German Population in Washington County, OR by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The German population in Washington County, OR is recorded at 86,208 residents, based on the latest U.S. Census estimates. Each city in Washington County, OR has some German population, but the county''s higher total suggests additional rural or non-municipal representation. The analysis below explores how German communities are spread across Washington County, OR and comparable counties throughout Oregon.

Top 5 cities with the largest German population in Washington County

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  • 1
    Beaverton
    German population in Beaverton is 14,467
    14.84% of Beaverton population is German
  • 2
    Hillsboro
    German population in Hillsboro is 13,261
    12.39% of Hillsboro population is German
  • 3
    Tigard
    German population in Tigard is 8,340
    15.06% of Tigard population is German
  • 4
    Tualatin
    German population in Tualatin is 4,640
    16.74% of Tualatin population is German
  • 5
    Forest Grove
    German population in Forest Grove is 4,303
    16.30% of Forest Grove population is German

Overview of German population in Washington County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data document Washington County with 86,208 German residents (14.4% of 600,266 total county population), placing the jurisdiction at the 96th percentile nationally among counties and 94th percentile within Oregon for German population density, with demographic concentrations among the highest nationwide.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS data documents Washington County's German demographic representation of 14.4%, exceeding the national average of 12.6% while remaining below Oregon's elevated state average of 16.5%, placing the county above national concentration levels while below state demographic averages.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey indicate Washington County's 86,208 German residents constitute 12.3% of Oregon's total German population of 699,499, placing the county among jurisdictions with the highest demographic concentrations, with 12.3% of all Oregon German Americans residing within county boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data shows Washington County maintains 119 German Americans per square mile, representing more than sixteen times Oregon's average of 7.3 per square mile, establishing the county as an exceptional concentration center comparable to major metropolitan demographic areas.
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12 Cities in Washington County Ranked by German Population

View Methodology
ACS data [1] confirm German populations in every incorporated city in the county, with the largest counts in Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, and Tualatin. The table below provides detailed figures, including total population, density measures, and demographic distributions, based on the current ACS data for all 12 incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Washington County, OR ranked by German population count
Rank by German Population
City
German Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Washington County German Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Beaverton 14,467 14.84% 16.78%
2 Hillsboro 13,261 12.39% 15.38%
3 Tigard 8,340 15.06% 9.67%
4 Tualatin 4,640 16.74% 5.38%
5 Forest Grove 4,303 16.30% 4.99%
6 Sherwood 3,989 19.72% 4.63%
7 Cornelius 1,267 9.25% 1.47%
8 823 16.21% 0.95%
9 513 15.12% 0.60%
10 311 16.29% 0.36%
11 232 11.09% 0.27%
12 68 9.96% 0.08%
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Washington County, OR by their German population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines German population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having German ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as German alone, while others identify as German along with another race (such as German and German).
  • We’ve used the “German alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the German population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as German alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as German .
  2. % of Total Washington County German Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. German population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small German populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported German population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where German populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.