Vancouver, WA, and Bend, OR rank inside top 50 growing U.S. cities

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- According to a recently compiled report based on U.S. Census numbers, both Bend, Ore. and Vancouver, Wash. are among the 50 fastest-growing cities in the United States.

In a list of the 344 fastest-growing cities in the U.S., Bend ranked 50th with a growth rate of 8% in the past five years, the financial company SmartAsset said in its report. During this time, Deschutes County’s most populous city saw a faster growth rate than Newark, N.J., Fort Worth, Texas, Billings, Mont., Buffalo, N.Y. and Oklahoma City.

Vancouver came in at 40th on the list and, with a growth rate of 9.4%, was the fastest-growing city in the Pacific Northwest between 2017 and 2022.

“Population growth can have a ripple effect throughout a local economy,” Smart Asset stated in its report. “As people move into an area and families grow, demand on housing, local businesses and infrastructure can be unexpectedly impacted. Examining shifts in populations and their dynamics can help residents understand the greater economic picture and inform their financial decisions.”

Other Oregon cities included in the list include Salem, Eugene, and Gresham. Portland, meanwhile, saw a population decline of 0.9%

The fastest-growing cities in the Pacific Northwest: