Need advice on Central vs. Oregon (Portland, Medford: co-op, house, neighborhoods)

[4packerfans]

Hello,
I am looking at two jobs, one in Central Oregon (work in Madras but probably commute from another community) and one in Ashland Oregon. I've done enough research on the weather patterns. Am more interested in which of these communities will be family/kid friendly?
Also, my family likes to buy natural/organic/local food. From what I read Ashland/Medford area has alot of that. But then the Bend area has Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.
We are from northern WI, moved to AZ almost 2 years ago. We're middle class and want to live in a subdivision where kids are abundant and can run and play after school. Good sports programs, green grass in the backyard, and nice neighbors.
Id greatly appreciate any advice as this will be our kids 3rd move and we're looking for the "right" place without going back to subzero winter weather in WI.

[ORexpat]

Originally Posted by 4packerfans

Hello,
I am looking at two jobs, one in Central Oregon (work in Madras but probably commute from another community) and one in Ashland Oregon. I've done enough research on the weather patterns. Am more interested in which of these communities will be family/kid friendly?
Also, my family likes to buy natural/organic/local food. From what I read Ashland/Medford area has alot of that. But then the Bend area has Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.
We are from northern WI, moved to AZ almost 2 years ago. We're middle class and want to live in a subdivision where kids are abundant and can run and play after school. Good sports programs, green grass in the backyard, and nice neighbors.
Id greatly appreciate any advice as this will be our kids 3rd move and we're looking for the "right" place without going back to subzero winter weather in WI.

As an Oregon native, I can offer a few ideas, although other people probably have more.
In general, I would consider Bend more conservative than Ashland, and Medford more conservative than either of them. Ashland is quite liberal, and has a lot to offer culturally for a small town. I think you would find organic food in either area. The only problem with Bend is that it is a terrible place for a gardener, because of late and early frosts, so a lot of food probably has to be imported. Medford, and a lot of towns from there north have had big problems with meth. I would investigate that, when thinking of schools. I don't know about Ashland. In general I find central Oregon friendlier. I have
relatives living in both Sisters and Prineville, and Redmond is probably ok, too.
I would be careful of Madras. For a small place it is reputed to have no fewer than six Hispanic gangs. It used to be nice, but I wonder how it is now.
Ashland is probably the most expensive. Bend has been expensive, also, but
the economy is bad,--again.
The climate in both areas is pretty decent.

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by 4packerfans

Hello,
I am looking at two jobs, one in Central Oregon (work in Madras but probably commute from another community) and one in Ashland Oregon. I've done enough research on the weather patterns. Am more interested in which of these communities will be family/kid friendly?
Also, my family likes to buy natural/organic/local food. From what I read Ashland/Medford area has alot of that. But then the Bend area has Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.
We are from northern WI, moved to AZ almost 2 years ago. We're middle class and want to live in a subdivision where kids are abundant and can run and play after school. Good sports programs, green grass in the backyard, and nice neighbors.
Id greatly appreciate any advice as this will be our kids 3rd move and we're looking for the "right" place without going back to subzero winter weather in WI.

Natural/organic/local food will be easily found anywhere in Western Oregon. There are plenty of stores in Ashland and also a food co-op I believe. Medford is getting a co-op soon as well. But like ORexpat mentioned, it will likely be somewhat less local in Central Oregon because of the shorter growing season. It'll have to come from the Willamette Valley at the closest. But, as you know, they do have a Whole Payche... I mean... Whole Foods... in Bend.

Generally Oregon towns are not really "subdivision" kinds of towns like in Arizona or back east. But if there are two towns in Oregon that are like this, they are Bend and Medford. It's these kind of places where you're going to find less friendly neighbors (nice, sure, but not friendly necessarily) because everyone, just about, is a transplant. It doesn't matter if you're middle class or what have you. People in either place are just people. Personally I never saw kids playing in the neighborhoods growing up in Southern Oregon. It wasn't till I moved to Portland that I saw that. The median age is a bit older in Southern Oregon than many place. I can't speak to Central Oregon on that, however. I can say that, in both places, if you want a green lawn you'll have to water it. And that's kind of a waste of water.

