LCOL town in OR between coastal range and mountains?

[Silverfall]

She should try Albany. I know there are some studios there for around $650 a month. The really cheap places are generally word of mouth.

[NightBazaar]

I agree with Silverfall. Albany might be a good choice. It's right next to I-5. For medical care, there's Samaritan Albany General Hospital. There's a Walmart Superstore east of I-5. Buses run routes in the city. If you need transportation and are not close to a bus stop, Dial-A-Bus service is available for seniors and disabled folks. There's an IGA grocery store in North Albany. There are several manufactured home parks in the area.

In North Albany, there's a small "hidden" mobile home park, located near the train tracks and across the street from IGA. All are occupied, except one that's vacant and up for sale. There's a covered carport with an attached storage room. There are a lot of cats around (keeps mice under control) and a few people have dogs. It's a single wide structure on a tiny yard with shade trees and appears to be in very good condition. No idea what the asking price is. Most of the neighbors are pretty friendly, helpful and usually mind their own business. Several people there are seniors. Space rent is $350 per month and includes garbage, water and TV service at no extra charge. A primary bus/parking area is nearby.

If you look around at some of the other parks in Albany, there are likely to be a few homes for sale. No idea as to space rent or any extras, although space rent tend to be a bit higher. Of course the catch is that there's the cost of the structures in addition to space rent, personal property tax and property insurance. If you have Fire-Med membership from the city, the cost is $65/year, but provides emergency ambulance service to hospitals for no extra charge. Air ambulance is higher, but not bad. Ambulances in Albany respond very quick and can get to the hospital within 5-10 minutes from almost anywhere in the city.

Plenty of shopping in and around Albany. Downtown Albany is somewhat historical and mostly has gift shops and antiques. Not far from downtown there are plenty of shopping areas and stores like Costco, etc. There's Senior Center in the downtown area near the Willamette River. Linn-Benton Community College is in the SW part of Albany. It's generally cheaper to live in Albany than it is in Corvallis. Corvallis does have a medical campus with a fairly good-sized hospital along with a Heart Center and a Cancer Treatment Center, and several clinics.

Another area to consider is Lebanon, which is east of Albany, and is about 10 or 15 miles from I-5. There's a small general hospital and a Walmart there as well. There are buses that travel between Lebanon and Albany or Corvallis.