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Headlines recently trumpeted that Oregon has the highest rate of new residents moving to the state. That’s good for the economy.

But now, the even better economic news is that the bulk of those people are in their 20s and 30s.

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States like to see in-migration, because it boosts tax rolls. But who moves-in is also key.

Retirees bring substantial assets, but they don’t stay long. They die.

Josh Lehner with the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis said one of the best predictors of future growth for a state is the influx of 20 and 30-somethings, because they set up new households; start new businesses; and generally stay through their peak earnings years, “In 2014, roughly 10,000 people in their late 20s early 30s moved to Oregon," he said.

"That’s about half of all the people that moved to Oregon on net, were in their root-setting years.”

Oregon does lose population, mainly to Washington and Idaho. Deaths also outnumber births in several Oregon counties.

But in-migration from California and elsewhere generally swamp those losses.