looking for a city in Oregon that's not too cold or costly (Medford: how much, homes)

[skitow]

I am new to any type of a forum, so please bear with me. I was born in Spokane and moved to CA when I was 20 for a job with the airlines. I hate this state since silicone vally was invented. Masses of rude uncaring people who only care how much can I make. I have been to Oregon many times before my back disabled me, and I would love to live in your state. Don't hate all from CA, there are a lot of really nice people in this state. Can anyone point me in the right direction on where to live in Oregon? I can't live in a snowy or super-rainy area due to the problem I have just trying to walk. Cost is a great concern for me, living on a disability income. I would really love some suggestions on where to call my home. Hope to hear from you, Bye for now

[Clear2land]

Hi Skitow:

I know of no spot West of the Cascades that does not get a lot of rain in winter. I know of no spot East of the Cascades that does not get snow. It sounds like that is very important to you. If it is, I would look at Nevada or Arizona. You would be trading rain and snow for a little heat. The benefit is that you would have more sunny days. Nevada does not have a state income tax. Here is a great website that will give you information about cities, their weather, and a whole host of information.

//www.city-data.com/

Good Luck to you Skitow!

Dan

[freedom]

What is alot of rain to you? You did say you came from Wa. right.
Grants pass is great- 4 seasons. anywhere from 20-35 in. per yr. and just a dusting of snow. ITS THE CLIMATE.
Homes range from 175,000 to 1 million and up
Rents are 500-2500.

[rcnkat]

Hi I am from Florida and new to this forum...just wondering about
the weather in Ashland. I have read several posts and everyone talks
about how pretty Oregon is--- but, I hear it rains all the time....
so, I am used to the rain....but is it sunny???
thanks alot
Kat

[Waterlily]

Yes it is pretty in Oregon. There's lots of forests,water,desert and mountains. There's something for just about anyone.

There's not too much rain in Ashland just about 23 inches per year. Yes there is a lot of sun but I don't know how it would compare to Florida. Florida would be much warmer.If you are interested in that area I check out the stats on city-data for Ashland and compare it to where you live. The biggest preventative problem about moving to Ashland is that it is expensive to live there.

Southwestern Oregon would probably have the best weather but it's getting to be expensive. Oregon as a whole is not a cheap state to live in anymore.

[Steve97415]

Sunshine in western Oregon is quite seasonal; it's a "feast and famine" scenario. From mid-June to mid-September, the sun is relentless. From mid-November to mid-March, it pokes out now and then, but 80-100% cloud cover is the norm (it's still cloudy even when not raining). The rest of the year is variable.

[rcnkat]

thanks waterlily
I appreciate your thoughts.....
kat

thanks Steve for your thoughts as well...
kat

[Kiwi]

You mentioned "Sunshine in western Oregon...From mid-November to mid-March, it pokes out now and then, but 80-100% cloud cover is the norm." I was wondering if that would describe Ashland climate. Does Ashland get as much fog/cloud cover in the winter months as towns farther north in the Rogue Valley, like Medford?

Thanks,
Kiwi

[Clear2land]

Both Medford and Ashland are in valleys that get socked in with fog during winter. Grants Pass right down to Roseburg can get its share of fog so thick you could cut it with a knife. When the due point and the temperature come together, there will be fog. Driving in fog can be as challenging as trying to talk on a cell phone.

Dan

[SkyPath]

Oregon has definitely become colder since I left there in 2008. It was not my intention to leave the state permanently, but the climate has become so much cooler and more damp that I doubt I could adapt again after living in NE Arizona for just over four years. Where I live it is not warm or hot all year round -- there are rains and even snow and occasional hard freezes. When I lived in Southern Oregon, at the end of February, flowers would begin to bloom. By April in places like Ashland and the Siskiyous, rains would often stop for months and temperatures were HOT during the day and cool at night. If not for the danger of wildfires, it would have been an ideal climate. For two years, I lived on the South coast in Gold Beach. The winters were stormy with mild temperatures and the summers were rarely too hot. Now I could not bear living on the coast. It's much too cold and rainy constantly.

I will always love Oregon, but I know that my body will not adapt to the way the climate has gotten so much more cold and damp. Maybe I lived there in a time that was unusually warm. As it is, in Arizona, I have difficulty getting through the shorter and milder winters without getting clobbered by pneumonia. Here, the dust in the air and the winds make breathing difficult and people with arthritic conditions suffer a lot of pain, so I would recommend that you research very carefully where you relocate. What Clear2land wrote about Medford and Ashland are as true as living along the Oregon coast. Fog in the valleys along I-5 can be surreal and driving in these conditions is not recommended -- but people do! In Arizona, there are the equivalent problems of "monsoons" that are very dangerous during the summer months. We get dust storms throughout the state (although it is typically worse toward the south) and flash floods that fill dry washes in a matter of what seems like seconds. I recommend reading and researching about any place you're thinking of moving and learning about what is positive and negative before making such a large change in your life.

Originally, I moved to Arizona from Oregon in search of employment. At first things looked good. In six months, the economy here was in terrible shape and I felt a lot of regret for having come here. While I understand what you dislike about California, there are many times I wish I'd found a place where I could have lived in California -- somewhere with public transportation and a better economic picture. Here, there is NO public transit, the desert has destroyed my car and jobs are few and far between.

It is my understanding that Oregon's economic "picture" is no better now than it was when I left -- and when I left, it was because the two part-time jobs I worked were pulled out from under me and handed to someone "more qualified". In other words, I had undergraduate training and she had a master's degree -- although the woman was unable to write a coherent sentence and I devoted (unpaid) hours to making her look competent. I recently learned that she is thoroughly unemployed. Don't imagine that problems exist only in Silicon Valley. The behavior may be different, but that doesn't mean it's better. I worked in Silicon Valley and people tended to get right up in one's face, rather than betray you behind your back. I believe I prefer the former to the latter.