Am i Considering the right places? (Portland, Eugene: real estate, income, jobs)

[MeridithJill]

Hello there! I love this forum, because it is so informative! I have been reading and reading and reading so i finally decided to post. We are considering a move to Oregon in about 11 mos. The towns i am looking at from the info i gathered here and the town websites are Ashland (though that will prob. be too expensive for us) Medford, Roseburg and Silverton.

We currently live in AZ (for 9 yrs.) and though the desert has beautiful things about it we want to start a family where there is space. The affordable housing here has 6ft. block walls around all the yards and obviously since we are in the desert there aren't any trees. Originally i am from new england so i think i'll be fine on the rain and clouds. it rains a lot there. We in our late 20's early 30's and like the mountains as opposed to the beach and would like a medium sized town 100,000 or under (not 5,000 though, thats too small) that is somewhat safe. I think phoenix is one of the higher places on crime in the country. Also, my husband is a diesel mechanic so we will be looking for a job first of all and then seeing if we like the place.

Based on what i have said here, am i considering some good places to raise a family that might also have a job for us? If you read this whole thing, bless you, i appreciate it! and would appreciate any info also. Thanks!
-meridith

[scone]

For a diesel mechanic, I would look at the John Deere website, along with the other tractor websites, and make sure you have a strong job offer before you get here. You also want to make sure there are alternatives, if the economy gets worse and the original job does not pan out, or there are layoffs. Oregon has a big problem providing good jobs compared to the cost of living, especially housing, as others on this forum have mentioned. But a good diesel mechanic should be able to find work in the Willamette Valley, where there are a lot of agricultural towns, and lots of diesel cars and trucks.

Then again, if you are able and willing to work, a second income wouldn't hurt at all, especially in the health field. There is definitely a shortage of nurses, from LPN to RN, as well as other allied health workers.

IIWY I'd look at Craigslist, as well as the Portland and Salem newspaper web sites, to get an idea of job prospects. And if your DH is union, they might have some advice, too. Just a thought. Good Luck!

[Silverfall]

Silverton only has a population of 9,000 or so. It's only 20 minutes from Salem which is close to 150,000 though.

[westvillemama]

Medford is an area which does not suffer as badly as comperable towns when the economy dips. There is usually some sort of development and reasonable job security in that area, mainly due to its central location being pretty much halfway 'tween SF and PDX on the I-5 corridor. It's a stopping-off point and there is a decent amount of industry located there.

Roseburg is on the corridor as well, but tends to suffer more economic depression during dips. It is largely a mill town though, so jobs for diesel mechanics may be more plentiful than in MFR. I can't speak directly to that. My folks live outside Roseburg. They are very.. um.. self-sufficient and conservative, and they really like the area even though work can be difficult to come by (mom in real estate related services, stepdad in timber). It is a conservative area for sure, so if that appeals to you it may be a good fit.

If you are wanting job security, I'd personally look to small towns outside of more metropolitan areas. Silverton is close to Salem. Also consider towns outside the Eugene area-- that is another smalltownish place that seems to remain stable.

Most of all, good luck!

[Alexious]

I know people like to knock Central Oregon (Bend) because of the expensive housing, but there is a lot of work to be had here. Bend is a great medium-sized town that's safe and there are several other smaller towns in the area where homes are less expensive. If you like the mountains, they don't get much prettier than the Three Sisters.

[MeridithJill]

thanks for the input guys. i was considering checking out bend, it just seems so "out there" i wasn't sure there would be any diesel mechanic jobs there for my husband.

[NightBazaar]

You might also think about Albany. Population is a bit over 40,000. Close to I-5. Although it's located in the Willamette Valley, it's fairly close to the mountains or the Coast. It's a small town with a quite a few conveniences. It's a good place for raising a family.

There are a few diesel tractor companies, but there are also several other companies in the area that employ diesel mechanics for commercial trucking.

You might want to have a look online to see if it might be the kind of town that appeals to you.

[Terryj]

Meridith, Medford is a pretty good area, the population is about 65,000 however, there are some smaller towns within 30 minutes of Medford, Eagle Point, Shady Cove, Jacksonville, Gold Hill just to name a few. As for your husbands career, he should have no problem getting a job here, one of the largest trucking companies on the west coast is based out of Medford. Like another poster said, Medford is about the half way point along the I-5 corridor.
If you want mountains there within a 45 minute drive of Medford and the ocean is about an hour and a half drive all within easy reach.
Medford has suffered with a huge drug problem in the past, mainly Meth, but they seem to be getting control on it. I guess the crime rate here is about normal for a city of 65,000.

[MeridithJill]

thanks Terryj.
We are going to be driving my little sister to monmouth to attend college in sept., so we will stop and look at diff. cities. I am assuming you live in Medford-thanks for the info. I presently live in phoenix. We also have a meth problem here, its one of the worst states for it. but phoenix is huge, i don't even know what the pop. is. Actually, i live outside of phx, in goodyear, but all the towns out here in desert meld into one, its sprawling and dirty. yay!

[Bendite]

Originally Posted by MeridithJill

thanks for the input guys. i was considering checking out bend, it just seems so "out there" i wasn't sure there would be any diesel mechanic jobs there for my husband.

Highway 97 is a major truck route from California through Central Oregon and up to Washington, so we do potentially have jobs for diesel mechanics. There are not lots of jobs in Bend unless you want to work in retail or in a restaurant. Good paying jobs are tougher to find.