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You may want to consider other towns and cities in Oregon such as Corvallis, Silverton, or possibly Canby. They may be a better fit. I see you started a thread in the Oregon forum and Silverfall posted there. She is a good source of information on the Willamette Valley.
I have looked into Corvallis. It is such a visually charming city. I had a few concerns. I believe it is very near a college and I thought that might make job searching more competitive because of new graduates, but of course I could be wrong. I also chatted with a few girls who went to school / lived there who were college age, and they were very nasty and rude to me. I don't know if this has anything to do with the personalities in this area specifically, or maybe just girls of that age in general. I was always nice and friendly to everyone when I was that age, but that was almost 20 years ago!
My parents are retired and live in a retirement community in Canby. It has turned out to be a LOT more red than they were expecting. They are pretty middle of the road and have been a bit taken back by how red it is. Lots of hard-core Trumpers along with all the anti-vax stuff. It it is a nice enough place but not where I would send someone who is single and from out-of-state who just wants to meet normal people. Silverton strikes me as a bit younger and bluer. And of course Corvallis is a big college town.
From your description I suspect you would be a good fit for Vancouver, especially the newer part in east Vancouver where lots of new construction and development is happening. New apartments are going up all over and some of them look pretty nice. It is fairly car-centric but that also means you basically see zero homelessness and street life. You do in central Vancouver but not in East Vancouver except for the area around 205 and Mill Plain which is miles west of where I'm talking about. I bike 13 miles diagonally across east Vancouver every day to work from Camas to the Orchards area and see zero homeless or social dysfunction ever.
It is generic suburbia similar to what you see everywhere in Southern California. Some of it nice and new, some a bit more faded. But strangely without very much in the way of traffic hassle. I think the Columbia River puts a huge traffic barrier that insulates Vancouver from a lot of it. Yes the freeway bridges across the river are very congested during rush hours. As are the freeway approaches on I-5, I-205 and WA-14. But if your commute doesn't take you across the river then you aren't ever really affected by the bridge traffic. I pass dozens of apartment complexes biking to work each day and the one that superficially looks the nicest from the outside is this one: https://goo.gl/maps/n42w3unCZeJBBRNA6 but it might be pricier because it is in Camas School District. But there are tons of new apartments going up. Here is another pretty new on that looks nice and is across the line in the Evergreen School District so might be slightly cheaper. It has a secure central entrance so that might be appealing for a single woman https://goo.gl/maps/kGNcNV5KJHpULdyJ6 You can look these two up and get a sense of what newer apartments in good locations cost around here. I expect there is a lot of older cheaper stuff too.
Thank you so much for all the good info! While I try to stay out of politics in general, I am not a trump / anti-vax person. And It might be overwhelming to be in a big political area. Its a mix here in SoCal. Most of the older people are Red and most of the younger people are Blue. I guess you just care about different things at different times in your life (shrug).
I am very interested in newer apartments! I have had trouble finding many apartments at all when looking online which is so different than here in CA. We have new apartments going up every few min and multiple complexes on most streets. The problem is you just cant afford any of them! But when looking on the apartment websites I'm familiar with and even craigs list it seems quite limiting in the PNW. If I do happen to find anything available, it seems to be very old. I dont have an issue with older buildings in the sense that I'm a snob... I just worry about the plumbing being outdated and constant slab leaks. That's how the older apartments are here and they are awful! I have been told that the reason for the lack of apartments is because most people can actually afford to rent / buy homes in the PNW so apartments are not as badly needed.
I do detest traffic so living within a 30 min commute is the hope. Aside from affordability and a commutable distance to jobs, I would say safety is a big priority. I don't want to "go cheap" and then not be in a safe area. Since I am not totally familiar with the PWN despite having visited, I'm afraid I will end up in the "wrong part of town". Even here in "the OC" aka the nicest part of SoCal, we have our pockets of areas with higher crime / drugs / homeless. Being single and living alone its something you think about.
