Question about moving to oregon (Portland, Eugene: violent crime, job market, good schools)

[megan824]

We are looking to move from NJ to OR in the next year. The only problem is that we don't know much about Oregon. With everything we have to do in the next yr we don't have time or money to plan a trip out there until much closer to the move.

My daughter is 2 and a half. My family loves nature music and culture so I am looking for a place that has plenty of that. We also want to move somewhere small with good schools and a 45 min or less drive to work (any town with good job market).

We know it rains a lot but we are looking for a town with th least rain/snow with nice summer temperatures.

We are looking at Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Medford, Wolf Creek, Bend, Eugene and maybe Salem.

(What we are looking for in a place, not too far (a few hrs) from a beach/ocean, Not horrible winters, NOT too much rain, Safe with decent schools and job market, We'd like a place with culture, native american reserves, zoos, or museums near by, Maybe a wooded area, A small close town)



Can any one tell me about any of these towns and and if they are good safe towns.

Any town recommendations welcome.
Oh and Im just looking for information about these towns and any other good towns. Im not looking for jobs and unemployment rates. Thanks.

[mamh]

One way to see what weather and life in general is like in the towns you mentioned is to find out the names of the local newspapers and read them on line..That would give you an idea about what is going on..
Favorite place some for weather so you can see what cold is here in January ect..
The winters out here are tame compared to the east coast, rain yes and bit of snow too but for the most part they are pretty easy to take..You learn to layer and top layer being a jacket that is water
repellent and has a hood on it..
We live in Salem and love the whole area around us.
You have a lot to think about..
Good luck

[Metlakatla]

Just curious...what's making you consider these specific parts of Oregon? Wolf Creek, for instance, is in a beautiful area but no work there at all. I know you say that you aren't asking about jobs or unemployment rates, but you did mention twice in your post that you're looking for somewhere with a good job market.

Bend may get more snow and cold than what you seem to want. The rest of your choices are going to get a lot of rain.

Small, close towns? In the Eugene area, consider Cottage Grove or Junction City, though you won't find much Native culture in that area at all. Eugene is a pretty great little city; close to the coast, close to the mountains. Salem is good; you might like Silverton as well.

What do you consider "too much" rain? If you live in the Willamette Valley (which something like 70% of the state's population does), then you're looking at several months of near-constant drizzle every year, but very few heavy rain showers. There's a little snow, but it's usually gone within a day and rarely even covers the grass. Before you pick a place here, you should think about whether you can really deal with constant drizzle, fog, and not seeing the sun for months at a time.

[Or3g0n]

Megan, if you imagine our constant rain as a heavy rain like you see in East Coast during the Summers, that is incorrect. It is light showers that will constantly stop, going on, stop, going on, etc throughout the day. The rain is LIGHT, we call it mizzle (mist rain). Talent, Ashland or other locations you are asking for is in southern Oregon which gets half of rain compared to willamette valley. Bend gets snow but lots of sunshine, much more than NJ. It's too dry there.

[Silverfall]

Define "small". I wouldn't call Salem, Bend, or Eugene small. You have a HUGE variation in the cities that you have put up there. West Coast small isn't the same as east coast small. Population?

[MisterCobalt]

Originally Posted by megan824

My daughter is 2 and a half. My family loves nature music and culture so I am looking for a place that has plenty of that. We also want to move somewhere small with good schools and a 45 min or less drive to work (any town with good job market).

Oregon has bad schools in general. Also... a town with a good job market? HA! Sorry, but that doesn't exist here. You should have a job before you move here, or else you'll (likely) be screwed.
Nature won't be an issue no matter where you move. As for "culture", Ashland is probably the most "cultured" town you're looking at. They have the Oregon Shakespeare Festival every year, and other stuff too, I'd imagine.

We know it rains a lot but we are looking for a town with th least rain/snow with nice summer temperatures.

We are looking at Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Medford, Wolf Creek, Bend, Eugene and maybe Salem.

Medford will definitely have the hottest summers, but it's snowier than Eugene or Salem. Still, Medford is probably the best for you weather-wise.

(What we are looking for in a place, not too far (a few hrs) from a beach/ocean, Not horrible winters, NOT too much rain, Safe with decent schools and job market, We'd like a place with culture, native american reserves, zoos, or museums near by, Maybe a wooded area, A small close town)

Most of your choices are pretty close to the ocean. Bend would be the furthest away (3-4 hours depending on how fast you drive). Any town in the valley is only about an hour away from the coast. Medford, on the other hand, you have to go through the California redwood forest around a giant twisty mountain. However, the southern coast is definitely the warmest place in the state during winter. Brookings/Gold Beach can get into the 70s.

Also, the only zoo is in Portland.

Can any one tell me about any of these towns and and if they are good safe towns.

Medford is going to be the most "dangerous" town of the one you mentioned. Being closer to California, they have more gang activity. However, it's still a very far shot from being Compton...
Eugene has really low violent crime, but petty crime is pretty bad. Car break-ins are pretty regular. Bike theft is rampant, too. Thieves will go into your backyard and steal your bike unless you have it chained down.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by MisterCobalt

Also, the only zoo is in Portland.

West Coast Game Park Safari - Bandon, Oregon

Wildlife Safari - Winston Oregon

[OreeeGone]

Originally Posted by megan824

My daughter is 2 and a half. My family loves nature music and culture so I am looking for a place that has plenty of that. We also want to move somewhere small with good schools and a 45 min or less drive to work (any town with good job market).

Nature, music and culture is pretty abundant in most cities in Oregon with 50,000 or more people. Bend has a lot of outdoor activities, some great musical acts all summer, and a lot of art galleries, independent book stores (for "culture).

Ashland, as people have mentioned, has the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Ashland is a spendy town to live in, though, and is pretty sought-after. It has a reputation for being very snobby. You have to be a certain kind of person to live there, I've heard.

We know it rains a lot but we are looking for a town with th least rain/snow with nice summer temperatures.

Southern and Central/Eastern Oregon has the least amount of rain, but you sacrifice a lot on culture/music/nature, IMO, or else you accept a lot of snow (Central Oregon). The Willamette Valley has more rain (virtually no snow), but has more culture, opportunities. Bend gets a lotta snow, and a lot of cold, so there's the downside. But Bend is a desert, and gets very little rain.

We are looking at Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Medford, Wolf Creek, Bend, Eugene and maybe Salem.

That's a wide swath of towns to look at. Salem and Eugene have 200k in their respective metro areas. Wolf Creek and Talent are practically rest areas. What is it you're looking for in a town? This list doesn't make much sense; each town has little in common with the other.

(What we are looking for in a place, not too far (a few hrs) from a beach/ocean, Not horrible winters, NOT too much rain, Safe with decent schools and job market, We'd like a place with culture, native american reserves, zoos, or museums near by, Maybe a wooded area, A small close town)

Nowhere in the U.S. will you get a small town, with lots of culture, and perfect weather. You need to prioritize. 90% of Oregon's population lives within a few hours of the beach, so that's easy.

And just so you know, Oregon's job market is terrible. I know you think New Jersey's is comparable, but it's not. Have a job lined up.

And just so you know, Oregon's job market is terrible. I know you think New Jersey's is comparable, but it's not. Have a job lined up.

The unemployment rate is actually pretty comparable now. Oregon was doing much worse, but seems to be recovering somewhat more quickly (though I'm not sure how that meshes with the news the other day that the state had only added a few hundred jobs in the last several months - maybe people are leaving?).