Oregon on 105 Measures

The 105 ways people judge a local government, applied to the State of Oregon over ten years, with the Brown years and the Kotek years side by side.

How to Read the Cards

Each measure carries the official Oregon series that comes closest to it. Where the state publishes exactly that number, the card says official series. Where it publishes something adjacent, the card says proxy and names what stands in. Where nothing statewide exists, the card says so and points to the nearest source.

Brown period is 2016 to 2022. Kotek period is 2023 to the latest published year. Period figures are means of the annual values available.

Oregon, Brown yearsOregon, Kotek yearsUnited States

30measures with an official Oregon series

32measures with a nearest official proxy

43measures with no statewide series

Brown Years and Kotek Years, Side by Side

53 measures with data in both periods. The two numbers are the period averages; the bar is how much the Kotek figure differs from the Brown figure, in percent. A bar to the right means a larger number, not a better one; a dashed bar runs past the edge of the scale.

Brown period averageKotek period average and change

Chart scrolls sideways

Everyday Services

6 official · 3 proxy · 3 gap

Trash and recycling

Statewide material recovery rate (share of waste generated that is recycled, composted or recovered for energy), Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

Of all the trash Oregonians generate, this is the share that gets recycled, composted or burned for energy instead of landfilled.

Brown years 40.8%.

Table view

Statewide material recovery rate (share of waste generated that is recycled, composted or recovered for energy), Oregon (%)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	42.1%	none
2017	41.4%	none
2018	41.2%	32.1%
2019	42.0%	none
2020	42.0%	none
2021	37.7%	none
2022	39.4%	none

Oregon DEQ Material Recovery and Waste Generation Rates Report (2022) · Calendar year. 2021 dip from 2020 wildfire debris. DEQ says 2023-24 data will be released in 2026. US value is EPA MSW recycling+composting rate 2018.

Road maintenance

State highway pavement in fair or better condition (ODOT KPM), Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

The share of state-highway pavement miles ODOT rates as fair or better; higher means smoother roads.

Brown years 88.5%, Kotek years 87.0%.

Table view

State highway pavement in fair or better condition (ODOT KPM), Oregon (%)
Year	Oregon
2017	88.0%
2018	none
2019	none
2020	89.0%
2021	89.0%
2022	88.0%
2023	87.0%

ODOT Annual Performance Progress Report (2025 APPR, KPM pavement condition) · Measured every two years historically (2017, 2020 from earlier APPRs); 2021-23 annual from 2025 APPR. Target 85%. State highways only, not local roads.

Sidewalks and accessibility

ODOT curb ramps made ADA-compliant under AOCIL settlement, cumulative count, Oregon state highways

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Running total of state-highway curb ramps ODOT has rebuilt or certified as wheelchair-accessible since the 2017 lawsuit settlement.

Brown years 4,018, Kotek years 9,967.

Table view

ODOT curb ramps made ADA-compliant under AOCIL settlement, cumulative count, Oregon state highways (count)
Year	Oregon
2020	1,859
2021	none
2022	6,176
2023	8,746
2024	11,188

ODOT ADA Settlement Agreement Annual Report 2024; ODOT/AGC ADA Delivery Program update · Proxy for sidewalk accessibility: covers ODOT ramps only (27,334 inventory; 41% compliant end-2024). Calendar year. No statewide local-sidewalk series exists.

Water and sewer service

Community water systems with at least one health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation, Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

Number of Oregon public water systems serving residents year-round that broke a health-based drinking-water standard that year (out of about 940 active systems).

Brown years 51.6, Kotek years 82.7.

Table view

Community water systems with at least one health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation, Oregon (count)
Year	Oregon
2016	54.0
2017	44.0
2018	50.0
2019	58.0
2020	51.0
2021	41.0
2022	63.0
2023	59.0
2024	133
2025	56.0

EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts API (VIOLATION table, primacy agency OR, CWS, health-based) · Counted by year the violation compliance period began; calendar year. 2024 spike partly reflects new rules; 2025 incomplete reporting.

Stormwater and flood control

NFIP flood insurance claims filed, Oregon

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

How many federally insured flood-damage claims Oregon property owners filed for losses in that year.

Brown years 47.0, Kotek years 65.3.

Table view

NFIP flood insurance claims filed, Oregon (count)
Year	Oregon
2016	37.0
2017	61.0
2018	31.0
2019	74.0
2020	53.0
2021	56.0
2022	17.0
2023	24.0
2024	17.0
2025	155

FEMA OpenFEMA FimaNfipClaims v2 · Proxy for flood/stormwater outcomes; year of loss, calendar year. No statewide stormwater service series exists. 2025 spike from Dec 2025 floods; recent years may still be updating.

Street lighting

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: None; nearest is city-level data (e.g., Portland PBOT streetlight outage 311 requests). Gap: street lighting is a municipal/utility function with no statewide reporting.

No state or federal agency publishes an Oregon-wide measure of street lighting coverage or outages.

Snow, debris, or vegetation removal

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: ODOT Winter Maintenance Levels (descriptive only); no KPM in ODOT APPR. Gap: no winter/vegetation KPM in ODOT's legislatively approved measures 2016-2025.

ODOT sets winter maintenance service levels by route but publishes no statewide annual performance number.

Parks and recreation

Oregon State Parks day-use visits, statewide

Direct evidence. Official series.

Total visits to Oregon state parks for the day (not overnight camping), as counted by the parks department.

Brown years 52.9, Kotek years 52.5.

Table view

Oregon State Parks day-use visits, statewide (count (millions))
Year	Oregon
2021	53.6
2022	52.2
2023	52.2
2024	53.9
2025	51.5

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department news releases (2024, 2025 visitation) · Calendar year. 2022 was 2.7% below 2021). 2020 was under 43M due to COVID closures.

Libraries and community centers

Public library visits per capita, Oregon public libraries

Direct evidence. Official series.

How many times, on average, each Oregon resident walked into a public library during the year.

Brown years 3.9, Kotek years 3.1.

Table view

Public library visits per capita, Oregon public libraries (visits per resident)
Year	Oregon
2016	5.5
2017	5.3
2018	5.2
2019	5.1
2020	3.4
2021	0.66
2022	2.4
2023	3.0
2024	3.1
2025	3.2

State Library of Oregon, Oregon Public Library Statistics (data.oregon.gov 8zw7-zgjw), feeds IMLS PLS · State fiscal year ending June 30 (2021 = July 2020-June 2021, pandemic closures). Sum of libraryvisits / sum of populationserved across about 136 libraries.

Public transportation

Public transit unlinked passenger trips, all Oregon agencies

Direct evidence. Official series.

Total boardings on buses, light rail, streetcars and other transit across every Oregon transit agency reporting to the federal government.

