Moving to Oregon soon, and would love advice!!! (Portland, Eugene: low crime, how much)

[browneyedgrl506]

Hello everyone,

My fiance and I are moving to Portland (or somewhere close) in Oregon, soon after we are married at the end of '09. We would love to receive as much feedback on the state as possible, as well as parts you would recommend...It would be GREATLY appreciated!

Our three biggest concerns are as follows...

1.) Safety and very low crime.
2.) A little less rain and snow, compared to the rest of the state.
3.) Beautiful homes with LOTS of character, and affordable!...I would love
something very quaint and picturesque like in a movie, where the streets
are lined with plenty of mature trees, etc!

Any advice would help,
Thanks much!

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by browneyedgrl506

Our three biggest concerns are as follows...

1.) Safety and very low crime.
2.) A little less rain and snow, compared to the rest of the state.
3.) Beautiful homes with LOTS of character, and affordable!...I would love
something very quaint and picturesque like in a movie, where the streets
are lined with plenty of mature trees, etc!

Any advice would help,
Thanks much!

You don't want Oregon, you're looking for the Midwest. Try Iowa, Indiana or northern Arkansas.

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

You don't want Oregon, you're looking for the Midwest. Try Iowa, Indiana or northern Arkansas.

Huh? Less snow and rain means... Midwest? I think not.

Rain here is a fact of life though. You're not going to find anything near Portland with less rain, and there is hardly any snow to speak of.

Safety isn't an issue. Sure there are issues with property crime in some places, but violent crime rates in the Northwest compared to the rest of the country are pretty darn low.

And if you want a neighborhood with "affordable" character, you're going to have to look very hard and probably won't find anything in the Portland metro area. Not that it's impossible to find in the state, just not so much in the Portland area. But I guess that depends on your definition of affordable.

And I hope to heck you happy will-be newlyweds have jobs lined up here or a really big number in your savings account before you move out here. Not trying to scare you off, just trying to help.

[sandlinjames]

Originally Posted by browneyedgrl506

Hello everyone,

My fiance and I are moving to Portland (or somewhere close) in Oregon, soon after we are married at the end of '09. We would love to receive as much feedback on the state as possible, as well as parts you would recommend...It would be GREATLY appreciated!

Our three biggest concerns are as follows...

1.) Safety and very low crime.
2.) A little less rain and snow, compared to the rest of the state.
3.) Beautiful homes with LOTS of character, and affordable!...I would love
something very quaint and picturesque like in a movie, where the streets
are lined with plenty of mature trees, etc!

Any advice would help,
Thanks much!

Well, you definitely don't want Portland if crime, rain, & affordability are priorities. But Portland does have character.

[Terryj]

Northern Oregon (north of Salem) receives around 34" of rain per year, that is spread out throughout the entire year, with the least amount of rain in July. The crime rate in Portland is about average for a city its size.
If your looking for a city with less crime and less rainfall you should look south of Eugene, Oregon, from Eugene south the rainfall starts to lessen. The Umpqua Valley areas receive about 25" of rain a year and summer temps can rarely reach into the triple digits, The Rogue Valley receives about 19" a year, with some hot temps in the triple digits in the summer months. Employment south of Salem can be hard to find, this of course, depends upon your skills. The Portland metro area will offer more employment but this is just due to its size, I think the Portland metro area is about 1.3 million in population.

[Silverfall]

There are many beautiful homes with character in Oregon. What do you consider affordable?

[Smiled]

Your biggest concern should be: Employment.

[Rob Allen]

Originally Posted by Terryj

I think the Portland metro area is about 1.3 million in population.

The latest estimates I've seen have about 2.2 million people in the Portland area.

There are lots of safe, quaint older neighborhoods in the Portland area, but as others have mentioned, there will be rain (but not snow) and affordability varies from "maybe, if you have a good job" to "if you have to ask how much, you can't afford it".

[davefr]

Originally Posted by browneyedgrl506

Hello everyone,

My fiance and I are moving to Portland (or somewhere close) in Oregon, soon after we are married at the end of '09. We would love to receive as much feedback on the state as possible, as well as parts you would recommend...It would be GREATLY appreciated!

Our three biggest concerns are as follows...

1.) Safety and very low crime.
2.) A little less rain and snow, compared to the rest of the state.
3.) Beautiful homes with LOTS of character, and affordable!...I would love
something very quaint and picturesque like in a movie, where the streets
are lined with plenty of mature trees, etc!

Any advice would help,
Thanks much!

Portland, and Western Oregon, have significantly higher rainfall then "the rest of the state". Oregon is generally a pretty dry climate.

Try Burns or Baker.

[mdvaden]

Compared to the rainfall at the coast and the snow in some areas, Portland would be pretty low by Oregon standards.

Realize, even Grants Pass and the nearby Williams of Applegate Valley get around 31" to 33" of rain per year, even though the dry season is some weeks longer.

Might be able to find a micro climate outside Portland that has 8" to 10" less rain per year. Maybe Laurel.