moving to Oregon (Portland, Eugene, Salem: real estate, travel, income)

[ConnieandFrank]

My family is from Arizona and we would like to live in Oregon. We would like somewhere we can have a small ranch (horses,a cow,etc)(few). We want to live in the outskirts of a city whith good schools and very close access to a University. (15miles or less). We were thinking about perhaps close to Salem or Medford maybe even Eugene. What would you Oregonians (hope we spelled that right) recommend? Keeping in mind the lowest crime rate possible. We hear about Salem being 2 hrs away from everything (mountains, ocean, desert) is that true? How is the weather there in Salem? Is crime rate bad there? Please advice. Thank you.

[QuintusCinna]

Though Salem has all the green you might there are problems with it too. It rains 276 days of the year- that leaves you with less than 90 days of true sun. There is not that much variety in stores and the income is low. I encourage you to look toward Medford. Medford is in the only belt of the US that actually has "Mediterranean Weather" no kidding. I used to live there and now live in Eugene (which I don't encourage- see my post in "Moving to Eugene"). Medford has on average the highest spenders, highest income and far more variety of stores per mile than Eugene or Salem. Oregon has no sales tax so everywhere's going to be a plus on that direction. Medford is a growing town because it has no competition in the area while Eugene and Salem compete with Portland. The negative about Medford is its traffic system. It is considered the worst in the state but EVERYthing (stores, hospitals, etc.) are within 3 miles of anybody's house usually (unless you live WAY out there). Ashland is nearby (12 miles) with the Shakespearean Festival. There are lakes, you aren't far from the coast, and the weather is delightful (though a bit hotter than I'm used to in the Summer). You occassionally get snow (1 day every 2 years maybe), and the only real weather problem is the fog that stays in the valley.

[ConnieandFrank]

Thanks for answering. What do you think of Corvallis? We were looking at some of the places to have a small ranch near Corvallis and it seems there are some good places. Does Corvallis get as much rain as Salem? Do you know about the jobs there? The University? Have you guys ever experienced any earthquakes? How far are the South and North Sister Mountains from Corvallis (hope I got the name write.) Do you guys have drills for tsunamis or is it something you guys don't worry much about? Thanks for your time.
Connie and Frank.

[Oregonians]

The tsunami drills are just for those of us on the coast. You're safe in the valley (e.g. Corvallis). Corvallis probably gets about as much rain as Salem. Oregon does get some smaller quakes, but as I understand it the big fault is offshore, so we're most worried about tsunamis rather than direct quake damage.

[Ryan]

With your criteria, I'd definitely be looking east of the Cascades around Bend. Real estate is inexpensive. There's a great college nearby. Low crime. Close to a plethora of outdoor activities. Honestly, probably less than 1% of the k-12 public schools in OR are great (has a lot to do with alotted finances; the state is broke), but the schools around Bend are above the average. The Bend area is also in the rain shadow of the cascades, so it doesn't get nearly as much rain as the west side and is much more adequate for ranching. IMO, both Corvalis and Salem are dumpy; I wouldn't consider putting my money there.

I forgot to mention that my brother just moved to Bend from AZ to go to school. He says it reminds him of Prescott, if that helps any.

[Parrotman]

We moved from AZ to Medford a few years back and now we live in Bend. We love Bend. It does remind us of Prescott. You get some of the best of both. The green from the rain and the sunshine from being in high desert. Lots of shopping, lots of good restraunts, the job market is really strong.

Real estate is expensive here so that may be a consideration. If you can even find acreage it will cost you a lot more than land in AZ.

We hated living in Medford. Hated the weather, hated the air pollution, hated the traffic. And the fog...

[oldhippie]

Originally Posted by Ryan

With your criteria, I'd definitely be looking east of the Cascades around Bend. Real estate is inexpensive. .

I don't know what qualifies as "inexpensive" but I just heard that the average home price in Bend is now over $300,000. The area is being over-run with S. CA retirees.

Check out Union & Wallowa counties. They are a bit off the beaten path but the cost of living in much lower. La Grande (in Union county) is home to Eastern Oregon University.

[seashelly]

Living along the coast, I am very aware of tsunamis, however, if you're directing these people over towards the Bend area, they should be alerted to the possibility of the Sisters volcanic eruption that is currently being monitored. Just something else to be aware of.

[schoolteacher]

Corvallis is beautiful and a good choice for a small ranch. With plentiful rain the grass grows well. If you are planning to have a small ranch (you need to define small) then you will need grass unless you have money for feed. The best grass growing region is the Willamette Valley. I raise sheep on 10 acres but only use 4 to 5 acres for grazing - the rest is my woodlot. I spend very little on heat (chainsaw oil and gas) and I will have wood forever.
A more desert climate east of the cascades will require larger acerage for
your livestock. Probably someone living over on that side could tell you how much acerage would be needed.
Air quality here in Estacada is excellent - you can tell by the variety of lichens growing on the trees. The well water is very pure - we have no need of water filters. People keep horses here and the prices are lower than many places down in the valley (we are at 1500 feet). Downside? The commute to town is 40 to 50 minutes. Plenty of work in Portland. Lots of support from other small farmers and ranchers,helpful neighbors.

[vpray99]

Originally Posted by ConnieandFrank

My family is from Arizona and we would like to live in Oregon. We would like somewhere we can have a small ranch (horses,a cow,etc)(few). We want to live in the outskirts of a city whith good schools and very close access to a University. (15miles or less). We were thinking about perhaps close to Salem or Medford maybe even Eugene. What would you Oregonians (hope we spelled that right) recommend? Keeping in mind the lowest crime rate possible. We hear about Salem being 2 hrs away from everything (mountains, ocean, desert) is that true? How is the weather there in Salem? Is crime rate bad there? Please advice. Thank you.

I am not sure about Salem, but if you want a good little city with good schools and close to a university (not to mention fairly cheap if you want to rent or buy) then might I suggest Klamath Falls? I have lived here all my life and it is not only truly beautiful, but the schools are good and the University's healthcare majors are some of the best! There is plenty of places to hike, to sightsee, and there is swimming and fishing in many of the nearby lakes, and rivers. IT is about 4 to 5 hours from Reno Nevada, and 5 hours from the coast. The weather is fairly cool, but I believe it is not bad. I heard mentioned somewhere on this forum that the bugs are bad (midgees) but they are only around for about three to four months of the year and only around the lake. If you dont live across from the lake and you dont travel around it, then they wont bother you. Its a small city but growing. IT is one of Oregons best kept secrets. Just thought I would give you the heads up.