Growth and new homes in Happy Valley
The numbers
The 2020 Census counted 23,733 people in Happy Valley. Portland State University's certified estimate for July 1, 2025 is 28,291, which is 19.2 percent higher. Of the four cities in this batch it is the one growing fastest. Most owner-occupied homes here are in the upper price brackets: the Census 2020-2024 estimates put the median owner-occupied home value at $725,300, with a margin of error of about $27,600.
How it got here
The City's history pages tell the story in a short essay by historian Mark Hurlburt of the Clackamas County Historical Society, How Happy Valley Became Oregon's Fastest Growing City. It says the city counted 1,392 residents in 1970 and 1,519 in 1990, and that Portland State estimated 19,985 in 2017. Happy Valley incorporated in 1965, and for years it resisted urban development. Over time disagreements about housing density and the lack of a sewer system were worked through, and growth followed.
The City's history page also tells the story of the name. Folklore says it came from local boys who sang cheerfully after too much hard cider, and the City notes that historical references may point instead to a sales pitch to attract land buyers.
For planning and development, the City's Planning Division is the official source.