Brown years 95.8, Kotek years 80.7; U.S. 7,783 then 7,495.

Table view

Public transit unlinked passenger trips, all Oregon agencies (count (millions))
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	125	10,055
2017	123	9,817
2018	121	9,660
2019	120	9,695
2020	61.2	4,513
2021	54.1	4,680
2022	66.9	6,058
2023	77.5	6,976
2024	82.2	7,624
2025	82.4	7,884

FTA National Transit Database, Complete Monthly Ridership (with adjustments and estimates), summed by calendar year · Calendar year sums of monthly UPT, state=OR (TriMet dominates). Monthly reporters only (small rural agencies excluded).

Permits and licenses

New private housing units authorized by building permits, Oregon

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Number of new homes and apartment units that Oregon local governments issued building permits for during the year.

Brown years 19,569, Kotek years 15,409; U.S. 1,441,786 then 1,473,600.

Table view

New private housing units authorized by building permits, Oregon (count (units))
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	18,711	1,206,600
2017	20,093	1,282,100
2018	19,429	1,328,800
2019	20,843	1,386,200
2020	17,412	1,471,300
2021	20,595	1,737,100
2022	19,898	1,680,400
2023	17,276	1,511,200
2024	13,991	1,477,800
2025	14,960	1,431,800

Census Building Permits Survey via FRED (ORBPPRIV, PERMITNSA) · Proxy: measures permit volume, not permitting speed or licensing service. Calendar-year sums of monthly not-seasonally-adjusted data.

Digital services

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Nearest: DAS/Enterprise Information Services KPM #10 state data center availability (99.93% FY2021, 99.90% FY2022, 99.96% FY2023, 99.98% FY2024, 99.98% FY2025). Gap: only infrastructure uptime and DAS customer-service survey exist; no digital-transactions or e-service adoption series.

Oregon publishes no statewide measure of online government service use or satisfaction.

Safety and Public Health

5 official · 2 proxy · 2 gap

Police response

Full-time sworn law enforcement officers per 1,000 residents, all Oregon agencies (FBI police employee data)

Partly direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

How many sworn police officers Oregon has for every 1,000 residents, counting all city, county and state agencies reporting to the FBI.

Brown years 1.6.

Table view

Full-time sworn law enforcement officers per 1,000 residents, all Oregon agencies (FBI police employee data) (per 1,000)
Year	Oregon
2017	1.7
2018	1.6
2019	1.5

FBI Crime in the U.S., Table 77 Full-time Law Enforcement Employees by State (2017: 6,767 officers; 2018: 6,553; 2019: 6,415) · Proxy for police response (no statewide response-time series).

Fire and emergency medical services

Civilian fire deaths, Oregon (OSFM)

Direct evidence. Official series.

Number of people (not firefighters) who died in fires in Oregon that year.

Brown years 38.2, Kotek years 63.3.

Table view

Civilian fire deaths, Oregon (OSFM) (count)
Year	Oregon
2017	39.0
2018	30.0
2019	29.0
2020	25.0
2021	76.0
2022	30.0
2023	66.0
2024	67.0
2025	57.0

Oregon State Fire Marshal Civilian Fire Casualties dataset (data.oregon.gov 4c43-rene) 2021-25; OSFM 2021 Annual Report Supplement 2017-20 · Calendar year. Break: 2017-20 are NFIRS residential-fire deaths; 2021+ dashboard confirms deaths from multiple sources (higher). OSFM 2024 report cites 64 for 2024.

Crime prevention

Violent crime clearance rate (offenses cleared by arrest or exceptional means / offenses reported), Oregon

Partly direct evidence. Official series.

Of violent crimes reported to Oregon police, the share that were solved by an arrest or otherwise closed that year.

Brown years 49.4%, Kotek years 49.8%; U.S. 41.4% then 42.6%.

Table view

Violent crime clearance rate (offenses cleared by arrest or exceptional means / offenses reported), Oregon (%)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	49.5%	43.4%
2017	47.4%	43.5%
2018	48.3%	43.1%
2019	52.6%	43.0%
2020	51.6%	41.1%
2021	48.9%	38.6%
2022	47.4%	37.2%
2023	49.2%	41.3%
2024	50.3%	44.0%

FBI Crime Data Explorer API, summarized state violent-crime offenses and clearances · Calendar year; clearances/offenses from participating agencies (OR offenses 10,594 in 2016 to 14,342 in 2024). NIBRS transition 2021 affects US comparability.

Traffic safety

Motor vehicle traffic fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, Oregon (FARS)

Direct evidence. Official series.

Deaths on Oregon roads for every 100 million miles driven; deaths counts were 495, 439, 502, 489, 507, 599, 602, 587, 538.

Brown years 1.4, Kotek years 1.5; U.S. 1.2 then 1.2.

Table view

Motor vehicle traffic fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, Oregon (FARS) (per 100M VMT)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	1.4	1.2
2017	1.2	1.2
2018	1.4	1.1
2019	1.4	1.1
2020	1.6	1.3
2021	1.6	1.4
2022	1.6	1.3
2023	1.6	1.3
2024	1.4	1.2

NHTSA FARS, Traffic Safety Facts State Traffic Data (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023 editions); 2024 from IIHS FARS summary · Calendar year. Uses latest revision per year (2018 revised to 502/1.36). ODOT's own KPM uses different VMT and combines serious injuries.

Emergency preparedness

FEMA major disaster declarations (DR) for Oregon per year

Partly direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

How many times the President declared a major disaster in Oregon that year (fire-management and emergency declarations excluded).

Brown years 1.3, Kotek years 1.3; U.S. 62.0 then 72.0.

Table view

FEMA major disaster declarations (DR) for Oregon per year (count)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	1.0	46.0
2017	2.0	59.0
2018	0.00	59.0
2019	2.0	61.0
2020	3.0	104
2021	1.0	58.0
2022	0.00	47.0
2023	1.0	71.0
2024	1.0	100
2025	2.0	45.0

FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · Proxy: measures disaster frequency, not readiness. Calendar year of declaration, unique disaster numbers. Oregon also had 2 EM (2020) and 2-16 fire management declarations yearly.

Public-health protection

Adult current cigarette smoking prevalence, Oregon (BRFSS)

Direct evidence. Official series.

Share of Oregon adults who say they currently smoke cigarettes, from the CDC's annual phone health survey.

Brown years 14.4%, Kotek years 10.6%; U.S. 15.7% then 11.8%.