If that's how you feel about Portland, moving to Vancouver because of the better dating pool Portland opens you up to wouldn't make much sense. You seem like someone who'd be happier in Salem, frankly. There's nothing wrong with the dating pool there, and IMO, smaller cities make it easier to meet people. Think about it: what's the point in moving near a HUGE metro area full of homelessness for the supposed dating bonanza it presents, if you hate the city and have to fight traffic for close to an hour just to get to a date?
Salem is nice. And it's growing. It has 3 colleges and the state capitol that employ women professionals, and plenty of businesses that do the same. Consider giving it a shot. The COL probably won't rise as fast as in the Portland/Vancouver areas, either, so it's not likely to turn into California.
I am happily divorced and not looking for any dates! So the dating pool of any given place has no influence on my choice of where to live. The main things I am looking for is a safe area that is affordable still, with work options within a 30 min drive. If I can find that with the cool rainy weather I like, and with hiking / birding / waterfalls nearby that would be perfection!
What I know from experience I certainly don't want is all the "city living" downsides - over crowded, higher crime, massive amounts of homeless, bad traffic etc. That being said I don't want to be totally secluded either. A church to make some new friends would be nice. I'm non denominational so I'm pretty open to different churches. And just a few basic stores within a 30 min drive like a target or walmart or kohls (those are the big ones where I'm from but maybe you have something different / comparable where you are) which is fine.
I know OR has the tax free shopping, which of course I love. But I feel a little weird about someone else pumping my gas though! Not sure how long that takes to get used to. Oregon is the only place I know that wont let you do it yourself.
I know WA doesnt have the income tax, but I don't know if that is offset by other taxes being higher? Higher sales tax / property taxes?
I have looked into Corvallis. It is such a visually charming city. I had a few concerns. I believe it is very near a college and I thought that might make job searching more competitive because of new graduates, but of course I could be wrong. I also chatted with a few girls who went to school / lived there who were college age, and they were very nasty and rude to me. I don't know if this has anything to do with the personalities in this area specifically, or maybe just girls of that age in general. I was always nice and friendly to everyone when I was that age, but that was almost 20 years ago!
The students who graduate from OSU, Corvallis, generally don't stay in Corvallis and snap up the plum jobs. Most are from elsewhere, and they use their shiny new degrees to get jobs all around Oregon, the W Coast, and elsewhere. Besides, are you really worried about 21/22-year-olds being job competition for someone of your many years of experience? Does that make sense to you? It doesn't to me.
And why would rude college students lead you to wonder, if all age groups in the town are rude? Those kids aren't your peers or anywhere close. Ditto regarding the job market. Why are you imagining that people half your age are relevant to your life in any way, and basing your choice of places to move to on the behavior and (lack of) job readiness of college students?
That's odd, OP, and it's not helpful for your search. Maybe they were rude to you, because they were put off by a 40-year-old guy trying to chat them up? Maybe the thing to do, would be to attend church in some of the PNW towns, if you want to find people to chat with about what it's like to live there. Some churches have a fellowship hour after services. It might work better than approaching college girls out of the blue.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 04-20-2023 at 04:56 PM..
I have an idea to throw into the mix of wonderful information you are receiving. I am retired, living in Ridgefield, and love living on this side of the river. However, as a young single, I don't think Ridgefield meets your expectations. We have three sons that settled in Portland and started families. One skipped out to Boise, one is still in SW Portland, and one moved to Hood River a year ago. They all have good, professional jobs. We find ourselves visiting the kids in Hood River a LOT! So much to do. Still only an hour from PDX. They are very outdoorsy, as are their kids (10 and 8). The son still in Portland has recently purchased a cabin (they call it a cabin, but I could live there full time) and we gather in that area a lot. The son and his family that moved to Boise are another story. They like Boise and the outdoors adventures, but honestly, many of their outdoor trips have taken them to Montana, Wyoming, even skiing in Japan. However, my visits to Boise have revealed a very clean, vibrant community, but very RED. I know Boise is not in your sites, but I feel somewhat uncomfortable there (and I am pretty middle of the road). The kids like Boise, but I don't see them there long term. Both are MDs, but one actually works in Atlanta.....long story). Hood River seems pretty inclusive, however lacks much racial diversity. Hood River is growing, but I don't have any clue to the availability of jobs available. All our kids are in the medical field, except the techie ones still in Portland. What we do see in Hood River are a lot of young people, tons of kids, lots of activities, and your big box stores are not far (but far enough) away in The Dalles. Downtown Hood River is a delightful core. Just another thought. I am born and raised southern CA (5th generation), but could never live back there. Good luck!
