Sonoma County Calif. to somewhere in coastal Oregon? (Eugene, Bend: fit in, real estate)

[ChrisPy]

My girlfriend & I moved out to California last year from Pennsylvania. We love
the West coast and wan't to stay out here for good. This seems to be a common recurring ? from what I've been reading on the forum, but what are the nicer coastal areas in S. Oregon. We're looking for a place like Sonoma
County, where we can make enough money to live, but where it is quiet and there is still a lot of unspoiled nature. We plan to spend another 2-3 years here but in the long run it seems the housing here is so rediculously expensive
that we will never be able to afford anything. There are just too many damned yuppies and *******s moving into this area too. We are young nature
lovers who wan't a nice quaint place to live but we have to be able to make a decent living too. Any and all advice appreciated,thank you.

[Waterlily]

There are lots of nice places to live on the coast of Oregon. We are not as expensive as California but then we get more clouds and rain.

Many towns on the coast are too small to have any jobs at all. I live outside of Coos Bay which is the most populated place on the coast. It's still not what you'd call crowded & there are some jobs here. It just depends on what you do and the qualifications you have. Low paying jobs are pretty easy to get right now.

To find out more about the area check out the city-data pages for Oregon cities.

[Steve97415]

There is a fundamental economic difference between coastal California (below Cape Mendocino) and coastal Oregon. Coastal Oregon had always been based on a resource extraction industry base -- fishing and logging. It didn't have the kind of agricultural and manufacturing industries that California had. Nowadays, the Oregon coast is mostly retirement. The economies of most coastal communities in the state is tenuous at best and dependent upon federal subsidies that may not be renewed.
The cost of housing is high and prevailing wages are unbelievably low. The coast is a poor prospect for building a career, but has some attractions for retirees. So don't just look at the cost of housing. Look at the cost of housing as a function of what you'll be able to make in the local job market.
Realize also that no place on the Oregon coast has the kind of Mediterrean climate found in Sonoma County. We live in the mildest climate on the Oregon Coast, and we often go to Bodega Bay or Mendocino for a "nice weather" break.

[ChrisPy]

Thank you for your replies Lily & Steve. Well that's what I was afraid of,that
there just isn't enough of an economy up there. I am planning to visit up your
way in a couple months to check it out & take a little vacation & see what's there. I guess we'll just have to keep hoping the real estate comes down
eventually,but I only see it rising. Well enjoy the COOL coastal weather up there it was 108*F down here over the weekend, even the coast was near
90-100* I heard.

[seacreeks]

I agree with Waterlily, that Coos Bay/North Bend might be your best bet. Or check out one of the bigger towns inland from the coast like Eugene or Corvallis - that have jobs and are easy traveling to the coast. Then you could take your time and explore the OR coast at your leisure.
I've lived on the Pacific Rim nearly all my life. I'm 61 now. Lived in communes in NoCal and Oregon in the 60's. I've also traveled the coast from San Diego to the Olympic Peninsula. The Marin, Sonoma, Mendecino coasts used to be very nice places to live - IF you had a niche - a trade like fishing, carpentry, artisan or such that fit in with the local economy/way of life.
Much of that culture has just about disappeared. This is just my slant on things albeit an incomplete one no doubt.
The point I'm waltzing around is that IMO the Oregon Coast is a much more livable place all round - for people without a ton of money- than either the California or Washington stretches of the Coast. You can see the difference immediately upon crossing the CA border into Oregon.
BTW, there always seems to be a need for social workers to service the Central and So. OR coastal areas. Again, as Waterlily said it depends on what lengths you are willing to go to on the economic food chain.
I've lived in the subtropics and to the subarctic and it doesn't get much better than Oregon. Unless of course you'd want to give the BC or SE Alaska coasts a try. Now there's a trip in a time machine!

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by seacreeks

The Marin, Sonoma, Mendecino coasts used to be very nice places to live - IF you had a niche - a trade like fishing, carpentry, artisan or such that fit in with the local economy/way of life.

That may be the most insightful comment made yet on this forum as regards making a living on the coast. Still quite true, I think, at least north of Cape Mendocino. Finding a niche isn't quite the same concept as having a solid career, but it's what you need to settle here.

[humboldtlove]

i agree with seacreeks..this also goes for humboldt and del norte counties as well. although the northern california coast is gorgeous, and is rural and you could make a living (in most areas)

[bobmulk]

If you are in health care, you should be able to find work anywhere, including the Oregon Coast. You're looking for something mild...the South Coast is your best bet, around Brookings which is our banana belt. However, an average house is going to run easily $300K. Again, since it's so popular with many retirees, it bumps up the housing cost. Plus, most areas on the coast don't have a lot of developable land. They're surrounded by mountains and sea and what little land it there might not be developable due to wetlands issues or because it's owned by the feds. All these help to increase housing costs.

Good luck.