Table view

Adult current cigarette smoking prevalence, Oregon (BRFSS) (%)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	16.2%	17.0%
2017	16.1%	17.1%
2018	15.6%	16.1%
2019	14.5%	16.0%
2020	13.4%	15.5%
2021	12.4%	14.4%
2022	12.4%	13.5%
2023	10.6%	12.1%
2024	10.6%	11.5%

CDC BRFSS Prevalence Data (data.cdc.gov dttw-5yxu), Current Smoker Status, Overall · Calendar survey year; US value is BRFSS median of states. Age-adjusted not applied (crude prevalence).

Building and code enforcement

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Nearest: Oregon Building Codes Division KPMs in DCBS Annual Performance Progress Report (plan-review turnaround for state-handled permits only). Gap: enforcement is local; DCBS KPMs cover only the state's own plan reviews and inspections.

No statewide series on code-enforcement cases or inspection timeliness exists for Oregon.

Homelessness response

People experiencing homelessness on a single January night (HUD Point-in-Time count), Oregon total

Partly direct evidence. Official series.

How many people were counted as homeless, sheltered or unsheltered, across Oregon on one night in late January; sheltered counts were 7,106 (2023) and 10,607 (2025).

Brown years 15,026, Kotek years 23,379; U.S. 564,066 then 712,292.

Table view

People experiencing homelessness on a single January night (HUD Point-in-Time count), Oregon total (count)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	13,238	549,928
2017	13,953	550,996
2018	14,476	552,830
2019	15,876	567,715
2020	14,655	580,466
2022	17,959	582,462
2023	20,142	653,104
2024	22,875	771,480
2025	27,119	none

HUD Annual Homelessness Assessment Report Part 1, PIT counts by state (2007-2024 xlsx); 2025 from Oregon Housing and Community Services release · January count. 2021 omitted (unsheltered count waived). 2023 HUD 20,142 vs PSU 20,110.

Animal control

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Nearest: Shelter Animals Count 2024 state-level data (Oregon: 184 organizations, community intakes 15.7 per 1,000 residents, non-live outcomes 1.4 per 1,000; single year). Gap: voluntary shelter reporting only; SAC publishes one year of state figures, not a comparable time series.

Oregon has no statewide animal-control or shelter-intake reporting requirement, so no annual series exists.

Taxes and Financial Management

1 official · 7 proxy · 2 gap

Tax fairness

State+local tax regressivity gap, Oregon (effective rate lowest 20% minus top 1%)

Partly direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

How much higher a share of income the poorest fifth pays in state and local taxes than the richest 1 percent.

Brown years 2.0%, Kotek years 1.6%.

Table view

State+local tax regressivity gap, Oregon (effective rate lowest 20% minus top 1%) (percentage points)
Year	Oregon
2018	2.0%
2024	1.6%

ITEP, Who Pays? 6th ed. (2018) and 7th ed. (2024) · Proxy for tax fairness. Component rates: 2018 low20 10.1% vs top1 8.1%; 2024 low20 12.0% vs top1 10.4%. Two editions only.

Utility rates and fees

Average residential electricity price, Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

Average price Oregon households pay for electricity each year, next to the US average.

Brown years 11.0, Kotek years 14.3; U.S. 13.3 then 16.6.

Table view

Average residential electricity price, Oregon (cents per kWh)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	10.7	12.6
2017	10.7	12.9
2018	11.0	12.9
2019	11.0	13.0
2020	11.2	13.2
2021	11.4	13.7
2022	11.4	15.0
2023	12.7	16.0
2024	14.7	16.5
2025	15.4	17.3

EIA Electricity, retail sales, annual (API v2) · Calendar year; residential sector. 2025 is provisional. Oregon below US throughout but rising sharply since 2023.

Value for money

Indirect evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: DHM Research / Oregon Values and Beliefs survey. No official statewide value-for-money series; nearest is DHM's periodic Oregon Values survey (not annual, question wording varies).

Whether residents feel they get good value for their tax dollars.

Budget priorities

Education share of Oregon state direct general expenditure

Partly direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Share of the state's spending that goes to education, versus welfare, health, and public safety.

Brown years 34.4, Kotek years 35.5.

Table view

Education share of Oregon state direct general expenditure (% of direct general expenditure)
Year	Oregon
2022	34.4
2023	35.5

Census Annual Survey of State Government Finances (ASFIN State Totals) · FY. Same years: public welfare about 46-47%, health+hospitals about 14-16%, police+corrections about 4%.

Financial stability

Oregon budgetary reserves as share of General Fund revenue

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Size of the state's rainy-day savings (Rainy Day Fund + Education Stability Fund) relative to its main revenue.

Brown years 6.7, Kotek years 10.2.

Table view

Oregon budgetary reserves as share of General Fund revenue (% of GF revenue)
Year	Oregon
2021	6.7
2023	10.7
2025	9.7

Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, Dec 2025 Forecast, Table B.10 · By biennium start year; 2025-27 is forecast. Total reserves $2.06B/$2.92B/$3.43B. Oregon GO bonds rated Aa1/AA+/AA+; Census debt at end FY2023 about $3,700 per capita.

Spending efficiency

State government FTE per 1,000 Oregon residents

Partly direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Number of full-time-equivalent state employees for every 1,000 residents (lower suggests a leaner workforce).

Brown years 9.8, Kotek years 11.3.

Table view

State government FTE per 1,000 Oregon residents (FTE per 1,000 residents)
Year	Oregon
2015	9.4
2017	9.4
2019	9.8
2021	10.5
2023	11.1
2025	11.4

Oregon LFO Budget Highlights (FTE) with Census/FRED population · Biennium start year. Budgeted FTE 38,615/39,464/41,460/44,582/47,228/48,916 divided by mid-biennium population. Proxy for spending efficiency; FTE per capita rising.

Procurement quality

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon DAS Procurement Services reports. No published annual quality/performance series; DAS issues procurement volume and policy reports but no comparable statewide quality metric.

How well the state runs its purchasing and contracting.

Capital-project management

ODOT construction projects completed on time

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Share of state road/bridge projects finished within 90 days of their scheduled completion date.

Brown years 79.3, Kotek years 70.5.

Table view

ODOT construction projects completed on time (% of projects on time)
Year	Oregon
2020	78.0
2021	83.0
2022	77.0
2023	73.0
2024	68.0

ODOT Annual Performance Progress Report, KPM #9 · Proxy for capital-project management (STIP delivery). Target 80%; performance declining since 2021.

Audit performance

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Secretary of State, Keeping Oregon Accountable (report 2026-16). FY2025: 14 of 20 financial findings corrected (70%); federal compliance findings 41% corrected. ACFR receives unmodified/clean opinion each year. No consistent multi-year rate published.

Share of the previous year's financial-audit problems that agencies fixed.

Kotek years 70.0 in 2025.

