Northern California???

[Steve97415]

"Northern California" is too varied an area to make too many generalizations about. Away from the immediate coast, summer days in northern California can be just as hot or hotter than in southern California. The high in Medford, OR yesterday was 108. The Rogue River Valley has quite a bit of seasonal variation: hot in summer, cold in winter. If you want a place where there is NO hot season at all, you don't want to be too far inland unless you're at a considerable altitude. On the other hand anything closer than about 20 miles to the coast in northern California will have the high humidity situation. Atmospheric dryness close to the coast is really a SoCal specialty. San Luis Obispo might be the best of the "goldilocks" climates: the range is mostly from pleasantly cool to pleasantly warm all year with humidity in the moderate to dry range...but VERY expensive and difficult to get established in.

All of the communities in the goldilocks climate belt will be expensive. Everybody is looking for the same thing. The key to finding someplace a little more affordable is to find the thing that you can tolerate that most people can't. If you can put up with chilly humid conditions and overcast skies, you may be suited for the far north coast that most people find too gloomy. If you can't take high heat or humidity, but don't mind some winter snow, some place over 4000 ft. elevation in the Sierras might fit the bill (though wildfire danger will arise every summer). If you love sunshine and can tolerate hot summers as long as they're dry, then the central valley or southern deserts might be a better match.

[MichaelinWA]

For someone from Houston, the "humidity" in say, Eureka, CA or Portland, OR, will not be much of a negative factor, regardless of what the percentages may say. It's just a different thing entirely in terms of comfort.

Great point above, though, about overgeneralizing "northern California." It's just too big and diverse an area.

[Petrala]

Originally Posted by SeekingMayberry

Hi, everyone,

I'm brand new at this, so please bear with me. My husband and I have been living in Santa Clarita (40 miles north of LA) for the past 15 years, and although it's been a wonderful town to raise kids in, we're thinking of moving north to cooler temps now that we'll be empty-nesters soon. It does get pretty hot here in the summer (100+). Not sure if the answer is in northern CA, Oregon, Washington, etc. We love Humbolt and Mendocino Counties, but other than vacationing there a few times, we haven't heard a lot about what everyday, "real" life would be like.

Ideally, we'd love to live in a small town with a great community of caring people with medical facilities not too far away; low humidity (been there and had enough of that as I'm a native Houstonian!); cooler temps; laid-back lifestyle; and oh, if there's a lake nearby, that would be even better for my fisherman husband. I'd appreciate any suggestions you may have. Thanks!

you need to define "small town" as well as if either of you need to work.
or are you going to be retired?

[sroper33]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

There is no northern California section. People just start a thread in the main CA section. Though the area you've described is Central California.

Northern California is SF/Bay Area and anything above.

[SeekingMayberry]

Thanks, I'll check them out.

[SeekingMayberry]

Thanks. You've made a lot of good points -- lots to think about.

[NBTFman]

In the small towns are some very small town minds and totally ass backwards approaches to things. You will be forced to play the game or get run out and possibly worse, blackballed.

Don't let the scenery distract you from what you may really be getting yourself and your family into. An environment of toxicity from which you sometimes can't even relocate to get away from.