Seeking smaller towns, where to look? (Portland, Bend: home, job market, high school)

[peaceseeker13]

Hello all, new here. We are looking at moving to OR next year.
We have 2 teenage boys and a home based business. With job market not a factor, just good internet -
what are some good places to start looking at? I don't know where to begin!

Our criteria:
smaller town less than 25,000 people
a more liberal population than conservative
higher elevation with less than 1 hour to skiing
less than 1 hour to larger chain type stores/retail shopping
a plus - regular thunderstorms instead of drought conditions!
Any help is appreciated!

[Sherwoody]

You are describing Ashland in Southern Oregon, I would start your search there.

[Silverfall]

The hour to skiing is very restrictive. So I'd look at Sandy and Ashland.

McMinnville would work too, but it is more than an hour to skiing.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by peaceseeker13

Hello all, new here. We are looking at moving to OR next year.
We have 2 teenage boys and a home based business. With job market not a factor, just good internet -
what are some good places to start looking at? I don't know where to begin!

...

1) Why Oregon? (WA State (2 minutes north of Oregon / Same climate / better schools / NO income tax) offers FREE Full time College instead of wasting time in High School - bonus = NO (School) social pressures for your kids with the move) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_Start

2) Lots of rain in PNW westside, but very rare to have thunder or lightning (3x in 30 yrs). Just DRIZZLE (200+ days / yr.) +/-

3) Higher elevation... not too many choices of 'high' cities on Westside of Cascades (MT is nice and high)

4) East side Higher towns are pretty dry... (WA and OR)

For your desires... (wet and close to snow / shopping) Ashland might be as close as you can get in OR, or Sisters or Bend area (will be pretty dry)

WA, Look into Cashmere / Sedro Woolley / Bellingham (Very nice to be near Vancouver, Canada for skiing / cultural events + Great skiiing in BC and Alberta rockies)


For HS Internet... much of Northern and eastern WA are fibered (due to Hydro dams offering the infrastructure. )

To be NEAR to Oregon (benefits) yet to be in WA, ... 300 Oregonians / month move to Camas, WA and surrounding county. 10 minutes to PDX to JET outt here for sun and ski. Just booked 8 flights to Colorado sun for Dec - March ($44 one-way)


all within 1 hr
Mtns, Coast, Big River, Volcano, Skiiing XC and DH, great Columbia Gorge hiking and kayaking...

within 30 min:
20+ colleges
100+ food trucks

Shopping / airport <15 min

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by peaceseeker13

Hello all, new here. We are looking at moving to OR next year.
We have 2 teenage boys and a home based business. With job market not a factor, just good internet -
what are some good places to start looking at? I don't know where to begin!

Our criteria:
smaller town less than 25,000 people
a more liberal population than conservative
higher elevation with less than 1 hour to skiing
less than 1 hour to larger chain type stores/retail shopping
a plus - regular thunderstorms instead of drought conditions!
Any help is appreciated!

Ashland is your only option, that comes close to your criteria, outside of maybe some of the Portland suburbs. But the climate is pretty dry, most of the year. There are no regular thunderstorms anywhere in Oregon. If thunderstorms are important, you should be looking east of the Rocky Mountains. You need to visit the state, because I don't think you understand anything about the climate of Oregon.

[peaceseeker13]

To clarify yes, we have not actually visited OR yet. We want to be where there are four seasons instead of hundred percent humidity. Kids like to ski. Lived in Co for 6 years loved it there but disliked the dry climate, but not why we moved. Looking for an adventure and to live near more politically like-minded people instead of senior citizens/snowbirds here in FL.
The thunderstorms were a bonus idea -to be clear.

[seashelly]

Consider Idaho in your search.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

Ashland is your only option, that comes close to your criteria, outside of maybe some of the Portland suburbs. But the climate is pretty dry, most of the year. There are no regular thunderstorms anywhere in Oregon. If thunderstorms are important, you should be looking east of the Rocky Mountains. You need to visit the state, because I don't think you understand anything about the climate of Oregon.

Maybe not though, there are lots of senior citizens living in Ashland and the OP said they don't want to live around them.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by Sherwoody

You are describing Ashland in Southern Oregon, I would start your search there.

Except for the drought conditions. Ashland is on the edge of the Siskiyou. Summer forest fires and sub-10% humidity are pretty common. Also, Mt. Ashland is not always open, though most years you can get some skiing there. During the drought, Mt. Ashland didn't open at all.

[Tulippsy]

Greetings, former Floridian here.

I can certainly appreciate your desire to leave Florida, however your requirements are pretty specific and some of them are somewhat contradictory. Smaller towns in Oregon will be more conservative than the cities, just like the rest of the US.

Ashland hits the most things on your list. Liberal, has shopping and skiing, but is filled with retirees just like Florida and has more than 25,000 population. It’s also expensive and has a very dry climate. Last year in the Rogue Valley I can remember relative humidity in the teens. It doesn’t rain from May til October. So, yeah, drought type conditions....

Just curious, but why Oregon if you have never been here?

Anyway, I’m happy to answer any questions you might have regarding relocation from Florida. Happy hunting....