The following pages provide select demographics for each of the Portland Police Bureau’s precincts using data from the US Census Bureau. The Census Bureau does not collect population characteristics using precinct boundaries, so it is necessary to use geographic information systems (GIS) to aggregate Census data by precinct. The current 5-year estimates from the American Community Survey are the only available data from the Census Bureau, outside of the decennial census, that provide data in small enough geographic units (blockgroups) for PPB to accurately aggregate into precincts. The American Community Survey (ACS) provides an estimate of the population based on a sample of the population over a given period of time, within a defined margin of error. The Decennial census provides a full count of the population and a more complete picture, but this data is only available every 10 years. The most recent estimates that were released in December 2022 provide estimates from 2017-2021 and can be used to estimate the demographics of each precinct. The 5-year estimates lag behind the more current 1-year estimates, which are unavailable at a small enough geography for PPB's Precincts. The 5-year estimates should be referenced using the full period of time and not a single year (ie: "The poverty rate in 2017-2021 was 11.3% for Central Precinct").
The demographics included in this report only represent the residential population of Portland that is captured by the Census Bureau's survey. This data does not include any non-residential populations, including those without housing, commuters that temporarily occupy a precinct during certain times and the tourist population. The actual population that is being served by the Portland Police Bureau is likely larger and has a different demographic composition than the population presented in this report. The composition and degree of the population shift will vary by the section of the city. The residential population of a place like Downtown is noticeably different than the daily population being served by the Police Bureau due to employment patterns, various attractions, and its visiting population.
The totals shown in the table represent a number of individuals or a number of households depending on the topic. The datasets described below note when the topic includes all individuals or is only restricted to individuals over a certain age. Household data includes all housing units within the precinct that are occupied by one or more individual. The percentages shown in the table represent the share of the total individuals or households in the precinct that fits within each category (ie: "In 2017-2021, 13.3% of East Precinct is aged 65 years and older").
This document is produced to assist each precinct in the development of outreach and policing programs tailored to its residents, in accordance with Item #147 of the US Department of Justice Settlement Agreement with the City of Portland. The Census Bureau provides citywide estimates: https://www.census.gov/quickfac…