Glad to hear another Cali person made the transition and doesn't want to go back! I actually did consider Idaho in my original research (some do consider it part of the PNW and some people don't - just depends who you talk to). Although it has good qualities (HELLO CDA! - called the Orange County of Idaho) a few things did concern me. Not the politics, as I am not familiar with the politics there, but the very low minimum wage (much less than CA / OR / WA) and also it seems to be more of a snowy state than a rainy one. I drive great in rain... not that seasoned with snow driving yet! When I was in Olympia I did skid around a bit. Also while I love cold weather (50s) and can tolerate colder weather (30s) I'm not a fan of the Idaho 4 degree winters! That's a bit much for me LOL
The students who graduate from OSU, Corvallis, generally don't stay in Corvallis and snap up the plum jobs. Most are from elsewhere, and they use their shiny new degrees to get jobs all around the W Coast and elsewhere. Besides, are you really worried about 21/22-year-olds being job competition for someone of your many years of experience? Does that make sense to you? It doesn't to me.
And why would rude college students lead you to suspect, that all age groups in the town are rude? Those kids aren't your peers or anywhere close. Ditto regarding the job market. Why are you imagining that people half your age are relevant to your life in any way, and basing your choice of places to move to on the behavior and (lack of) job readiness of college students?
That's odd, OP, and it's not helpful for your search. Maybe they were rude to you, because they were put off by the fact that a 40-year-old guy was trying to chat them up? Maybe the thing to do, would be to attend church in some of the PNW towns, if you want to find people to chat with about what it's like to live there. Some churches have a fellowship hour after services.
Well its good to hear that just because its a "college town" doesn't mean that all the grads swoop up the office jobs in the area. That is actually very common here despite what you think. If someone like myself with 20+ years of experience applies for a job and a recent college grad applies for the same job, 9 times out of 10 the college grad gets it. At least where I live. That is because jobs assume 1) they can pay a younger person less and an experienced person expects more money for all their experience 2) that being fresh out of college you have energy and are gearing to go and to please and will have less complaints and demands 3) Younger people don't have a limited schedule because they don't have children yet and children related commitments. Example - Cant come in to work this week because my child is sick and cant go to school. I have to be home with him/her. So yes, college grads are big competition for many jobs here even with all the experience of a seasoned worker. Experience doesn't seem to count for quite as much as it used to.
I certainly would not assume that all age groups are rude just because some college age kids are. But if moving to a college age town, it may be harder to make friends in the area, which crossed my mind.
Well its good to hear that just because its a "college town" doesn't mean that all the grads swoop up the office jobs in the area. That is actually very common here despite what you think. If someone like myself with 20+ years of experience applies for a job and a recent college grad applies for the same job, 9 times out of 10 the college grad gets it. At least where I live. That is because jobs assume 1) they can pay a younger person less and an experienced person expects more money for all their experience 2) that being fresh out of college you have energy and are gearing to go and to please and will have less complaints and demands 3) Younger people don't have a limited schedule because they don't have children yet and children related commitments. Example - Cant come in to work this week because my child is sick and cant go to school. I have to be home with him/her. So yes, college grads are big competition for many jobs here even with all the experience of a seasoned worker. Experience doesn't seem to count for quite as much as it used to.
I certainly would not assume that all age groups are rude just because some college age kids are. But if moving to a college age town, it may be harder to make friends in the area, which crossed my mind.
I've lived in college towns most of my life. They're full of adults, some of whom are employed by the college/s, and others employed in a great variety of businesses and institutions around town. Making friends isn't any more difficult than in non-college towns. Church is one good way to make friends, and didn't you say you have a favorite volunteer activity? Also, your enjoyment of getting out in nature, perhaps joining a local hiking group or whatever, is another good way to make friends, especially in the PNW.
