Making decisions about where to live involves a series of complex choices. These choices shape the future of a region: where development happens, what it looks like and how people travel to and from it. Metro’s Residential Preference Study provides an unprecedented glimpse into how residents of the Portland metropolitan area choose where to live.
The study is the product of a unique collaboration between Metro, Clackamas County, Washington County, the cities of Hillsboro and Portland, Portland State University, the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland, the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors and NW Natural. These partners used an innovative survey approach that asked participants to weigh trade-offs and real world options, presented in words and images. Analyzing thousands of these responses allows researchers to better understand how the region's residents make decisions about where to live, and better inform planning and investment in the public and private sectors.