Long-term financial planning

Oregon 'kicker' surplus credit triggered (personal income tax)

Partly direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

When revenue beats the forecast by 2%+, Oregon must return the surplus to taxpayers; size shows how far off forecasts ran.

Brown years $2,417, Kotek years $1,410.

Table view

Oregon 'kicker' surplus credit triggered (personal income tax) ($ millions returned)
Year	Oregon
2016	$464
2018	$1,688
2020	$1,898
2022	$5,619
2024	$1,410

Oregon Dept. of Revenue / OEA kicker history · Odd-year value shown against even tax year; kicker triggered every biennium 2013-15 through 2023-25 (surplus $, millions). Record $5.6B for 2021-22.

Leadership and Governance

1 official · 3 proxy · 5 gap

Leadership competence

Oregon governor job approval (Morning Consult)

Indirect evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Share of Oregonians who approve of the governor's job performance.

Brown years 45.0, Kotek years 45.7.

Table view

Oregon governor job approval (Morning Consult) (% approve)
Year	Oregon
2017	58.0
2018	49.0
2019	44.0
2021	39.0
2022	35.0
2023	42.0
2025	47.0
2026	48.0

Morning Consult Governor Approval tracker · Proxy for leadership competence. Brown 2017-2022 (declining), Kotek 2023-2026 (recovering). Snapshot values, not strictly annual.

Strategic direction

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon DAS enterprise goals / Governor's priorities. No quantifiable statewide measure of strategic direction exists.

Whether the state has a clear, followed long-term strategy.

Political stability

Oregon legislative walkout events per year

Partly direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

How often minority-party legislators denied quorum by walking out, a sign of political dysfunction.

Brown years 1.2, Kotek years 0.33.

Table view

Oregon legislative walkout events per year (count of walkouts)
Year	Oregon
2019	2.0
2020	2.0
2021	1.0
2022	0.00
2023	1.0
2024	0.00
2025	0.00

Ballotpedia, Noteworthy state legislative walkouts · Proxy for political stability. 2023 walkout was record about 6 weeks and triggered Measure 113 disqualifications. Counts are distinct walkout events.

Interdepartmental cooperation

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon DAS. No statewide measure of cross-agency cooperation is published.

How well state agencies work together.

Regional cooperation

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon DLCD / regional councils of government. No quantitative statewide series for regional cooperation.

How well the state cooperates with regional and local governments.

State and federal coordination

FEMA disaster and emergency declarations affecting Oregon

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

How many federally declared disasters/emergencies Oregon received each year, a marker of state-federal coordination and hazard load.

Brown years 6.4, Kotek years 8.5.

Table view

FEMA disaster and emergency declarations affecting Oregon (count (unique disaster numbers))
Year	Oregon
2016	3.0
2017	6.0
2018	6.0
2019	3.0
2020	21.0
2021	4.0
2022	2.0
2023	4.0
2024	13.0

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · By fiscal year declared; unique disaster numbers (major DR, emergency EM, fire FM). 2020 spike = wildfires + COVID. Proxy for state-federal coordination.

Workforce quality

Oregon state employee voluntary turnover (resignation) rate

Partly direct evidence. Official series.

Share of state workers who quit each year (a workforce-stability signal).

Brown years 6.1, Kotek years 5.6.

Table view

Oregon state employee voluntary turnover (resignation) rate (% per year)
Year	Oregon
2021	5.2
2022	7.0
2023	6.8
2024	5.4
2025	4.5

Oregon DAS Annual Performance Progress Report (workforce KPM) · Voluntary/resignation turnover; benchmark 5.60% (2010). Peaked in 2022, now below benchmark. Proxy for workforce quality/stability.

Continuity

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon DAS / Office of Emergency Management COOP. No published annual continuity metric.

How reliably services continue through disruptions or transitions.

Adaptability

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: none. No quantitative statewide adaptability measure exists.

How well the state adjusts to new challenges.

Transparency, Ethics, and Accountability

1 official · 2 proxy · 6 gap

Government transparency

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Office of the Public Records Advocate, Annual Report. PRA annual reports are qualitative (mediation/outreach); no statewide request-volume or fulfillment-rate series published.

How open the state is about its records and decisions.

Clear communication

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: none. No quantitative statewide measure of communication clarity.

How clearly the state communicates with the public.

Open decision-making

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Government Ethics Commission (Public Meetings Law) . OGEC gained Public Meetings Law jurisdiction in 2023 but publishes no open-decision-making index.

How open public decisions and meetings are.

Ethical conduct

Oregon Government Ethics Commission cases received

Partly direct evidence. Official series.

Number of ethics complaints/cases the state ethics commission received each year.

Brown years 155, Kotek years 240.

Table view

Oregon Government Ethics Commission cases received (count per year)
Year	Oregon
2022	155
2023	207
2024	272

OGEC Annual Performance Measures report (2025) · Calendar year; record 272 cases in 2024. Advice requests also rose (198/396/721) after 2023 Public Meetings Law jurisdiction.

Accountability

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Secretary of State, Keeping Oregon Accountable (2026-16). FY2025 financial findings 70% corrected; federal compliance 41%. Same source as measure 30; no consistent multi-year recommendation-implementation series.

Share of past audit problems agencies actually fixed (an accountability signal).

Kotek years 70.0 in 2025.

Performance reporting

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon LFO Annual Performance Progress Reports (per agency). No published statewide roll-up; each agency reports its own KPM color scores (e.g., DAS FY2025 = 54.5% green). Statewide aggregate not compiled.

Across state agencies, the share of official performance targets being met.

Independent oversight

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Secretary of State, Audits - Recently Released. Proxy for independent oversight. Reports numbered sequentially per year (2026 reached #22 by August). Complete annual totals not compiled in one table; left null to avoid inventing counts.

How many independent audits the Secretary of State's Audits Division publishes each year.

Election administration

Oregon mail-ballot rejection rate, federal general elections

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Share of returned vote-by-mail ballots that were rejected (an election-administration quality signal).

Brown years 1.4, Kotek years 1.7.

Table view

Oregon mail-ballot rejection rate, federal general elections (% of returned mail ballots rejected)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2022	1.4	none
2024	1.7	1.2

EAC Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) · Turnout of active registered voters: 2024 = 74.2%; 2022 EAVS turnout 61.5%. Oregon all vote-by-mail. Rejection rate near/just above US average.

Public-records access

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Office of the Public Records Advocate, Annual Report. PRA annual reports contain no yearly request-volume, fulfillment-rate, or response-time statistics; no statewide public-records-access series is published.

How easily the public can obtain government records.

Responsiveness and Public Participation

0 official · 4 proxy · 5 gap

Customer service

DMV field office customers served within 20 minutes, Oregon (ODOT KPM #12)

Partly direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Share of people walking into an Oregon DMV office who are helped within 20 minutes.

