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Hi! My husband and I are looking to relocate to the PNW from Alabama. I have received two job offers, one in Centralia, WA and one in Prineville - I'm trying to make a decision! The position in Prineville pays a bit more, but I would actually bring home slightly more in WA due to no income tax. How are the summers in Prineville? Does it get really hot or stay hot for a long time? Our summers here are oppressively humid and last around 5-6 months, so it doesn't take much to be more bearable. We don't mind the cold winters.. My husband is a network/IT guy - how is the job market in the area for IT? I know there are lots of tech companies in the area (fb, apple, etc) but was disappointed in the job options we found for him on indeed. Is it difficult to find rental properties in the area? Are there any specific areas that might have more rental options? We have several pets and I know that will make things more difficult. We do have a camper we can live in for a while, but that will get old very quickly..
We love the outdoors and there are obviously endless options for outdoor activity, which is very appealing, but we're also a bit worried about the dry climate. Any information/opinions are welcome and appreciated!
Prineville is in the high desert - a very different-looking landscape than what you are used to. When I first moved to the high desert, I had trouble with nose bleeds, dehydration and cracking skin because it was so much drier than I was used to. It is all an adjustment, but one you'd make quickly. The landscape is not lush or green, as it would be in, say, Centralia. It isn't any less beautiful, but it's quite different.
If your husband is concerned about jobs, Prineville might not be the best location - most of the high tech facilities there are data centers (because of cheap power) and that is a very specialty type of job. Both Prineville and Centralia are very small towns, located not quite within commuting distance of larger cities (Bend/Redmond and Olympia, WA, respectively). He would likely be in a "take what he can find" situation, job-wise, rather than a career position.
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Prineville is an old fashioned cow town. If you like Westerns, you will like Prineville.
Shopping is good, the hospital is excellent, fishing, hunting, camping are excellent. It is a short drive to Bend for more shopping and more activities.
The weather is warmer than it is in Bend, the growing season is much longer, the winters have less snow.
There are two huge lakes for fishing and boating and the drive to the Cascades is reasonable.
Oregon doesn't have sales tax, which is a nice benefit.
I don't know what it would be like to live in Centralia, except that it is a lot wetter and doesn't get as cold in the winter.
Prineville could be a very pleasant place to live, if you are into quiet, small town life.
I wouldn't worry about the low humidity. It is not as low as somewhere like Sedona AZ or Colorado. You will likely adapt pretty easily. Because of the low humidity, I think the summers will not feel as hot as the soggy hot air you are likely experiencing now. As already mentioned, the Winters are milder in Prineville than in Bend or La Pine or other places down south. Less severe winters as you head north is counter-intuitive for sure.
I was not aware Apple had anything in the area, and your "etc" might be somewhat limited. Facebook has the huge server farm in Prineville, and that is pretty much it for tech in the Prineville-Redmond area. But, they seem to run ads for a very long time before filling positions, so if you like the job, you are likely to have good job security as long as Facebook is viable.
Tech is very limited in Central Oregon. I tried to break into the tech job market for a couple years with no success, before finally figuring the only way I could move here was to retire. Your network-IT skills might be a more versatile skillset than my mechanical engineering, thermal/stress analysis, electronic packaging skills for the area. Bend brags about being a "tech startup town", but that is more PR than reality. There are a couple of small tech companies and then a smattering of startups that are usually a "CEO" and a couple of coders, without much need for a network. You might check out if the major hospital located in Bend has a history of hiring network-IT people? I would think they would. Competition for the few tech jobs is tough and the low salaries reflect that it is an employer's market.
But if you already have a job, and it looks solid, Prineville could be a nice spot to settle in for a quiet but active life.
I am surprised that Central Oregon has not attracted a few large tech employers. The area certainly appeals to the tech crowd, that flock to here as soon as they retire.
Hi! My husband and I are looking to relocate to the PNW from Alabama. I have received two job offers, one in Centralia, WA and one in Prineville - I'm trying to make a decision! The position in Prineville pays a bit more, but I would actually bring home slightly more in WA due to no income tax. How are the summers in Prineville? Does it get really hot or stay hot for a long time? Our summers here are oppressively humid and last around 5-6 months, so it doesn't take much to be more bearable. We don't mind the cold winters.. My husband is a network/IT guy - how is the job market in the area for IT? I know there are lots of tech companies in the area (fb, apple, etc) but was disappointed in the job options we found for him on indeed. Is it difficult to find rental properties in the area? Are there any specific areas that might have more rental options? We have several pets and I know that will make things more difficult. We do have a camper we can live in for a while, but that will get old very quickly..
We love the outdoors and there are obviously endless options for outdoor activity, which is very appealing, but we're also a bit worried about the dry climate. Any information/opinions are welcome and appreciated!
I would personally choose Chehalis/Centralia over Prineville. And I am giving no hate to Prineville, it is a nice small town but there isn't much else to do and you have to go out of town to Bend a ways away if you want to get big shopping done at say Costco or Walmart.
