What Metro does

Oregon Metro is a regional government authority serving the greater Portland metropolitan area, established by voter-approved charter in 1992. It operates as the only regional entity with jurisdiction over metropolitan planning, land use coordination, and cross-jurisdictional services spanning Clackamas, Clark, Columbia, Multnomah, Skamania, Washington, and Yamhill counties. The organization coordinates with 24 cities and three counties on regional planning, solid waste management, parks and natural areas, affordable housing, transportation, and visitor venue operations.

Metro's core service portfolio includes solid waste management through two transfer stations and a 20-year Regional System Facilities Plan; regional visitor venues (Oregon Convention Center, Oregon Zoo, Portland Expo Center, and Portland'5 Centers for the Arts); parks and natural area acquisition and management; affordable housing development funded by a $652.8 million bond measure; transit-oriented development programs; and a Brownfields Program for environmental remediation. Advisory committees including the Regional Waste Advisory Committee, Committee on Racial Equity, and Metro Policy Advisory Committee provide structured community input into governance.

Metro's revenue model is multi-stream and government-funded rather than commercial. Enterprise activities (visitor venue fees, transfer station disposal fees) constitute the largest revenue source, followed by property taxes including a 9.66-cent-per-$1,000 general operating levy and approximately 38 cents per $1,000 for voter-approved capital bonds. Supportive Housing Services taxes (1% business income tax above $5 million gross receipts and 1% marginal personal income tax above $125,000/$200,000) fund homelessness services. Additional funding comes from excise taxes and federal/state grants including EPA brownfields funding. Metro maintains a AAA bond rating from Moody's as of 2025, reflecting strong financial management and voter-approved funding stability.

Name

Metro

Legal name

Oregon Metro

Website

https://oregonmetro.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Oregon Metro is a regional government authority serving greater Portland, providing regional planning, solid waste management, parks, affordable housing, transportation coordination, and four visitor venues across 24 cities and three counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Enterprise Activities: Fees for services including solid waste disposal at Metro's two transfer stations and revenues at four visitor venues: Oregon Convention Center, Oregon Zoo, Portland'5 Centers for the Arts, and Portland Expo Center. This is Metro's largest revenue source.
2. Property Taxes: Metro's second largest revenue source. Includes general operating levy (9.66 cents per $1,000 of assessed value), voter-approved bond measures for capital projects (parks and nature bond, zoo improvements, affordable housing), and water quality tax.
3. Supportive Housing Services Taxes: 1% business income tax on net income for businesses with gross receipts above $5 million; 1% marginal personal income tax on taxable income above $125,000 for individuals and $200,000 for joint filers.
4. Grants and Government Funding: Local, state, and federal grants including EPA brownfields grants and state funding for cleanup initiatives.
5. Excise Taxes: Excise tax paid by users of Metro facilities supporting general government activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Metro is a regional government authority serving the greater Portland area. It operates a regional solid waste and recycling system, manages regional parks and natural areas, runs visitor venues (the Oregon Convention Center, Oregon Zoo, Portland Expo Center, and Portland'5 Centers for the Arts), invests in affordable housing through bond programs, conducts brownfields remediation, plans for transit-oriented development, and coordinates regional land-use and transportation planning.

Product overview

Metro is a regional government authority serving greater Portland, Oregon, that provides diverse public services through multiple interconnected programs and facilities. The organization operates as a portfolio of services including garbage and recycling infrastructure (via the Regional System Facilities Plan), parks and nature (Blue Lake Regional Park and nature preserves), affordable housing (via bond programs and transit-oriented development), environmental remediation (Brownfields Program), and visitor venues (Oregon Convention Center, Oregon Zoo, Portland Expo Center, and Portland'5 Centers for the Arts). Governance is provided through the Metro Council, with advisory input from committees including the Regional Waste Advisory Committee and Committee on Racial Equity. Social services funding comes through Supportive Housing Services taxes. The Transit-Oriented Development Program represents a major land use initiative that has invested over $40 million since 1998.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regional Solid Waste Management System Regional garbage, recycling, and waste disposal services for households and businesses across the greater Portland area, governed by a regional system facilities plan.
• Visitor Venues Operations of major regional visitor facilities including the Oregon Convention Center, Oregon Zoo, Portland Expo Center, and Portland'5 Centers for the Arts, hosting events, conferences, performances, and public visitors.
• Regional Parks System Management of regional parks, natural areas, and associated amenities such as campgrounds and Blue Lake Regional Park for public recreation and conservation.
• Affordable Housing Bond Program Voter-approved bond-funded program to develop and preserve affordable housing units across the region.
• Supportive Housing Services Regional supportive housing services funded by a dedicated income tax to prevent and address homelessness.
• Brownfields Redevelopment Program Program to assess, clean up, and redevelop contaminated brownfields sites across the region.
• Transit-Oriented Development Program Planning, technical assistance, and investment program supporting equitable transit-oriented development near transit stations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 additional tons of materials recovered annually through Regional System Facilities Plan
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Oregon Department of Environmental QualitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOregon DEQ oversees and coordinates statewide brownfield cleanup efforts. Metro's brownfields program is overseen by DEQ's Northwest Region Brownfield Coordinator, and the agency participates in Regional Waste Advisory Committee.
• Local Governments (24 cities, 3 counties)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetro works with 24 cities and three counties across the region for planning, brownfields cleanup, waste management, and regional coordination. Partnership includes cities like Portland, Gresham, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, and counties including Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington.
• Developers and Community-Based OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransit-Oriented Development program partners with developers for high-density affordable housing and mixed-income projects near transit. Also partners with community-based organizations for Urban Living Infrastructure grants.
• Regional Waste Advisory Committee PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner17-member committee including representatives from cities, counties, industry, reuse and repair organizations, and the public guides waste management policy.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OregonMetro
• Facebookfacebook.com/oregonmetro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metro
• Instagraminstagram.com/oregonmetro
• Xx.com/oregonmetro

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metro