Oregon has been among the most rapidly urbanizing states

The share of Oregon’s population living in cities has soared over the past half century as the state has transitioned from a place with a large rural population to one that is overwhelmingly urban.

Oregon’s rapid shift toward city living has been among the fastest in the nation. Urbanization has had a profound effect on the state’s character, with a big political, economic and cultural divide separating the Portland area from Oregon’s small towns and rural communities.

The state, once far more rural than the nation, now largely mirrors the national profile.

Most of those changes took place prior to 2010, and the pace of urbanization has slowed considerably since then, both in Oregon and across the country.

About a third of Oregonians lived in rural areas in 1970, according to Census da