Good sports programs are difficult to find. Often there are steep participation fees because Oregon, as a state, seems to lag in prioritizing education/education funding, let alone in funding extracurriculars. I think there was a mandatory participation fee that was something like $180 per year to play a sport or do band, etc, at my old high school, for example. Our band was one of the best in the state, and our football team was pretty good, but it cost a pretty penny. It just depends on the school district though. Ashland has good, fairly well-funded schools, but they're having to shutter schools because of declining enrollment. Families have been getting priced out of that town for quite some time, but it would be a great place to raise a family I think. Medford wouldn't be a half bad alternative, though. A lot more families there than Ashland.

[Fiddlehead]

I would say southern Oregon has a lot of what your want. Ashland is lovely, but expensive, aging, and not very many families. Two of our five schools closed for lack of enrollment, then a new private school opened up, which seems to attract many of wealthy new kids. Almost everyone in town moved from California with $$$. However, housing has dropped a lot, and it might be relatively affordable for families, though still MUCH more expensive than Medford. Medford has many beautiful homes and neighborhoods, and I would expect to see kids around. It is a nice town, but not so exclusive. Organic food is easily found here, and gardening is good, so long as you water A LOT.

[4packerfans]

ORexpat,
Thank you for sharing your knowlege. good to know about the gangs in Madras, which is where I'd be working at. I do get concerned about the drug abuse because I am a health care provider and will have to deal with narcotic/drug seeking behavior in the clinic.

[4packerfans]

Backdrifter,
After reading your post I decided to start seeking job opportunities closer to Portland. It's very important to find an area that is kid/family friendly. The kids and families in both AZ towns we've lived in haven't been overly friendly. Surely not like the midwest was.
Do you recommend any specific towns on the east side near Portland? We're looking at Corvallis, Springfield right now.

[4packerfans]

Fiddlehead,
I've been watching the recent weather in Southern Oregon and seems to be somewhat hotter than reported on City data graphs? Looks like Southern Oregon doesn't get much rain at all, Central Oregon looks to be the same. We will look at Medford. Thanks

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by 4packerfans

Fiddlehead,
I've been watching the recent weather in Southern Oregon and seems to be somewhat hotter than reported on City data graphs? Looks like Southern Oregon doesn't get much rain at all, Central Oregon looks to be the same. We will look at Medford. Thanks

The City Data graphs are - I believe - compiled from National Weather Service info and represent averages. You can have hotter or cooler, dryer or wetter years than average.

In just about all of Oregon, rain falls mostly in the late fall/winter/early spring. Summer monsoons (like Arizona) aren't all that common here, even in the high desert. The Medford area frequently has higher peak temps in the summer than the Bend/Madras area (I think the average is 10-12 days above 100 degrees in Medford, with more humidity), but the winters are milder in Medford.

To get the suburbs you were discussing, though, you need a larger city, probably larger than Medford. You could consider places like Central Point or White City or Talent or Phoenix to be suburbs of Medford, but they aren't really an extension of the city, the way, say, Glendale AZ is a suburb of Phoenix AZ.

[delta07]

It sounds like you would do really well in Ashland. It's a great community and has everything you are looking for. With the exception of Bend (and maybe Redmond), Central Oregon is pretty conservative and comprised of small ranching communities. Unfortunately, Madras does have some major problems with gangs and drugs. I would not want to live there. It's a bit far to do a daily commute from the Bend/Redmond area.

[StampinTami]

Originally Posted by 4packerfans

Fiddlehead,
I've been watching the recent weather in Southern Oregon and seems to be somewhat hotter than reported on City data graphs? Looks like Southern Oregon doesn't get much rain at all, Central Oregon looks to be the same. We will look at Medford. Thanks

We were just in Medford this past weekend and from what we were told from several different people, was that the weather this summer has been much hotter than usual.

Medford seems like a great smaller town. My cousin and his family just moved there a few months ago. Their neighbors are pretty friendly- one brought cookies when they first got there. They bought a house that needed lots of work and one brought over dinner for them one night cause she noticed they were working late. They only wish there were more kids in the neighborhood.