Possibly moving to Hillsboro for job, looking for apartments or rental houses (Portland: sales, high crime)

[brenda2489]

I'm trying to find areas in Hillsboro,OR or near the area that have decent price ranges on apartments but are in safer areas. I realize that no where is 100% safe. We are just going to sign a 6mth lease so we can learn the areas more. At first we will have a more limited budget, until I find a job. My bf will have a job prior to us moving to the area. We're not sure how the higher income taxes will affect his paycheck. So I don't know how much rent we could really afford per month. I've read that Oregon has one of the higher income taxes amount. We do have some money in savings to help us out at first. His income will be around 33,000 per year starting out but then he will increase quite a bit more with experience. The job is near the Portland-Hillsboro airport, not sure if there are places close by. Once I find a job we will be able to afford more. We do have a 3yr old and a 13yr old. So we want to live somewhere that has decent schools also. I appreciate any help. I have been doing alot of research online but we are probaby going to be signing a lease before we move there. So it would be nice to get input from people who actually live there. We're not picky with things that we're looking for in apartment, just safety and decent prices.

[figmalt]

Hillsboro is pretty safe overall, but anything along the Cornell/Evergreen corridor between 25th and 185th is going to be safe. There are a lot of newer (i.e., less than 10-15 years old) apartments in that strip, which encompasses Orenco and Tanasbourne. I lived near the airport for many years, so know the area pretty well, and there are quite a few apartment buildings within a couple mile radius. If you have specific questions about a complex, feel free to DM and I'll give you whatever info I have.

[Nell Plotts]

OP, Hillsboro is considered Portland metro.

That said figmalt is correct.

[brenda2489]

Thanks for the info. Once I find some apartment places we're interested in I'll ask for info. We just got the call a couple days ago for the possible job offer. So I'm still doing lots of research. From other threads I have read people make Hillsboro out to be a bad area, being invaded by mexicans and ghetto areas. I'm from central florida and we have alot of different races that live there.

[Nell Plotts]

You will be shocked, really shocked, at the relative lack of diversity.

Hillsboro is no ghetto, there are some people who think that the few remaining farm workers are drug dealers but, honestly, while they are relatively poor they have about the same % of bad apples as other communities. The difference is that if your family is middle or upper class you are sneakier and can pay cash for drugs while the poor have collection problems.

For example, when my daughter was in high school I took her on a business trip to St. Louis where we stayed in a fine hotel. She was startled by the difference in demographics. For the first time in her life she was a minority.

[brenda2489]

Ok ,thats good that it's not a ghetto. People really make Hillsboro out to be a bad place, from what I've read on other people's threads.. It wasn't going to stop me from moving there. Central Florida has lots of drugs,gangs, high crime, etc. There are the safer areas and the bad areas. So I'm used to avoiding certain areas. I have lived in different states, small towns, cities, etc. Everywhere I lived no matter how small or big,they all have bad areas and bad people. Luckily I've travelled alot and been exposed to different areas and cultures. I've been places where I'm the minority too. It can be a shock if thats not something your used to. My bf went to NY and had a culture shock, but he hasn't travelled as much as I have.
Im excited about moving to Oregon if he gets the position. My other worry was the high income taxes and how it will affect our paychecks. My bf's friend lived in Oregon and has told him it will really affect his paycheck. But I don't know if thats true or not, since I've never lived there.

[Nell Plotts]

Keep in mind that for a given level of services money must be paid. We whine a lot about our taxes because we see it in every paycheck. If we had a sales tax the money goes out in dribs and drabs and is hidden in the cost of goods and services. Somewhere in the Oregon or Portland forum is a link to a study of total taxation. As I recall Oregon is in the middle.

[Random_Walk]

Having lived in Hillsboro, I can say that certainly you will find a larger Latino population, and a lot of Latino stores in certain areas of it. However, you will not find what you would picture as a ghetto (barrio?) thing going. Most of the folks in town are hardworking as hell, and live honest, friendly lives (at the church I attended in Aloha, I was definitely in the minority, but never felt it in any obvious fashion, in spite of bi-lingual Mass schedules.)

Come to think of it, the only racial negativity I've seen or experienced has come from the rednecks who refer to the town as "Hillsburrito", or other not-so-subtle digs at the folks who live there.

You will find some occasional crap that goes on (mostly tagging and wannabe stuff) in the poorest neighborhoods, and in the small outlying towns surrounding Hillsboro (e.g. Cornelius, Aloha, etc), but nothing at all like what you would find or expect in Los Angeles, Kansas City, or the like.

[brenda2489]

Thanks for the info everyone. I live in the Tampa Bay area in Florida and we have a huge Latino Population. I have friends who are mexican and puerto rican. We are hard workers, honest, and friendly too, so thats good to know. In florida people can be very rude. We have alot of rednecks in florida and some are racist and some aren't. The Tampa Bay crime index is alot higher than Hillsboro and there is definately ghetto's. I'm not bi-lingual and my spanish friends believe if they live in America they need to know english. I know people can over exaggerate if they don't like things. So I'm not reading all the negativity and believing it. When they were saying Hillsboro is being overrun. I just thought I guess they haven't been to different parts in Florida, like Miami and stuff.

[bghouse]

Here's a free tool that I use to get a quick idea of what my paycheck take home would be after taxes. You can pick any state, and it updates for those specifics. You can also enter in things like 401k deductions, etc.

This could help you get a better idea what your BF's take home pay will be so you can start planning your budget.

Salary Paycheck Calculator - Payroll Calculators | SurePayroll

Oregon will be quite a change from Tampa (I was born in St. Pete and grew up on Siesta Key. Stayed in Sarasota for 23 years before moving), but it sounds like you are preparing and asking the right questions. Good Luck!