Senior population boom hits every corner of Oregon: See which counties are aging fastest (Jacksonville: sale, condo)

[oregon911]

That explains why I'm ALWAYS stuck behind someone going 15-20 miles under the speed limit no matter where I go.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by oregon911

That explains why I'm ALWAYS stuck behind someone going 15-20 miles under the speed limit no matter where I go.

Well, at least you can chill out while waiting for someone else to pump your gas. And what's the rush sonny boy? You don't have to get anywhere fast do you? lol

Derek

[seashelly]

Really......no need to hurry in Oregon. Anyways, the person driving in front of you is probably taking pictures.

[Hawk J]

Enjoy the beautiful day.


Take some awesome photos.


Smell the fragrant wild Lilacs & Sweet Peas.


Live in Peace, Harmony, Tranquility.....

[oregon911]

Anyways, the person driving in front of you is probably taking pictures.

That's VERY common on 101.

[wolfdog]

Originally Posted by seashelly

Really......no need to hurry in Oregon. Anyways, the person driving in front of you is probably taking pictures.

Better than the person behind me doing so. Nearly got rear-ended on 101, yesterday.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by wolfdog

Better than the person behind me doing so. Nearly got rear-ended on 101, yesterday.

This happens 'all the time' where we live near the Big Sur coast along Hwy 1. Its a photographer's dream and can be a local's nightmare if you are not constantly prepared for this. Folks will brake and stop to take a picture right in the road! In some ways I don't blame them due to the natural beauty of the place. But it can be dangerous and frustrating when simply trying to get from point A to point B. Like Hawk J says, sometimes you just have to stop and take time to smell the flowers.




Derek

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Oregon is a retirement destination because most areas outside the Portland metro area and Willamette Valley are scenic but don't have the local economy to support families. So they are attractive to retirees who bring their source of income with them:

- The entire Oregon Coast for the most part
- Much of Central Oregon: Bend, Redmond, Prineville, etc.
- Aging timber/mining/ag towns like Roseburg, Grants Pass, Silverton, etc.
- "Banana Belt" towns near California such as Medford.

If you are a retiree coming from a high cost of living state like California, what's not to like? The countryside is scenic and generally well-preserved thanks to land-use laws. Traffic is mostly light outside the major cities. There is the winter weather of course. But that's when you go to Arizona or go on cruises. The problem is finding professional jobs that will support families outside of the major metro areas. But I guess with all the retirees there should be plenty of minimum wage home health aid type jobs. So there's that.

The problem I think is when a state or region tilts to far towards retirees and then sort of a death spiral starts to happen. Support and funding for schools decline because voters no longer have ties to school age children. Professional jobs dry up which exacerbates the school problem. What low wage jobs do exist, especially outdoor ag/resource jobs attract only immigrants which further exacerbates the school issues. And then pretty soon you look like parts of Arizona where the schools receive so little local support that they can't even find qualified teachers willing to work for pennies. And no one cares because it is only immigrant kids in the schools anyway.

How high or low is the cost of living? I'm looking for a way to get out of my current one, where its cheap to live but got to were the 'quiet' is just so dull. I'd also love being around people with more open ideas. Oregon/Washington was something we looked into when the husband was still around, but now long on my own and looking into the next move I am looking for somewhere the cost of living isn't inflated with more to do and a different attitude. I can eek a lot of of a budget, but would love looking forward instead of back.



I see a lot of mobile homes for sale on lots and would consider this too, but need some sort of connection with transit, and its unclear if they are.

[PNW-type-gal]

The median house price in Cushing, OK is $79,000. I don't think there is any city in Western Oregon in which that is true. And to get reasonable transit, you have to be in a large city. If you have been seeing properties for less, they must be way out of town (no transit) or in bad shape in less-than-great neighborhoods.

Portland median $430,000

Salem median $262,000

Eugene median $296,000


Housing alone is a much larger expense. There are reduced-rent vouchers but they have income restrictions and can be very hard to get in certain cities - the wait list is long.

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

The median house price in Cushing, OK is $79,000. I don't think there is any city in Western Oregon in which that is true. And to get reasonable transit, you have to be in a large city. If you have been seeing properties for less, they must be way out of town (no transit) or in bad shape in less-than-great neighborhoods.

Portland median $430,000

Salem median $262,000

Eugene median $296,000


Housing alone is a much larger expense. There are reduced-rent vouchers but they have income restrictions and can be very hard to get in certain cities - the wait list is long.

There's some new homes here, but largely its much older ones, a lot which got damaged in the big quake. The house itself is in town, its just that there isn't any transport, unless you can get the senior bus to pick you up. They won't take any animals so no luck on the vet. Mostly people just moved to Stillwater after the quake and it does have transit and gained 6k in residents. Right now, as I *have* a house, I'll be sticking here until something better has been found.


The best deal for me is here, I know, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a dying town.


There are ads for mobile homes in the northern area, and the used ones are in the twenties and will finance, and should they not exclude any of the family (one shepard) it sounds like it would be more interesting than here.