According to the most recent census figures, the average unemployment rate for whites in Oregon: 8.7 percent
The average unemployment rate for African Americans in Oregon: 18.4 percent
Percentage of Oregonians over age 25 with a 4-year-college degree: 29
Number of winter shelters and emergency shelters in Portland and Multnomah County: 36
Additional beds in winter shelters available during the winter season: 342
Emergency shelter beds available year-round: 636
Height of Douglas Fir being lit in Pioneer Square: 75 feet
Number of tubas played in unison at the 23rd Annual Tuba Christmas Concert in Pioneer Square: 250
Number of turkeys consumed on Thanksgiving and Christmas: 86 million
Average number of pounds of turkey consumed per person in 2012: 16
In Multnomah County, average monthly number of SNAP participants in 2012: 148,694
Amount of local economic activity created by $1 of SNAP benefits: $1.79
Amount of dollars brought in by SNAP to the state of Oregon per year: $1 billion
Sources: Portland Housing Bureau; Oregon Employment Department; U.S. Census Bureau; University of Illinois Extension.
This article appears in 2013-12-06.