Has anyone move away from Portland due to the Cost of Living index? (sales, rental)

[KJoe11]

Hello

My wife and I like living in the Portland (metro) area. We have been living here for four years and have enjoyed it. Things to do and the experiences such as the coast, mountains, and country side have been wonderful. We even enjoy the weather; it is very mild here.

Our biggest problem has been employment. One of us is underemployed while the other is sticking with a company due to lack of opportunities outside. According to some cost of living calculators, if you make $100,000 in anywhere U.S.A you need to make $127,000 in Portland.

So my question is:

Has anyone left or has considering leaving the area due to lack of opportunities or the cost of living index in the area?

Thanks

[ccjarider]

I am confused by these statistics.

We lived in 2 midwest states (WI and IL) prior to moving here. We have been here almost four years and feel COL is comparable to where we came from. Certainly not 27% higher!!!

Housing in Suburban PDX is reasonable and while income tax is outrageous, property tax is lower than where we came from. Utilities are cheap here (for the most part)

I think cost of living opinions are a subjective topic and highly dependent on individual experiences. I would not make a decision based on a computer generated index.

To specifically answer your question - no, we have not considered moving for these reasons. I think we would move almost anywhere for great job opportunities. We moved here for that reason. It has been a good move overall.

[christiner81]

We moved further away from close-in portland for a somewhat related reason. We were paying a high rent in SW Portland and the home sales prices were higher than what we wanted to pay on our salaries. So I changed my job to very part time (working remotely) and we moved about 30 miles west. It's cheaper here and I feel like we have a better balance and quality of life. I don't need to be near downtown, I don't frequent bars or restaurants too often. It's not worth it for us to pay for proximity to those things that we don't utilize a lot.

I have been underemployed before and I know how much that sucks. Do you think that your situation is temporary and likely to improve or do you think you might be stuck in your current jobs for a long haul?

[khyron]

There is no such thing as "anywhere USA," and there are tremendous variations in housing, grocery, and other cost-of-living expenses across the greater Portland area. You probably want to put more thought into the way you're asking this question...not just here on CD but in your own head. The answers you get, in either case, will end up being much more meaningful to you.

[KJoe11]

ccjarider-- Concerning the cost index I used the following link to calculate the measurement.
Cost of Living Calculator: Compare the Cost of Living in Two Cities - CNNMoney

christiner81--We are similar as I am not much into the city culture. We have been to the coast dozens of times but rarely venture downtown.

The underemployment is the big issue. We continually are losing $20+ a year. It is hard to justify this kind of loss and may have to make a decision that will be sorrowful

[greenlite]

COL is not the issue, lack of jobs is

[classicanne]

I moved from the Tampa Bay area to Portland 3.5 years ago because I knew my COL would be better here, and it is. Although rental prices have increased a good bit lately, it's still comparable to other areas of the country I considered, including if I'd stayed in Florida. Utilities are definitely less. Food is much less (I am vegan and also shop the bulk bins) and the availability of fresh and organic produce is terrific. I'd have to own a car in Florida; public transportation in Portland (and using the Zipcar occasionally) is much cheaper.

I suppose my COL would be less in some ways, e.g. housing, if I moved to a remote area of North Dakota or Missouri or something, but the quality of life I want is here. Regarding jobs, I work from home for a national company, so my location has no bearing on my income.

Do you think moving elsewhere would improve your job outlook? You don't mention the field or fields in which you're trying to make a living.

[khyron]

but rarely venture downtown.

Okay so your problem is, you don't actually live in Portland or want to live in Portland, but you're paying to do so.

Yes, that does sound kind of silly.

[bler144]

Originally Posted by khyron

but rarely venture downtown.

Okay so your problem is, you don't actually live in Portland or want to live in Portland, but you're paying to do so.

Yes, that does sound kind of silly.

I get what you're saying, but unlike many other U.S. cities, many of Portlands best amenities (parks, restaurants, bars, etc.) aren't downtown.

COL in Portland is misleading, because there are essentially two economies. If you bought a house pre-2002, or maybe even during the brief 2008-2011 slump, Portland is reasonably affordable.

If you're renting, trying to buy now, or stuck with an albatross you bought between 2003-2007, then the combination of high housing costs and relatively low salaries in most fields can be a serious squeeze.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Yes, of course. People move all the time because they can't earn enough to pay their living expenses. Not just in Portland. It happens all over the country.

It's very common for people to move to where they can find work.