenager, fast growth can get awkward and painful. As our population swells, our schools are more crowded. Washington County’s poverty rates are edging up, so our income distribution continues to be troublingly uneven; that means more pressure than ever to find affordable housing. And the traffic? Don’t get us started.

“[The Westside] was a vibrant community, and it just grew, and grew, and grew, and grew. But there hasn’t always been the infrastructure to go with it. And it’s only going to get worse.”

A majority of us in a county-wide survey believe housing costs, crowded neighborhoods, and traffic congestion will only get worse.

Over the next ten years most of us expect housing to get less affordable, neighborhoods more crowded, and traffic worse

Schools are good here—but are they good for everyone?

It’s well known around here that Westside students perform above the national average. And overall, our schools continue to improve their graduation rates. But did you also know that our schools serve African American and Hispanic students worse than they do other students? If you didn’t, you’re not alone. Our achievement and graduation gaps for students of color are an unfortunate open secret—and only 16 percent of us Washington County residents know it’s happening.

“I think the dropout rate – and specifically the Native American population I know – it’s astronomical,” noted one focus group member, who is part of that 16 percent. “For communities of color, that similar pattern is there.” One important suggestion from those of us affected by the problem: we want more culturally responsive and inclusive programs and resources—and much better communication between schools and parents/caretakers not fluent in English.

High-school graduation rates are improving in every school district 2011 – 2016

We want to be optimistic!

If you’re a top earner, all these issues feel like a mere annoyance. But for a lot of us, they can be ruinous.

We’re happy about how Washington County is growing. But as good as things are, the truth is that most of us hesitate to be truly optimistic about its future livability. Especially since the biggest influx of new jobs are for higher earners, it’s harder to afford living here, and getting around is becoming a serious setback.

As one Westsider put it, quite simply: “Traffic has become intolerable. Housing costs are unrealistic.”

Almost 50 percent of renters who fall in the low- and moderate-income bracket are hit hard by housing costs, and almost 23 per cent are slammed by it. “You're always just on the edge of being able to afford what you're living in,” one focus group participant told us. “Maybe you get a little bit of increase in income, and then the rent goes up and you're still at square one.” That sure doesn’t feel like getting ahead, nor does it bode well for a strong middle class. 

And those short commutes? They’re on the decline thanks to increased traffic. Plus, the cost of transportation is going up. Focus group participants said traffic congestion is one of the biggest risks for reducing quality of life and driving them away from the area. We also know that longer commute times worsen economic mobility.

“It’s like everything is narrowed down. It’s going to take you two hours to get anywhere. If I want to visit my grandkids in Sandy, it’s an all-day event because it takes me so long to get back and forth through traffic.”

We have good reasons to stay here… and reasons to leave…

Housing affordability is known to leaders as a “top issue.” We call it a crucial reality.  

It’s simple: Getting a check on rising housing costs is key to whether Washington County remains a good place to grow up.

In our cost-burdened households, the money we spend on shelter is crowding out what we spend on food, childcare, and healthcare. And as our population grows, our worries about homelessness are on the rise, too. In fact, 46 percent of us will tell you unequivocally that housing costs are our number one reason for moving out of Washington County. The question is: With continued growth a given, what’s the next move? Will Washington County be able to keep us here?

Will it produce the quantity, mix, and placement of housing we need? That’s a big part of fostering an environment of economic mobility for low-income kids, while maintaining the economic standing and quality of life for middle- and upper-income residents. And it’s the best way to preserve the livability we’ve all come to love

Why might we move? The cost of housing is a big reason.

What needs to happen to make Washington County the best it can be?

In spite of everything, Washington County continues to perform well on issues that drive economic mobility. And there’s still a strong likelihood that households and businesses will continue to find Washington County attractive.

That’s a testament to all we’re doing right. And while we remain uncertain about many other factors known to promote social and economic integration, we feel they’re headed in the right direction.

In our focus groups, it became clear that Westsiders are convinced that encouraging social engagement is key. We want to pull together! As one focus grouper put it: “it would be awesome if we could live in a more diverse, greater community and have the people within that really support each other.” Unfortunately, the avenues to this kind of engagement aren’t distributed equitably. The ways of doing things have been established by governments and civic organizations. That’s natural, but it can create structural barriers that shut out regular citizens, customers, and  people with new ideas. A definite step in the right direction is establishing easier ways for everyone to get involved with our government decision-making—to open the gates that can help make that happen. Those of us who are older and earn more say it’s a breeze to access resources designed to keep our community strong and increase livability. But for young people, people of color, and lower income earners—more than half of us find it very difficult.

The Bottom Line

Now is the time to pay attention to crucial make-or-break issues, before it’s too late. Housing costs and traffic pose the greatest risks to our high quality of life; they are driving people away from the community. Not acting is not an option. Nor is trying the same things we’ve done in the past. We need our leaders in business and government—meaning, all the places where solutions are designed and decisions are made—to pay attention to new ideas and to listen to more of our voices, from more places, races, ages, and incomes. This, above all, must play a key part in assuring Washington county will continue be a place for everyone.

This Story

Growing Up is a Washington County public-private partnership with four ingredients:

• Socio-economic and demographic analysis (PDF, 5.6MB) from ECONorthwest, including new research on how well kids get ahead in our communities

• Surveys (PDF, 1.2MB) and focus groups (PDF, 6.9MB) conducted by DHM Research

• Deeper insights from communities under-represented in traditional polling and focus group research with the Coalition of Communities of Color

The Partners