Based off your criteria, your husband would want an IT job as well. You won't find that in Prineville or Bend most likely. Jobs are extremely limited in this area.
At least if you were in Chehalis, you would be a short 20 minute commute to the Puget Sound metro area which is HUGE on IT and tech.
Centralia has a nice historic downtown, Chehalis is a more run down. Both towns are blue color, but hard working folk. They are in sort of a stagnant area without much growth, but there is so much potential. They have many of the big box stores to make shopping easy but also plenty of local small shops in Centralia's downtown. There is a nice outlet mall in Centralia too. Schools are good if you have kids and people overall in that area are quite friendly. They are proud of their history and heritage in the two towns. You are also a short drive to the Washington Coast for beach days and all the coast has to offer. Right in Centralia's backyard is lots of low rolling hills and forests for exploring. You are also real close to the Cascade Range and all the mountains and alpine explorations your heart could desire. You would have an endless swath of outdoor things to do in a varied environment in this area. Your outdoor options will be limited to high dry desert in Prineville. The fresh coolness of ocean air Centralia/Chehalis and really cleans things up. But also be prepared for gray and wet days in the winter. Temperatures are mild and not the extremes you would get in a climate such as Prineville.
Another nice thing about Chehalis is your are pretty much smack dab in-between Seattle or Portland. Two cities worth exploring, but far away from their problems. ;-)
Prinville will definitely be drier, but I can't honestly recommend it in good faith to you given your circumstances. I do fully believe you would be happier in Centralia area. I wish you the absolute best in your decision.
I would personally choose Chehalis/Centralia over Prineville. And I am giving no hate to Prineville, it is a nice small town but there isn't much else to do and you have to go out of town to Bend a ways away if you want to get big shopping done at say Costco or Walmart.
Based off your criteria, your husband would want an IT job as well. You won't find that in Prineville or Bend most likely. Jobs are extremely limited in this area.
At least if you were in Chehalis, you would be a short 20 minute commute to the Puget Sound metro area which is HUGE on IT and tech.
Centralia has a nice historic downtown, Chehalis is a more run down. Both towns are blue color, but hard working folk. They are in sort of a stagnant area without much growth, but there is so much potential. They have many of the big box stores to make shopping easy but also plenty of local small shops in Centralia's downtown. There is a nice outlet mall in Centralia too. Schools are good if you have kids and people overall in that area are quite friendly. They are proud of their history and heritage in the two towns. You are also a short drive to the Washington Coast for beach days and all the coast has to offer. Right in Centralia's backyard is lots of low rolling hills and forests for exploring. You are also real close to the Cascade Range and all the mountains and alpine explorations your heart could desire. You would have an endless swath of outdoor things to do in a varied environment in this area. Your outdoor options will be limited to high dry desert in Prineville. The fresh coolness of ocean air Centralia/Chehalis and really cleans things up. But also be prepared for gray and wet days in the winter. Temperatures are mild and not the extremes you would get in a climate such as Prineville.
Another nice thing about Chehalis is your are pretty much smack dab in-between Seattle or Portland. Two cities worth exploring, but far away from their problems. ;-)
Prinville will definitely be drier, but I can't honestly recommend it in good faith to you given your circumstances. I do fully believe you would be happier in Centralia area. I wish you the absolute best in your decision.
Whoa! how do you figure Centralia and Chehalis are 20 minutes from prime tech area? They are 1.5 hours from Seattle per google maps with no traffic, add a couple hours with traffic. 1.5 hours to get to the coast. And pretty much 1.5 hours or more to get to anywhere decent in the Cascades. i.e. Centrailia is really centraily located from pretty much everything, or some might say ....in the middle of nowhere.
But, I do agree with a couple of your points. I missed the op saying she had the job offer and hoping for hubby to find an IT job near Prineville. For obvious reasons, I assumed he had the IT job nailed down at the Facebook server farm. Yes, if you can't get a job at the Facebook server farm, you will have a very hard time getting any high tech job in Central Oregon. (I already outlined the sparse alternatives)
Given the correction in my reading the situation, both alternatives will present significant challenges. I suppose it might be easier to move up in the Tacoma area if nothing pans out in Centralia/Chehalis and commute into Seattle from there. At least you would not be changing states at that point.
At least if you were in Chehalis, you would be a short 20 minute commute to the Puget Sound metro area which is HUGE on IT and tech.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thom52
Whoa! how do you figure Centralia and Chehalis are 20 minutes from prime tech area?
I may not have stated it right, but they would about 20 minutes from the edge of the metro area around Lacey. I wasn't saying within 20 mins to the IT Tech core. Just the metro area.
.......I am surprised that Central Oregon has not attracted a few large tech employers. The area certainly appeals to the tech crowd, that flock to here as soon as they retire.
It's because Portland is somehow blocking the supply of electricity to Central Oregon. (I don't understand how) and the big tech companies can't get enough power to run their business.
There has even been federal intervention (Greg Walden worked on it) and Portland just digs in her heels and announces that is high tech wants to move to Oregon, they need to move to Portland.
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