Where is the Best Place to live in Oregon (Portland: best cities, low crime)

[debmom25]

Our family is looking to move back to the West Coast. We have been doing plenty of research on various areas, and we are trying to determine where most people think is the best place in Oregon. So as not to taint the responses we will leave it open to your suggestions, and not give a list of which towns we have looked into.

Here is our wish list:

High-Priority
Good Schools
Near (within 5-10 miles) to Nationally-Known Stores
Moderate Housing Costs
Low Crime

Would Be Nice (but not essential)
Close to the coast

We are coming from the East Coast looking for a sense of community, and most importantly a place where we can safely raise our children.

Any help with our search would be greatly appreciated.

[OregonAndy]

Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin would be great choices and meet all your requirements.

[GypsyHeart]

Good thread. I, too, am interested in the responses.
We're looking for the same...good schools,moderate costs, low crime, family communities, plus, good job opportunities....especially in the IT field.....
Oh, the wish list....

[CantWait2Bthere]

I was looking at the State Of Oregon website under employment and saw an IT job a couple weeks ago.

This forum and all the threads are very helpful in getting other viewpoints on places in Oregon but I wouldn't expect anyone here to do ALL the reseach for me. Job fields, average housing costs,crime reports and stuff like that are on the CITY-DATA forum. They help you narrow your search.

[sweeetcharity]

We are on the same quest - I hope you find some answers. We've read a lot of positive things about Beaverton. There are several bigger "small towns" outside Portland and down the coast, but it seems like its very important to be honest with yourself about making the transition to 6 mos of gray days. I'm looking forward to some more "oregonians"' replies.

[StealthRabbit]

I would concentrate on Corvallis area, I think the schools would be better and excellent choice for good private schools, but then I'm not really into 'metro' locations. Traffic lights

possibly Roseburg if a more desirable climate is important.

if rain is ok, then maybe some of the small towns outside Portland (Forest Grove, Newburg)

[missykel3]

I may be a little biased since I was born and raised in Oregon. I think as far as schools go, smaller towns seem to have better school environments. I grew up in the Beaverton/Hillsboro area just west of Portland, and it has become quite the modernized way of living in the past 10 years. It is a very convenient place to live as it is close to lots of great restaurants (P.F. Changs, Newport Bay, Red Lobster, Thai Orchard, etc.) shopping (Tanasbourne, Washington Square), and an easy commute to Portland, yet it is also neighbored to the rural rolling hills that surround, and only an hour and a half to the beautiful Oregon Coast. However, if rural is your style, I would recommend something a little further west of Hillsboro/Beaverton like Banks, Forest Grove, and even St. Helens. There is a neat website where you can fill out a forum to narrow down your criteria, Best Places to Live: Compare the Best Cities & Small Towns for You! and you can compare cities at Moderator cut: link not allowed

The school system in Beaverton/Hillsboro is what I would consider "Average" for the U.S. I currently live in Deltona, Florida (just north of Orlando) and I think the schools are horrible in comparison to Oregon. Crime rate is higher as well in comparison to Oregon. I never experienced any violent crime where I grew up in Oregon. Just scout out the communities...each neighborhood is quite different. Stay out of downtown Hillsboro. Beaverton is considered average for housing costs as well. I think the current average cost a normal 1500+ sq. ft. home, that is in good condition and on a lot larger than 0.15 acres, would probably run anywhere from $250,000 to $300,000+. It all depends on what you want.

For those who enjoy more distinct seasons, and less rain, I would recommend La Pine, OR. It has a decent school system, it is close to Bend, Or and there are lots of fun recreational activities (skiing, biking, hiking, water-rafting, etc.) It also has four distinct seasons, with snow in the winter (unlike Beaverton where it rarely ever snows) For an even smaller town feel and more high desert, La Grande and Joseph are beautiful and great alternatives. The housing costs are about the same as Beaverton...La Pine is a little cheaper than Bend. La Grande and Joseph have definitely cheaper housing costs...but are farther away from big cities, etc.

