Oregon

Oregon's economy bifurcates between the tech-driven Willamette Valley and the resource-extraction east. Portland and its suburbs host Intel's largest manufacturing complex, Nike's global headquarters, and a cluster of sportswear companies (Columbia, Adidas North America) that made Oregon an unlikely fashion industry hub. This concentration emerged partly from Oregon's lack of sales tax—a regulatory advantage that attracts headquarters even if manufacturing occurs elsewhere.

The tech sector built on Intel's presence: the "Silicon Forest" grew as semiconductor companies clustered, though the industry has faced cyclical downturns and competition from other regions. Portland's progressive politics attract creative-class workers while sometimes repelling business investment—a tension that shapes growth debates. The city's 2020 protests and subsequent property crime concerns have complicated its image as a destination for corporate relocation.

Beyond the Willamette Valley, Oregon remains timber country. National forest lands cover vast areas, but environmental restrictions on logging have reduced the industry's employment while leaving communities dependent on increasingly automated mills. Rural Oregon votes Republican while Portland votes Democratic, creating political divisions that echo economic ones. The state demonstrates how a single metropolitan area can dominate state statistics while rural regions experience entirely different economic trajectories.