Brown years 59.6%, Kotek years 60.9%.

Table view

DMV field office customers served within 20 minutes, Oregon (ODOT KPM #12) (%)
Year	Oregon
2016	60.0%
2017	62.1%
2018	63.8%
2019	50.3%
2020	none
2021	none
2022	61.9%
2023	61.8%
2024	60.0%

ODOT Annual Performance Progress Reports (2020, 2023, 2024, 2025) · Fiscal years (Jul-Jun). No data FY2020-21 (pandemic/system change). 2022+ from DMV Service Index components; target 70% then 80%.

Response times

Lane-blocking crashes cleared within 90 minutes on OSP-primary highways (OSP KPM #2)

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Share of crashes blocking a highway lane that state police and partners clear within 90 minutes.

Brown years 76.6%, Kotek years 79.0%.

Table view

Lane-blocking crashes cleared within 90 minutes on OSP-primary highways (OSP KPM #2) (%)
Year	Oregon
2018	75.0%
2019	75.0%
2020	75.0%
2021	79.0%
2022	79.0%
2023	79.0%

Oregon State Police Annual Performance Progress Reports (2023, 2024) · Calendar years; APPR report year lags data year by one. Values rounded in source; target 80%. Proxy for emergency response time.

Problem resolution

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon statewide customer service KPM (biennial survey, per-agency). Agencies report only biennial satisfaction survey scores; no resolution-rate series exists statewide.

No statewide measure of whether residents' problems get resolved by government.

Request tracking

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Public Records Advocate annual reports (records-request timeliness only). Nearest thing is public-records request timeliness in Public Records Advocate reports; no consistent statewide numbers.

No statewide series on tracking or closing public service requests.

Public participation

Voter turnout in general elections, Oregon (ballots cast as % of registered voters)

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Share of registered Oregon voters who returned a ballot in each November general election.

Brown years 73.4%, Kotek years 75.4%.

Table view

Voter turnout in general elections, Oregon (ballots cast as % of registered voters) (%)
Year	Oregon
2016	80.3%
2018	67.8%
2020	78.5%
2022	66.9%
2024	75.4%

Oregon Secretary of State, Voter Turnout History for General Elections · Even years only; Oregon registration base widened by 2016 automatic registration. Proxy for public participation.

Quality of public meetings

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Government Ethics Commission public meetings complaints (from 2024). OGEC gained public-meetings enforcement in 2024 (HB 2805); complaint counts too new for a series.

No statewide data on how well public meetings work.

Listening and follow-through

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: none. No official Oregon series; only agency-specific engagement summaries.

No statewide measure of whether government acts on public input.

Neighborhood engagement

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Census CPS Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement (biennial, state estimates). AmeriCorps/Census CEV gives biennial state volunteering rates but no annual neighborhood engagement measure.

No statewide series on neighborhood-level civic engagement.

Complaint and appeal processes

Consumer complaints received by Oregon DOJ Consumer Hotline (calls plus written)

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

How many complaints Oregonians filed with the state Attorney General's consumer protection hotline each year.

Kotek years 26,192.

Table view

Consumer complaints received by Oregon DOJ Consumer Hotline (calls plus written) (count)
Year	Oregon
2023	20,707
2024	31,677

Oregon Department of Justice annual Top 10 Consumer Complaints releases · Calendar years; Volume, not process quality.

Fairness, Inclusion, and Accessibility

3 official · 3 proxy · 3 gap

Geographic equity

Ratio of highest to lowest county per-capita personal income, Oregon

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

How much richer, per person, Oregon's richest county is than its poorest (1.0 would mean equal).

Brown years 1.9, Kotek years 2.0.

Table view

Ratio of highest to lowest county per-capita personal income, Oregon (ratio)
Year	Oregon
2016	1.8
2017	1.9
2018	2.0
2019	1.9
2020	1.9
2021	1.9
2022	1.9
2023	2.0
2024	2.0

BEA Regional, CAINC1 Per capita personal income by county · Top county Washington then Deschutes (2022+); lowest Malheur every year. Proxy for geographic equity.

Equal treatment

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon CJC STOP traffic-stop disparity reports (annual, from 2019). Nearest is CJC STOP program disparity analysis of police stops; agency-level, not one statewide index.

No statewide annual series on equal treatment by government.

Consistent enforcement

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: none. No official Oregon series.

No statewide measure of how consistently rules are enforced.

Procedural fairness

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: none. No official Oregon series; court user surveys are occasional.

No statewide series on whether government procedures are seen as fair.

Disability access

Employment rate of people with a disability, Oregon (civilian noninstitutionalized, age 16+)

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Share of Oregonians with a disability who have a job.

Brown years 26.2%, Kotek years 30.1%; U.S. 25.0% then 29.2%.

Table view

Employment rate of people with a disability, Oregon (civilian noninstitutionalized, age 16+) (%)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	24.8%	23.4%
2017	23.9%	23.9%
2018	25.9%	24.0%
2019	26.9%	24.7%
2020	none	none
2021	26.8%	25.9%
2022	29.0%	28.1%
2023	29.8%	29.2%
2024	30.4%	29.3%

Census ACS 1-year, table S1811 (S1811_C02_002) · ACS 1-year; 2020 not released. Includes people 65+, so level is low; proxy for disability access.

Language access

Population age 5+ who speak English less than very well, Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

Share of Oregonians (age 5 and up) who do not speak English very well.

Brown years 5.5%, Kotek years 5.7%; U.S. 8.4% then 8.8%.

Table view

Population age 5+ who speak English less than very well, Oregon (%)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	5.9%	8.6%
2017	5.5%	8.5%
2018	5.8%	8.3%
2019	5.1%	8.2%
2020	none	none
2021	5.4%	8.3%
2022	5.5%	8.4%
2023	5.5%	8.7%
2024	5.8%	9.0%

Census ACS 1-year, table S1601 (S1601_C06_001) · ACS 1-year estimates; 2020 1-year not released.

Economic inclusion

Poverty rate, all ages, Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

Share of Oregonians living below the federal poverty line.

Brown years 12.3%, Kotek years 11.9%; U.S. 12.9% then 12.3%.

Table view

Poverty rate, all ages, Oregon (%)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	13.4%	14.0%
2017	13.2%	13.4%
2018	12.5%	13.1%
2019	11.5%	12.3%
2020	11.0%	11.9%
2021	12.2%	12.8%
2022	12.0%	12.6%
2023	12.1%	12.5%
2024	11.7%	12.1%

Census SAIPE via FRED (PPAAOR41000A156NCEN, PPAAUS00000A156NCEN) · SAIPE model-based estimates (ACS-anchored) used instead of ACS 1-year so 2020 is covered; calendar years.