I am a true Northwesterner and love all things about it. People frown upon the "gray" days, but the moisture is what keeps Oregon's natural beauty green and lush all year round. It is much better than Seattle, WA in my opinion because it does have a lot more variation, rains a little less, and gets warmer on average in the summer than Seattle as well. In the summer, it hardly ever rains, and is very sunny, dry, and warm. No humidity! From May through October, you can expect beautiful, sunny weather. And yes, there are long stretches of cloudy weather in the winter, but there are many days that are sunny during the winter as well. Even for a week straight. I consider it to be mild in temperature as a whole. There are so many things to do in Oregon!!! Mt. Hood is close-by if you love skiing or hiking. The beach is a great place to go to see the huge Oregon Coastline which is entirely open to the public--a neat little fact. The quaint little shops make the coast a fun place to escape and enjoy. The Willamette Valley has tons of wonderful vineyards, and recreational activites. If you like the desert, go East to La Grande, and Joseph. Crater Lake is a beautiful place to visit, as is Klamath Falls. We can't forget the huge forests either! Oregon and Northern California have some of the largest trees and forests in the U.S. Oregon is very bike-friendly, and is big on conserving the environment. The only reason I moved away from Oregon is for a job my husband got down here in Florida. I have lived here 2 years, and cannot take it! I am actually moving back in 6 months. I am spoiled living in Oregon, and once you see all that it has to offer, you will agree! Another website you can check out to see the various regions of Oregon and what they have to offer is at Travel Oregon Good Luck!

[brooklynnnnnnnnnn]

hello, I too would love to move to oregon....while i would enjoy an inexpensive, safe community, I am also looking for beautiful land (river, hiking, hills) to live on and i enjoy art and shopping.....although im not all that into the gay community, no offense, but im trying to raise 2 handsome little boys in a somewhat christian atmosphere. I love oregon and have an open mind, but i am looking to slow down a little. I would love to hear of some really beautiful small-med towns to check out.

[Bendite]

Originally Posted by brooklynnnnnnnnnn

hello, I too would love to move to oregon....while i would enjoy an inexpensive, safe community, I am also looking for beautiful land (river, hiking, hills) to live on and i enjoy art and shopping.....although im not all that into the gay community, no offense, but im trying to raise 2 handsome little boys in a somewhat christian atmosphere. I love oregon and have an open mind, but i am looking to slow down a little. I would love to hear of some really beautiful small-med towns to check out.

You should look at Cottage Grove which is about 20 miles south of Eugene. It is surrounded by hills, has 2 reservoirs, rivers, a quaint downtown with antique stores and art galleries and several covered bridges.

[5gypsies]

To all of those people moving to Oregon...
Do not live in Lake Oswego even if you can afford to live here.
It is the snobbiest, most materialistic, unfriendliest community we've ever lived in.
And we have lived in 7 different States, Europe and South America.
It is deceiving because it looks so beautiful. Don't waste your money..
Oregonians in general are not very friendly at all. Only if you are a native will you click with them.The schools are not that impressive either.Lots of drugs in the High Schools since the parents have so much money. Academics are poor.All high schoolers regardless of their grades end up in Oregon State University. No higher expectations than that ! Bullies too are big here and parents seem to be fine with it.In our bus stop there are over 25 kids, you would never know because it is a ghost town 24-7. Where are the kids you ask? overscheduled with after school activities,moms driving mad with their starbuck's coffe, yelling at the kids but bragging about their first place in the soccer game,baseball,swimming ect. No one has time to be a friend, it takes up their time. Weekends are deserted in these communities....not a soul..everyone is in some field fanatic about making their kids #1. Summers are even worse. Everyone is in Hawaii or Mexico.No imagination to go anywhere else.No kids riding their bikes or playing outside, in other words being kids.
Dissapointing is the word to describe this place !
I do want to say that outside of the burbs there is plenty of outdoor things to do.
You will just have to relly on yourself and plan to keep in touch with family and old friends for a social life.