Moving to Oregon from Michigan with young children (Portland, Salem: school district, standard of living)

[ivyso]

Hi all,
we are thinking about moving to the west coast from Ann Arbor, Michigan. The main reason for our move is to live in a place with better weather and better access to the outdoors, that is not too expensive (like Southern CA). But we also want to be close to culture. We have 2 young children, one will be starting kindergarten this fall. We are looking for a kid-friendly, family oriented, safe community with high quality schools. What would be a good area to move to?

[Silverfall]

Our cost of living is higher here in Oregon that Michigan. Salem and Keizer Oregon are probably the most affordable in the valley. Here is the link to the AYP and Report Card Download - Oregon Department of Education report cards. Our school district is Salem Keizer. You can check the city out at City of Salem, Oregon - Official City Website.

If you have more money, the Portland area is fantastic. I loved the West Hills when I lived there, but traffic is not fun. Great schools on the West Side. Also depending on finances, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Wilsonville, Tualatin and Sherwood have some good schools as well.

[mazurkr]

portland has a higher standard of living than michigan as a whole, but definitely not higher than ann arbor.

having lived in both, housing values are about the same, close-in.

good move, as i'm doing the same, also with small kids, and for basically the same reasons.

as for where to move, in portland, west linn sounds like a good fit for your needs, and is most like ann arbor. for smaller towns, i've been in silverton and really liked it.

[Silverfall]

Silverton is a wonderful community, but has about 8,000 people. Not sure if you are looking for something that small?