Representation

Women as share of Oregon Legislature seats (90 seats)

Partly direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Share of Oregon's 90 state legislators who are women.

Brown years 37.4%, Kotek years 43.4%; U.S. 27.8% then 32.8%.

Table view

Women as share of Oregon Legislature seats (90 seats) (%)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	31.1%	24.4%
2017	33.3%	24.9%
2018	33.3%	25.4%
2019	40.0%	29.3%
2020	40.0%	28.9%
2021	42.2%	30.7%
2022	42.2%	30.7%
2023	41.1%	33.2%
2024	none	none
2025	45.6%	32.4%

NCSL Women's Legislative Network, Women in State Legislatures (annual) · Snapshot at start of each session year; Proxy for representativeness; no EEO-4 state workforce series compiled.

Digital inclusion

Households with a broadband internet subscription of any type, Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

Share of Oregon households that pay for a broadband connection (cable, fiber, DSL, cellular or satellite).

Brown years 88.8%, Kotek years 93.5%; U.S. 86.2% then 92.7%.

Table view

Households with a broadband internet subscription of any type, Oregon (%)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	84.9%	81.4%
2017	86.8%	83.5%
2018	87.9%	85.1%
2019	89.0%	86.4%
2020	none	none
2021	91.6%	90.1%
2022	92.4%	91.0%
2023	93.3%	92.1%
2024	93.7%	93.2%

Census ACS 1-year, table S2801 (S2801_C02_014) · ACS 1-year; 2020 not released.

Housing, Growth, and the Economy

8 official · 1 proxy · 2 gap

Housing availability

New privately owned housing units authorized by building permits, Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

Number of new homes and apartments Oregon builders got permits for each year.

Brown years 20,387, Kotek years 15,719.

Table view

New privately owned housing units authorized by building permits, Oregon (count)
Year	Oregon
2016	19,586
2017	20,053
2018	20,132
2019	22,037
2020	18,665
2021	21,916
2022	20,321
2023	17,697
2024	14,621
2025	14,839

Census Building Permits Survey, annual state files (st{year}a.txt) · Calendar years; all structure types summed. 2025 is preliminary annual file.

Housing affordability

Renter households paying 30% or more of income on rent (cost-burdened), Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

Share of Oregon renters spending at least 30 cents of every income dollar on rent.

Brown years 50.9%, Kotek years 52.8%; U.S. 50.1% then 51.8%.

Table view

Renter households paying 30% or more of income on rent (cost-burdened), Oregon (%)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	51.4%	49.7%
2017	51.6%	49.5%
2018	49.5%	49.7%
2019	48.5%	48.4%
2020	none	none
2021	51.5%	51.1%
2022	53.2%	51.9%
2023	53.4%	51.8%
2024	52.3%	51.8%

Census ACS 1-year, table B25070 (computed; excludes 'not computed') · ACS 1-year; 2020 not released. Median gross rent OR rose $1,015 (2016) to $1,597 (2024).

Planning and zoning

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: DLCD Oregon Housing Needs Analysis / Housing Production Dashboard. DLCD publishes production targets (from 2024) and periodic buildable-lands reports; no consistent 2016-2025 series.

No statewide annual series on planning and zoning performance.

Development review

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Building Codes Division ePermitting (local jurisdictions). Permit turnaround is tracked by individual cities; no statewide compilation.

No statewide data on permit review times.

Growth management

Net domestic migration, Oregon (people moving in from other states minus moving out)

Direct evidence. Official series.

How many more people moved to Oregon from other states than left for other states each year.

Brown years 20,838, Kotek years -2,293.

Table view

Net domestic migration, Oregon (people moving in from other states minus moving out) (count)
Year	Oregon
2016	51,130
2017	37,826
2018	26,053
2019	24,649
2020	5,484
2021	9,670
2022	-8,946
2023	-7,370
2024	-1,736
2025	2,228

Census Population Estimates, NST-EST2020-ALLDATA and NST-EST2025-ALLDATA · Years ending July 1. 2016-19 from 2020 vintage; 2020 is Apr-Jul only and 2021+ from 2025 vintage.

Economic development

Total covered employment (annual average), Oregon (QCEW)

Direct evidence. Official series.

Average number of jobs in Oregon covered by unemployment insurance.

Brown years 1,895,225, Kotek years 1,989,448; U.S. 144,696,609 then 154,605,707.

Table view

Total covered employment (annual average), Oregon (QCEW) (count)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	1,840,874	141,870,066
2017	1,883,407	143,859,855
2018	1,920,804	146,131,754
2019	1,953,467	148,105,092
2020	1,836,208	139,103,773
2021	1,881,040	143,780,068
2022	1,950,774	150,025,655
2023	1,988,670	153,140,899
2024	1,994,161	154,990,441
2025	1,985,512	155,685,781

BLS QCEW annual averages, all ownerships, total all industries · Calendar years; 2025 preliminary.

Small-business support

Establishments (annual average), Oregon, all industries (QCEW)

Direct evidence. Official series.

Number of Oregon worksites with employees, a stand-in for the business base.

Brown years 160,739, Kotek years 185,992; U.S. 10,387,522 then 12,054,710.

Table view

Establishments (annual average), Oregon, all industries (QCEW) (count)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	145,178	9,716,618
2017	149,973	9,835,104
2018	154,521	10,011,038
2019	158,282	10,233,822
2020	162,751	10,487,687
2021	171,347	10,909,076
2022	183,124	11,519,312
2023	192,214	11,866,306
2024	186,601	12,057,370
2025	179,162	12,240,455

BLS QCEW annual averages, all ownerships, total all industries · Calendar years; counts include public-sector units. 2023-25 decline partly reflects reclassification of gig/remote units.

Job opportunities

Average weekly wage, all covered workers, Oregon (QCEW)

Direct evidence. Official series.

What the average Oregon worker earned per week before inflation.

Brown years $1,096, Kotek years $1,367; U.S. $1,173 then $1,453.

Table view

Average weekly wage, all covered workers, Oregon (QCEW) ($)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	$951	$1,031
2017	$983	$1,065
2018	$1,020	$1,101
2019	$1,058	$1,139
2020	$1,153	$1,231
2021	$1,231	$1,300
2022	$1,275	$1,346
2023	$1,313	$1,392
2024	$1,371	$1,454
2025	$1,418	$1,514

BLS QCEW annual averages, all ownerships, total all industries · Nominal dollars, calendar years; 2025 preliminary.

Downtown and neighborhood vitality

Private retail trade employment (annual average), Oregon (QCEW NAICS 44-45)

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Number of retail jobs statewide, a rough gauge of storefront activity.

