Economic Development

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The Economic Development division creates and manages economic opportunities to help attract, encourage and expand commercial investments in Tigard. We help connect business owners to the resources they need to start and grow successful businesses in Tigard.

Economic Development Strategic Plan

"Let's Talk Economic Development"

Why Tigard?

Tigard offers businesses a suburban locale with access to the region’s workforce and the urban amenities that appeal to a company’s most important asset – employees.

Increasingly, the City of Tigard (less than 20 minutes from downtown Portland) has been a destination for residents and companies that want to capitalize on a central location in the Portland region.

Tigard is home to the 400-acre office/flex/manufacturing area called the Oregon Business Park and Lincoln Center, a six-building complex on 23 acres with 743,000 square feet of leasable space and home to the tallest office building in Washington County.

It is easy to get anywhere in the region from a business location in the City of Tigard. Downtown Portland is just over eight miles to the northeast. Beaverton (and the Nike campus) is five miles north. Hillsboro (and the Intel campus) is eight miles northwest. Businesses located in Tigard benefit from a crossroads of major transportation routes I-5, Hwy 217, and Hwy 99W. Making Tigard extremely accessible.

2026 Economic Development By the Numbers

Updated on April 13, 2026 11:15 AM

2026 Economic Development By the Numbers: Slide Summaries

Below are summaries of each slide in the "2026 Economic Development By the Numbers" presentation.

Average Annual Wage by Sector - 2014 to 2024

Manufacturing and Skilled Trade reached $97,081, up 48 percent
Retail and Consumer Services reached $40,943, up 54 percent
Technical and Professional Services reached $79,110, up 59 percent

Data source: Oregon Employment Department, 2014 and 2024 Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Tigard Businesses Grouped by Firm Size

Businesses with 0 to 10 employees account for 2,776 businesses, employing 7,314 people with a total payroll of $525.8 million and an average wage of $74,017.
Businesses with 11 to 20 employees account for 386 businesses, employing 5,613 people with a payroll of $366.2 million and an average wage of $65,858.
Businesses with 21 to 50 employees account for 262 businesses, employing 8,273 people with a payroll of $606.5 million and an average wage of $73,329.
Businesses with 51 or more employees account for 167 businesses, employing 19,470 people with a payroll of $1.5 billion and an average wage of $77,630.

Data source: Oregon Employment Department, 2014 and 2024 Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Where are Tigard Residents Employed?

Portland employs the largest share of Tigard residents, with 8,056 workers, representing 28 percent.
Within Tigard, 3,731 residents work locally, accounting for 13 percent.
Other major employment locations include:
- Beaverton with 2,814 workers (10 percent)
- Hillsboro with 2,116 (7 percent)
- Tualatin with 1,751 (6 percent)
- Lake Oswego with 1,156 (4 percent)
- Salem with 705 workers (4 percent)
- Wilsonville with 695 (2 percent)
- Sherwood with 367 (1 percent)
- Newberg with 298 (1 percent).
- An additional 7,291 residents, or 25 percent, work in other locations throughout the region.
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics.

Percentage Change Since 2014 in Number of Businesses by Sector

Technical and Professional Services experienced the largest increase, growing by 35 percent between 2014 and 2024.
Retail and Consumer Services increased by 19 percent.
Manufacturing and Skilled Trade increased by 7 percent.

Data source: Oregon Employment Department, 2014 and 2024 Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Type of Jobs in Tigard

Technical and Professional Services represents the largest share of Tigard businesses, with 2,258 businesses accounting for 63 percent of the total.
Manufacturing and Skilled Trade includes 721 businesses, representing 20 percent.
Retail and Consumer Services includes 603 businesses, representing 17 percent.

Data source: Oregon Employment Department, 2024 Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Types of Businesses in Tigard: Percentage and Total Employees by Sector.

Technical and Professional Services accounts for the largest share of employees, representing 52 percent of the workforce.
Retail and Consumer Services represents 27 percent.
Manufacturing and Skilled Trade accounts for 21 percent.

Data source: Oregon Employment Department, 2024 Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Employment by Earning Level

Between 2014 and 2024, the number of Tigard residents earning $25,000 or less decreased from 2,788 to 900, a decline of 65 percent.
Residents earning between $25,000 and $50,000 decreased from 5,730 to 4,323, a decline of 29 percent.
Residents earning between $50,000 and $75,000 increased from 3,455 to 4,711, a 36 percent increase.
Residents earning between $75,000 and $100,000 increased from 2,104 to 3,545, a 68 percent increase.
Residents earning more than $100,000 increased from 3,027 to 8,244, a 172 percent increase. Overall, the data shows a shift toward higher income levels over time.

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014 and 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Education Level of Tigard Residents.

The largest group of residents holds a bachelor’s degree, with 13,836 people representing 34 percent of the population.
Residents with some college education account for 8,903 people (22 percent), while 7,239 residents hold an advanced degree (18 percent).
Residents with a high school diploma total 5,457 (13 percent), and those with an associate’s degree total 4,005 (10 percent).
Residents without a high school diploma represent the smallest group, with 1,909 people (5 percent).
Overall, most Tigard residents have education beyond high school.

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014 and 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Commuting in Tigard

A total of 45,861 people work in Tigard.
Of these workers, 92 percent commute from outside the city, while 8 percent both live and work in Tigard.
Tigard is also home to 28,980 working residents.
Of those residents, 87 percent commute outside the city for work, while 13 percent both live and work in Tigard.
Overall, most people who work in Tigard commute into the city, and most Tigard residents commute elsewhere for work.

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics.