Oregon Public Broadcasting

Northwest cities continue to grow, but at a modest pace. New estimates from the Census Bureau peg Portland's population at 558,000, up 1.7 percent from 2007 to '08.

Salem's count is 153,000, up 1.5 percent, and Eugene has 150,000 people, up one percent in a year.Correspondent Tom Banse has more.

In its latest report, the Census Bureau focuses on America's big cities, those with populations over 100,000.

You may be used to seeing this region's cities appear on various “best of” lists. This time, none of us are in the top ten.

Or top twenty...or top 40 for that matter.

Sun Belt cities monopolize the list of fastest growing cities between 2007 and 2008. New Orleans and Round Rock, TX top the list.

The State of Washington's chief demographer Theresa Lowe says stability is the story here.

Theresa Lowe: “On the whole, when we're growing, we're medium and steady. We're a little slower now because of our recession. But there are a lot of parts of the country that have actually gone in negative directions.”

The Census report also catalogues those. Nearly 50 major cities shrank last year. No Northwest cities appear on that list either, which is led by Detroit, Cleveland, Memphis, and Baton Rouge.

Online:

U.S. Census Bureau