Brown years 207,674, Kotek years 203,684.

Table view

Private retail trade employment (annual average), Oregon (QCEW NAICS 44-45) (count)
Year	Oregon
2016	204,902
2017	210,300
2018	211,066
2019	209,442
2020	200,201
2021	208,199
2022	209,606
2023	207,754
2024	203,454
2025	199,844

BLS QCEW annual averages, private, NAICS 44-45 · Statewide, not downtown-specific. Portland office vacancy exists only from private brokerages (CBRE, Colliers), not official.

Property values and neighborhood stability

Median value of owner-occupied homes, Oregon

Partly direct evidence. Official series.

The middle Oregon home value as reported by homeowners.

Brown years $366,833, Kotek years $491,150; U.S. $249,183 then $350,400.

Table view

Median value of owner-occupied homes, Oregon ($)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	$287,100	$205,000
2017	$319,200	$217,600
2018	$341,800	$229,700
2019	$354,600	$240,500
2020	none	none
2021	$422,700	$281,400
2022	$475,600	$320,900
2023	$484,800	$340,200
2024	$497,500	$360,600

Census ACS 1-year, table B25077 · ACS 1-year; 2020 not released.

Tourism and cultural development

Direct travel spending in Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

Total money visitors and travelers spent in Oregon each year.

Brown years $11.4, Kotek years $14.5.

Table view

Direct travel spending in Oregon ($ billion)
Year	Oregon
2016	$11.2
2017	$11.8
2018	$12.3
2019	$12.8
2020	$6.6
2021	$10.9
2022	$14.0
2023	$14.3
2024	$14.4
2025	$14.6

Travel Oregon / Dean Runyan Associates, Economic Impact of Travel in Oregon 2025 (and 2018p report for 2016) · Nominal, calendar years; 2016 from 2018p vintage, others from 2025 report. State+local travel tax revenue $722M (2024), $741M (2025).

Environment and Sustainability

3 official · 2 proxy · 3 gap

Cleanliness

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: SOLVE Oregon (nonprofit cleanup event results). SOLVE reports per-event pounds collected and volunteers, not a consistent annual statewide series; DEQ has no illegal-dumping count.

No Oregon agency publishes an annual statewide measure of litter or illegal dumping.

Air and water quality

Days with AQI above 100 (unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse), summed across Oregon counties with monitors

Direct evidence. Official series.

How many monitor-days per year Oregon air was unhealthy for at least sensitive groups, mostly driven by wildfire smoke.

Brown years 181, Kotek years 108.

Table view

Days with AQI above 100 (unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse), summed across Oregon counties with monitors (county-days)
Year	Oregon
2016	8.0
2017	314
2018	251
2019	47.0
2020	283
2021	241
2022	125
2023	146
2024	149
2025	28.0

EPA AQS Annual AQI by County · Calendar year; sum over 21-24 monitored counties. Multnomah (Portland) alone: 1,6,9,0,9,1,5,1,0,0. DEQ OWQI has no annual statewide roll-up.

Green-space protection

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department; USFS/ODF forest land totals. OPRD reports a roughly static about 100,000+ acres of state parks; forest acreage totals change little year to year, so no meaningful trend series.

Oregon does not publish a yearly count of protected park or open-space acreage.

Waste reduction

Municipal solid waste recovery rate, Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

Share of Oregon's municipal waste that was recycled, composted, or recovered for energy rather than landfilled.

Brown years 40.8%.

Table view

Municipal solid waste recovery rate, Oregon (%)
Year	Oregon
2016	42.1%
2017	41.4%
2018	41.2%
2019	42.0%
2020	42.0%
2021	37.7%
2022	39.4%

Oregon DEQ Material Recovery and Waste Generation Rates Report (2022) · Calendar year; 2021 depressed by wildfire debris. Per-capita generation lbs/person/yr: 2017 2654, 2018 2695, 2019 2705, 2020 2793, 2021 3044, 2022 2845. 2023-24 report due 2026.

Energy efficiency

Total energy consumption per capita, Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

How much energy of all kinds each Oregonian uses in a year, compared with the US average.

Brown years 196, Kotek years 208; U.S. 286 then 278.

Table view

Total energy consumption per capita, Oregon (million Btu per person)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	192	291
2017	199	289
2018	196	298
2019	202	294
2020	184	268
2021	196	281
2022	200	284
2023	207	278
2024	210	278

EIA State Energy Data System (SEDS), series TETPB · Calendar year; SEDS 2024 vintage. Lower is more efficient, but the number also reflects climate, industry mix, and prices.

Climate resilience

Acres burned on ODF-protected lands, Oregon

Partly direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Wildfire acres burned each year on the 16 million acres of private and public forestland the Oregon Department of Forestry protects.

Brown years 136,463, Kotek years 105,343.

Table view

Acres burned on ODF-protected lands, Oregon (acres)
Year	Oregon
2016	5,661
2017	47,163
2018	76,774
2019	17,077
2020	541,408
2021	231,494
2022	35,664
2023	17,427
2024	274,138
2025	24,463

ODF Fire Occurrence 2000-2025 (data.oregon.gov) · Proxy for climate resilience. ODF jurisdiction only; total acres of all fires in ODF database 2020: 1.15M, 2024: 1.09M. FEMA declarations (DR+EM+FM) 2016-25: 3,6,6,3,21,4,2,4,13,7.

Environmental fairness

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: EPA EJScreen (cross-sectional tool, not an annual series). EJScreen and DEQ's environmental-justice mapping are snapshots; no trend series with Oregon totals exists.

Oregon has no annual statewide indicator of whether environmental burdens fall unevenly across communities.

Sustainable development

Statewide sector-based greenhouse gas emissions, Oregon

Partly direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Total climate-warming emissions produced within Oregon each year.

Brown years 61.3, Kotek years 58.5.

Table view

Statewide sector-based greenhouse gas emissions, Oregon (million metric tons CO2e)
Year	Oregon
2016	59.3
2017	62.3
2018	63.0
2019	64.3
2020	58.3
2021	61.7
2022	59.9
2023	58.5

Oregon DEQ Sector-Based GHG Inventory 1990-2023 · Calendar year; 2022-2023 are preliminary. Proxy for sustainable development; 2023 is about 5% above 1990.

Community Character and Quality of Life

1 official · 3 proxy · 5 gap

Public-space quality

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) survey, every 5 years. SCORP resident surveys (2019, 2025) ask about satisfaction with recreation facilities but are not annual.

There is no annual statewide measure of the condition of parks, plazas, or streetscapes.

Arts and culture

Donations to the Oregon Cultural Trust (cultural tax credit)

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

How much Oregonians gave each year to the state's cultural trust, which regrants to arts, heritage, and humanities groups.

