A new study that lists Portland as a top cutting-edge metro area gives all the more reason to be hopeful in the city’s national reputation.
California-based commercial real estate blog CommercialCafe listed Portland as the No. 9 most cutting-edge large metro area in the country, specifically citing its internet accessibility and quality.
To determine how “cutting-edge'' a city was, CommercialCafe looked at how electric-vehicle friendly a large metro area was, how many bike sharing stations it had, how focused on technology and green technology its economy was and how fast its internet was.
Some of Portland’s notable numbers from the study were that 8.5% of jobs are in tech and green tech, an average internet speed of 59 mbps and nearly 91% of the population has access to broadband.
Other top cities included Boulder, Colorado, at No. 1, standing out for having the most electric-friendly charging stations per capita on the list, with nearly 90 chargers per 100,000 residents. Seattle came in at No. 6 for its tech and green tech jobs at 12.6%.
Amid a time when many are questioning Portland’s future amid what some consider a two year period that damaged its national imagery, this study as well as a recent United Van Lines study show that the city is growing and continuing to be a place people want to be.
Oregon ranked No. 8 in the nation for inbound migration in the van lines study, with 44% of those moving in citing employment as the reason for their move.
The Portland Business Journal has explored the city's challenges since the start of the pandemic and ways forward in its ongoing series Don't Count Portland Out.