I guess you have a point about employers hiring younger people, but I also come across articles (I think there's a thread about this in the Employment forum) saying, that employers have discovered, that "older" workers are more reliable and more focused on their work (vs. playing with their phones). It's up to you to pitch yourself in a job interview, and put your best foot forward.
But maybe Vancouver has a bigger population base and more employment opportunities than most of the Oregon towns, though it's pretty close in population to Salem. Many of the jobs for Vancouver residents are in Portland, though. I'm not sure if as high a percentage of Salem workers commute to Portland as Vancouver workers do.
If you like getting out in nature, look at Mtn Surfer's photos of paddleboarding around Vancouver and the Columbia River!
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 04-20-2023 at 05:18 PM..
All along the west coast, there are homeless. I think our previous mayor did a really good job getting it moving in the right direction. Our last point in time count showed an increase in homeless, but we had more sheltered than unsheltered. Salem just opened a navigation center, and another hotel is being converted to transitional housing. Salem inherited all of the wild fire homeless from the Santiam canyon which is about 500 of our homeless people here. There are several affordable housing developments that are going in as well. So it isn't solved here, but it is so much better than 2 years ago.
I like living in Salem. I am 54 and raised my kids here. It is a slower-paced city that still has everything you need. I like that it is a more purple city. It does lean blue, but barely. I think both will have ample access to different church denominations for you.
The city has improved so much in my years here. The Truitt Cannery is currently being redeveloped which is 13 acres of prime land along the river and just north of downtown. They are actually using the Vancouver, WA Columbia River redevelopment for inspiration. Both are improving cities, in my opinion.
I think Salem is more state job-oriented and Vancouver, WA seems to be pulling more businesses/offices over the river from Portland so the job scene is a bit different I think. Both have good access to nature trails and such as well.
I think you just need to visit both and see which one feels more like home to you.
Thanks for much for your input! It's good to hear that the homeless issue is improving. I have visited both OR and WA and thought both were beautiful. I spent a few months in Olympia, but almost every store I went into there had homeless people sitting outside which made me decide that was not the perfect fit for me. To be clear I'm not saying homeless people are bad in any way. Anyone can easily get down on their luck. BUT I know that desperate people can do desperate things, and I have been attacked by homeless before, here in my area. So a high homeless population just makes me nervous. We need more transitional housing to get people back on their feet, for sure here in CA, but other places as well.
It's good to hear that the job market is doing well in Salem. That is always an important thing to consider. I know the unemployment rate in OR can show as quite high, but I do wonder if that is just because of all the homeless being taken into account?
Regarding the homeless you mentioned due to the fires... all those people lost homes and are now just on the street?! I am hoping I misunderstood that. We have a bad fire season every year here in SoCal because it gets very dry and hot and I have been evacuated before. But the people who do loose homes are usually taken care of but the red cross until their insurance can sort out getting them back on their feet.
In Washougal, WA
20 min from Vancouver, WA. (There are rescue places in Vancouver, but this cat group is really nice and personable)
1 hr from Salem (many closer options)
If you live in Camas, WA, you won't have homeless people. (That you notice). They have very strict policing, strong community, plenty of hiking and jobs. And no evil 9% income tax with a very low income threshold.
Where is this evil income tax? Is that OR?? I have been trying to figure out what is more cost effective. The no sales tax in OR or the no income tax in WA.
One of the things I like about the Willamette Valley
is that there are cities and towns of all sizes,
from large (Portland) to medium (Salem, Eugene),
to slightly-smaller (Dallas, Monmouth) to tiny (Scio)
[and they don't all blend together, because most of the land
is still in agriculture]. So you can choose what size
community you like best, while staying within the region.
Btw, Scio is also home to a farm animal sanctuary
(www.lighthousefarmsanctuary.org), in case you feel like
expanding your animal-rescue activity.
How far is the farm rescue from Salem?? I am vegetarian and love all animals and would love to meet some like minded people. Getting involved with rescues is usually a good way to do that!
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