Brown years $5.2, Kotek years $5.3.

Table view

Donations to the Oregon Cultural Trust (cultural tax credit) ($ millions)
Year	Oregon
2022	$5.2
2023	$5.4
2024	$5.2

Oregon Cultural Trust annual donation announcements · Calendar year; 2023 includes a one-time $369K bequest. Trust grants awarded rose from about $3.0M to $4.15M (FY2026).

Youth and senior services

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: ODHS Aging and People with Disabilities / Oregon Youth Authority caseload reports. Caseload counts exist by program (e.g., Oregon Project Independence, OYA population) but do not measure service adequacy.

Oregon publishes caseloads for many programs but no combined measure of youth or senior service quality.

Recreation opportunities

Overnight camping nights in Oregon State Parks

Direct evidence. Official series.

Number of nights people camped in Oregon state parks each year.

Brown years 2,998,378, Kotek years 2,776,752.

Table view

Overnight camping nights in Oregon State Parks (camper nights)
Year	Oregon
2021	3,026,756
2022	2,970,000
2023	2,900,000
2024	2,830,255
2025	2,600,000

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department annual visitation releases · Calendar year; 2022, 2023, 2025 rounded from OPRD releases. Day-use visits: 2021 53.66M, 2023 52.2M, 2024 53.85M, 2025 51.46M.

Noise and nuisance control

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon DEQ (noise program defunded in 1991); city-level 311 data only. Noise regulation is local; Portland publishes noise complaints but there is no statewide roll-up.

Oregon has no state-level noise monitoring or nuisance complaint count.

Community events

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Travel Oregon / Oregon Festivals & Events Association. Only tourism spending and festival membership lists exist; no annual event count.

No agency counts community events statewide.

Historic preservation

Properties in Oregon newly listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

How many Oregon buildings, districts, and sites were added to the national historic register each year.

Brown years 12.9, Kotek years 11.0.

Table view

Properties in Oregon newly listed on the National Register of Historic Places (listings per year)
Year	Oregon
2016	12.0
2017	12.0
2018	8.0
2019	11.0
2020	18.0
2021	15.0
2022	14.0
2023	9.0
2024	13.0
2025	11.0

National Park Service, National Register listed properties spreadsheet (May 2026) · Calendar year of listing date, counted from NPS spreadsheet. Proxy: listings reflect nomination activity, not preservation outcomes.

Social cohesion

Formal volunteering rate, Oregon residents 16+

Indirect evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Share of Oregonians who volunteered through an organization in the past year.

Brown years 36.1%.

Table view

Formal volunteering rate, Oregon residents 16+ (%)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2017	43.2%	30.3%
2019	37.0%	30.0%
2021	28.0%	23.2%
2023	none	28.3%

AmeriCorps / Census CPS Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement, state trends · Biennial survey; US values are national formal volunteering rates.

Overall appearance

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: DHM Research Oregon Values and Beliefs Center surveys (topic-specific, irregular). OVBC polls occasionally ask about quality of life and homelessness visibility but not on a consistent annual basis.

No survey or index tracks how Oregon looks to residents over time.

Results and Public Confidence

1 official · 2 proxy · 7 gap

Service outcomes

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office / Annual Performance Progress Reports. APPRs are per agency PDFs; computing a statewide % on-target would require compiling every agency report.

Oregon agencies report KPMs yearly, but no summary publishes the statewide share meeting target.

Reliability

Average electricity outage minutes per customer (SAIDI, including major events), Oregon

Direct evidence. Official series.

How many minutes the average Oregon electricity customer was without power in a year, versus the US.

Brown years 447, Kotek years 351; U.S. 384 then 515.

Table view

Average electricity outage minutes per customer (SAIDI, including major events), Oregon (minutes per customer per year)
Year	Oregon	U.S.
2016	234	268
2017	314	506
2018	111	349
2019	230	296
2020	326	456
2021	1,588	476
2022	325	333
2023	123	367
2024	579	663

EIA Form 861 Reliability files (IEEE-standard reporters), customer-weighted · Calendar year; 2021 spike is the February ice storm. SAIFI OR 2016-24: 1.10,1.34,0.90,0.99,1.13,1.60,1.31,0.81,1.32.

Speed of improvement

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Derived from other measures in this set.

This is a judgment about trends in other measures, not something any agency tracks.

Use of evidence

Partly direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon evidence-based programs reporting (ORS 182.525, criminal justice and behavioral health only). Biennial evidence-based program reports cover a few agencies; no statewide index.

Oregon does not score its agencies on evidence-based practice statewide.

100

Innovation

Utility patents granted to Oregon inventors per 100,000 residents

Partly direct evidence. Nearest official proxy.

Patents awarded each year to inventors living in Oregon, per 100,000 people.

Brown years 71.1.

Table view

Utility patents granted to Oregon inventors per 100,000 residents (per 100,000)
Year	Oregon
2016	68.2
2017	70.0
2018	66.2
2019	75.7
2020	75.2

USPTO Patents by State (via FRED PATENTUSORUTILITY) divided by Census population (FRED ORPOP) · Calendar grant year; USPTO state series ends at 2020. Raw counts 2790,2904,2771,3190,3192.

101

Honesty about limitations

Indirect evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division reports. Audit findings and agency responses are qualitative; no index.

No measure exists of how candidly government reports its own shortcomings.

102

Fulfillment of promises

Direct evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Governor's Key Performance Measures / agency APPRs. Nearest is per-agency KPM target attainment; see measure 96.

No tracker scores whether state commitments are met.

103

Public trust

Indirect evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: Morning Consult governor approval tracker; DHM Oregon Values and Beliefs Center. Morning Consult quarterly approval is paywalled/irregular; OVBC trust questions asked in 2021-2024 with varying wording.

Polls of approval and trust exist but are not published as a comparable annual Oregon series.

104

Community reputation

Net domestic migration to Oregon

Indirect evidence. Nearest official proxy.

How many more people moved to Oregon from other states than left, a signal of how attractive the state is.

Brown years 23,073, Kotek years -2,293.

Table view

Net domestic migration to Oregon (persons per year)
Year	Oregon
2016	51,130
2017	37,826
2018	26,053
2019	24,649
2020	21,128
2021	9,670
2022	-8,946
2023	-7,370
2024	-1,736
2025	2,228

Census Bureau Population Estimates, components of change (Vintage 2025) · July-to-July estimate years;

105

Future outlook

Indirect evidence. No statewide series; nearest source: University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers via FRED (UMCSENT). No Oregon sentiment index exists; the University of Michigan index is national only.

How optimistic US consumers feel about their finances and the economy; no Oregon-specific sentiment index exists.