Looking to relocate to a coastal town in Oregon from Michigan (Portland: rent, homes)

[Jessbythewater]

Hello, I live in a beach town on Lake Michigan in Michigan. I am looking at possibly relocating to a coastal town in Oregon. I love to be by the water and like the looks of the climate in the area. I would love to hear anything you can tell me about the coast. I have not yet been to Oregon, but am planning a trip to check it out. Been looking at some towns like Florence and Bandon online. I would like to be in a smaller to medium sized town but have a close proximity to a larger town with more restaurants, shopping, culture, etc. Please give me suggestions and tell me what you think about any areas. Climate(windy, rainy, warm, sunny?), people, community, housing/rent costs, cost of living, photos, conveniences/inconveniences, lakes to swim in, things to do,... anything you can tell me about living in the area! I plan on renting a place, not buying right away. I'm 30 and single, laid back, and outdoorsy. I don't always like to be "On the go", but I don't want to be bored in a town that's too small either. Thanks for any help!

[Silverfall]

What's too small and what is close proximity to a larger town?

[Jessbythewater]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

What's too small and what is close proximity to a larger town?

Sorry I didn't specify. I currently live in a town of about 12,000 people. But we get a ton of tourists in the summer and I can handle that. I could handle bigger or smaller. But I don't think I could do 2,000. To me, a too small town doesn't have a grocery store, gas station, or downtown. I like convenience. I like that where I am at, I can go get fast food at 11:30 p.m. and be home in ten minutes. I like to go downtown and "people watch", rent a movie, take my dog for walks, or go see a movie at the theater, get groceries and gas without having to travel far, and checking out local shops. And having healthcare close. I like the sense of "community" in a smaller town as opposed to a large city. I am ready to leave Michigan because I am sick of these blizzards in the winter and having to risk my life to drive two hours in horrible weather, getting re-routed when the freeway closes due to white-outs, just to visit family. Not my thing! As far as proximity to a larger city; I would like to be within 30-60 minutes from a place that has more VARIETY, museums, airport, shopping, malls, big concerts, culture, etc. I don't need all of that where I live, but I would like to have the opportunity to access it on occassion. Thanks again!

[Waterlily]

All the coast of Oregon has a rainy season. There isn't a dry place on the coast.Some places get more wind but maybe going inland a couple of miles and the wind is less.This time of year the weather pretty darn nice. I'm living in the Coos Bay/North Bend area. We have mostly sunny days going on now but it doesn't get hot. Most cities on the coast get tourists during summer but not so many since the recession started. Still weekends get busy in town.

Florence is a nice enough city with lots of tourists. There seems to be mostly retired people living there. You'll find lots of the coastal cities have lots of retired people, but the percentage is different for each city. Both Bandon, and Florence have gas stations and a place to buy groceries.Bandon is well known for all it's golf courses.

[davefr]

Are you retired?? Will you need a job??

There are plenty of nice coastal towns. Like I told the other poster, if employment is needed then you'd be foolish to narrow the list down now.

Full time jobs even at min. wage are next to impossible now.

[Jessbythewater]

I am from Michigan, where jobs have been ridiculously hard to find or impossible for many years now. Many people have been leaving the state for employment elsewhere, so I know how that goes. I work in healthcare as a rehabilitation therapist(hospitals, nursing homes, schools, etc.) but am disabled now, so a job at this time is not currently an issue in my relocation process. Although possibly part-time in the future may be a necessity. Thanks for the heads up on employment. And it's good to know about the weather too... it's hard to tell from a basic climate graph you find online for each city, whether it's sunny a lot or windy all the time, gloomy, rainy, etc. Thanks again.

[davefr]

OK, if employment is not a consideration then I'd look at the towns along the Northern OR coast due to their proximity to Portand. (ie look between Lincoln City to Astoria and that will allow you to go into Portland in approx. 2 hrs).

I don't think you'll find significant climate differences among these towns but a few miles inland tends to get you a little more sun and a little less fog.

You'll find plenty of outdoor recreation all along the coast. Winters tend to be very wet, foggy and cold but even in the winter we get these bursts of summer like weather along the coast. Spring remains wet but summers are usually dry but can be foggy and cold. Late summer/early fall is the best weather on the coast.

You need to check out all the towns in person. They range from tourist traps (Cannon Beach/Seaside) to off the beaten path/quaint and gorgeous (Oceanside).

[sarahkate_m]

From what I hear, the Oregon coast is usually foggy, not very warm, not swimmer friendly.

Davefr is right on in his recommendation to come visit & decide from a first person angle.

[Jessbythewater]

Thank you. Can anyone tell me about Florence and Newport?

[richpix]

Florence is well known for its retirement community. More than 40% of the population is over 60.