Thinking about moving from Houston to Portland (Beaverton, Hillsboro: sales, 2013)

[WynnieM]

I think the title says it all. I'm from Houston, nothing against my hometown, but I'd like a change of scenery. I love Houston, but I don't care for Texas as a whole. I'm still in school right now, but I graduate (hopefully) this December. Assuming all goes well, I'll be an RN before the end of January 2013. I was hoping to get a job at the VA here so I could stay in the system and possibly request a job transfer to Portland.

My decision to move is still preliminary, but I'm trying to figure out how much I'd have to save to move, how much I'll be spending when I get there, and if it's really important for me to learn how to bike.

My questions at the moment are --
1) Where would be a good area to move to? For anyone familiar with Houston, I live between the Texas Medical Center and Bellaire, TX (I was zoned to Bellaire). I'd like to stay in an area similar to where I live now (I don't live in Bellaire or West U), and from what I've seen, as pretty as the Pearl District is, it looks a lot like Midtown Houston, and I'd like to avoid that. Oh, and I don't a family to look after.

2) Is the state income tax bad? I'll miss the no income tax here in Texas dearly.

3) How far away are Beaverton and Tigard? Would that be like driving from Sugarland to UH? Katy to the Galleria?

[doggiemama]

I'm from Houston, although I grew up in Kingwood and left when I was 18. Things are closer together up here, but traffic speeds are slower, partially due to slower speed limits but moreso the curvy roads and fewer lanes.

1) I would say maybe the OHSU area might be similar to the Texas Medical Center, except smaller and prettier! Good public transportation options here, too.

2) Plan on having a lower salary and giving up 9% of it.

3) Tigard and Beaverton are pretty close, about 7-10 miles out. The highways going in can be very backed up during rush hours, but not as bad as Houston and the distances are shorter. Again, public transportation is better up here. I would say Tigard or Beaverton into town is more like Sugarland to UH. Katy to the Galleria would be like Hillsboro to the airport (PDX).

Anyone with better Portland knowledge or more recent Houston knowledge (Squidlo comes to mind) is welcome to correct me!

[Nell Plotts]

S/he shouldn't overlook applying at Kaiser or Providence either. Kaiser is adding a hospital in the Hillsboro area, Prov has several health care facilities.

[Griffis]

As someone who has experienced life in Houston, I'd say just about anywhere would be an improvement, outside of maybe Detroit or Miami.

[nevadaned]

Originally Posted by Griffis

As someone who has experienced life in Houston, I'd say just about anywhere would be an improvement, outside of maybe Detroit or Miami.

I suppose for those who don't want to work.

[WynnieM]

I just saw the average salary for RNs in Portland and compared it to Houston's. It's lower, but I wonder how much it changes based on a person's experience and where they work. For the state income tax, does that mean around tax time I'm filling out two income tax returns? Are they due at the same time?

My next question is gas -- I've figured almost anywhere outside of Texas (I could very well be wrong) will have higher gas prices. Will public transportation be the better option? If I decide to bike to work, is it safe at night (I prefer working nights as opposed to days)?

This may be a bit premature, but is it better to own or rent in Portland? I heard property taxes are ridiculous, but as that can be a bit subjective, what am I looking at if I decide to buy a home there?

Thanks for the feedback I really appreciate it (so now I won't be looking at super expensive apartments!)

[EnricoV]

Yes, two tax forms. Same day. One feeds off the other.

Your tax burden, the total amount of taxes you pay, will be about the same wherever you live. Oregon has no sales tax.

Whether or not public transportation will be better will depend on where you live in regards to where you work, will there be employee parking available at your work, etc. And what hours you're working. If you're leaving work in the middle of the night, public transportation my not be running, and if it is, times between buses would be a lot longer. So driving might be the better option.

Owning vs. renting is a tough one. Right now, prices are down on housing. Rentals are harder to come by.

All your questions are judgement calls. It's hard to say definitively that one way is right and the other wrong.

[doggiemama]

People talk about high property taxes here but I don't think they're any higher than in Houston.

[WynnieM]

Just so I'm not missing something, the state income tax is taken out every paycheck right? The same way social security and medicare are? I know these questions are a bit dumb, but I hear additional income tax, and I think, "...more forms? Math?"

If Beaverton and Tigard aren't too far away, what are those areas like? Conservative? Liberal? Somewhere in the middle? Hip? Not so hip? None of the above?

[davemess10]

The state income tax can be deducted from your paycheck, just like federal taxes.

Beaverton and Tigard are suburbs, they're more conservative than Portland (but probably a lot more liberal than Houston). I don't know that anyone would really describe them as hip. Portland is kind of known more for being an "un-suburban" town.

Buying a home is the way to go if you have the means. But I would highly recommend you rent at least for a little bit in Portland first. The city is a little complicated neighborhood-wise, with single blocks shifting the "look" and feel of neighborhoods. Property taxes are on the higher side, but not crazy, and you're really paying property taxes as a renter, just not directly. For my home, I think we pay $2,150 or so, and we bought for $126k, but I'm not sure what the city has it valued at.

I would second looking at working at Providence's main hospital. It's right in the middle of the east side, and by far the closest hospital to the "hip" neighborhoods of Portland.