Moving to Oregon Coast in Jan-March 2019 (Portland, Eugene: buying a home, buying, university)

[oregon911]

So you are moving from complete desert to complete opposite of desert. That's like moving from North Pole to Egypt.

[texasdiver]

I would pick Newport for two reasons:

1. Largest and most diverse town on the coast in terms of economics.

2. Newport is the closest city on the coast to the Willamette Valley. You can somewhat reasonably commute from Newport to Corvallis for work if it really came to it and you needed work. It is about 50 miles of 2-lane road but people do it. Every other city on the coast is going to have a substantially longer drive to get to any inland cities.

[wolfdog]

I've been here for 20+ years. Never thought of Newport as economically diverse. After minimum wage-type jobs, there aint much else. OK, maybe compared to other coastal cities, as you said. But that doesn't say much.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by wolfdog

I've been here for 20+ years. Never thought of Newport as economically diverse. After minimum wage-type jobs, there aint much else. OK, maybe compared to other coastal cities, as you said. But that doesn't say much.

You are right of course. No place on the coast is really booming. It is only by comparison to other cities on the coast that I make the reference.

Couldn't find stats for just Newport. But these are the 20 largest employers in Lincoln County which includes Lincoln City as well as Newport. In addition to the normal retail, wood products, and seafood processing jobs, Newport at least has NOAA and the OSU science center but those are pretty technical jobs and very competitive.

Lincoln County Largest Employers: Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County, Newport, Oregon - business relocation and expansion services

1 Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
2 Samaritan Health Services
3 Lincoln County School District
4 Lincoln County
5 Georgia Pacific Toledo
6 OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center
7 Pacific Seafood
8 NOAA
9 Walmart
10 Oregon Coast Brewing (Rogue Ales)
11 Fred Meyer
12 City of Lincoln City
13 Central Lincoln PUD
14 Salishan Lodge
15 City of Newport
16 Safeway Stores
17 Trident Seafoods (seasonal)
18 Shilo Inns
19 Inn at Spanish Head
20 Oregon Coast Aquarium
21 Mid Columbia Bus Company
22 JC Market, Newport
23 Mo's Restaurants
24 Best Western Plus Agate Beach Inn
25 Western Cascades Industries

[Oldglory]

What about Lincoln City for retirement? Is it that gloomy and cold year around to make it not a very desirable town for retirement?

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by Oldglory

What about Lincoln City for retirement? Is it that gloomy and cold year around to make it not a very desirable town for retirement?

Lincoln City is a retirement community. It is a very desirable town for retirement.

It is not a warm weather climate. If you are looking for a warm weather climate, please consider Southern California, Florida, or Hawaii. Thank you for your cooperation.

[Oldglory]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

Lincoln City is a retirement community. It is a very desirable town for retirement.

It is not a warm weather climate. If you are looking for a warm weather climate, please consider Southern California, Florida, or Hawaii. Thank you for your cooperation.

Thanks. I already live in So. Calif. and hate the dryness and the heat. I would love to live somewhere where there is a change of seasons with lots of trees, rain and cooler weather. Lincoln City sounds ideal for me.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by Oldglory

Thanks. I already live in So. Calif. and hate the dryness and the heat. I would love to live somewhere where there is a change of seasons with lots of trees, rain and cooler weather. Lincoln City sounds ideal for me.

The coast is very green, year-round, but the only real change of season is from cold and wet to cool and somewhat less wet. If you are looking for a definitive spring and fall, the coast is not really the place to pick.

Here is a temperature graph for Newport from City Data's section on states and cities and you can see that winter is low 50s and 8-14" of rain a month and summer (July, Aug, Sept) is low 60s and 4-6" of rain a month.

[Thom52]

I am just fascinated by these threads that are started by someone, and in 2 months the OP has never posted a followup after a couple of cautionary recommendations, but the thread merrily plows along with a life of its own.


Just in case...... Definitely find the job first, then follow that location.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by Oldglory

Thanks. I already live in So. Calif. and hate the dryness and the heat. I would love to live somewhere where there is a change of seasons with lots of trees, rain and cooler weather. Lincoln City sounds ideal for me.

In that case, welcome to the Oregon Coast. Very few hot days, and very little dryness. Though there is not really four season. It's more just wet and dry seasons.