It is interesting that you mention Portland there. Portland somehow doesn't seem to have the same serious intellectual culture that you see in the upper midwest (Chicago, Twin Cities, Wisconsin, Michigan). Silicon forest and fledgling start up scene notwithstanding, Portland doesn't have the educational institutions (UIUC, Chicago, Northwestern, U Mich, U Wisc, U Minn are all among the top STEM schools in the country) that the midwest offers. The lack of top universities in Portland is a bigger handicap than the locals would like to admit. It will be interesting to see if there are any long term trends that are likely to change this.