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Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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I have researched a lot of hiking and waterfall spots as I am very into nature and photography. I don't mind a small town vibe at all, despite being single
Thus... As recommended in OR duplicate post... I'd recommend Camas/ Washougal (probably Washougal for less expensive, and 5 min from Camas. Plus the great cat rescue volunteer ops..(op has expressed interest). Explore the Oregon coast, St Helens, Columbia Gorge to your hearts content. Head to Portland or Salem metro on your terms. (Occasionally).. done deal. Very simple.
With op objectives and interests, I would choose Hood River over Salem / Corvallis unless daily access to University is required. You can drive to Portland or Vancouver universities for occasional venues / programs. But HR has a lot for singles, and outdoor access. (If you can handle living with Oregonians). They are very different than Washington residents in my daily encounters with each for 40 yrs. YMMV.
6 family members and many friends and coworkers live in Hood River, and I worked there PT for 3 yrs. It's not bad, it's not cheap. WA is a more practical option, especially if you can live and work there.
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 I just worry about the plumbing being outdated and constant slab leaks.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 you detest traffic then stay out of the comparable suburbs on the Portland side like Clackamas, West Linn, Wilsonville, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, etc. They all have MUCH MUCH worse traffic than the Vancouver area. For real. Something about the river barrier really cuts back on all the traffic that isn't part of the bridge commute. I'm passing through East Vancouver and Camas on a daily basis during both morning and afternoon rush hours. Yes, there is traffic, but it is never stop and go standstill stuff that you see on the other side of the river.
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!
Well, I haven't been to the farm, but it's somewhere in the vicinity of Scio,
and Scio is about 25 miles from Salem...
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!
Vegetarians are everywhere. One way to meet them is to hang out at food co-ops and attend events there (nutrition and cooking classes), or attend vegetarian cooking classes at the local community college or wherever there are adult education classes. Chatting with people as they buy vegetarian take-home dishes at the deli section of the co-op or other small health-food grocer is another way; just being friendly and getting to know your fellow patrons at the store, while waiting in the check-out line is a good way to meet people.
Vancouver should feel more familiar to you if you're coming from the coastal parts of Southern California because Washington's zoning creates sprawl. It's hard to tell where one town/city ends and the next one begins. Also, the Vancouver area has a lot of people.
In Oregon the zoning laws create distinct communities so the towns have "edges" and outside of those edges there is often farmland. Salem is like that. Salem is quite a bit smaller than Vancouver and a bit rough around the edges, but it has a nice little downtown.
I believe Vancouver overall has more outdoor recreation opportunities - swimming, boating, hiking, skiing, etc. Salem has Silver Falls State Park nearby which people come from all over the world to visit. It's that good. There is also lots of hiking in the nearby areas.
But WA has the Growth Management Act which does limit where development can occur somewhat. I would say it's much closer to Oregon than SoCal in that regard.
I'm looking to relocate within the next year or so to the PNW. I have visited both WA and OR previously and I really enjoyed both states (with the exception of Portland, due to the massive amount of homeless people). I am not a big city person (no thanks traffic, smog, crime, over crowded etc) but I like rural and suburban areas - anything where I can can commute to a job and shopping / dining options within a 30 min drive.
I am from SoCal where gas is $5+/gallon, eggs are $9/dozen, milk is $6/gallon, and rent on a simple 2 bedroom apartment is OVER $3,100/month! Basic homes in my area are over $1 million and anything close to the beach cost much more.
I really liked Lake Oswego and Tigard but they were on the expensive side. My goal is to find a suburb that's somewhat affordable. I don't need anything fancy, but safety is important, as I am a single woman. I like Salem and Vancouver, but don't know what the affordable suburb or rural areas are for these cities? $1000 for a one bedroom is totally doable, but I don't want to have to work two jobs just to afford my own little space. I would love to hear from the current locals or anyone who lived in these areas previously. If you have lived in both WA & OR, do you prefer one to the other? Someone did suggest Camas to me and it looks beautiful and safe, but still too pricey to afford a place of my own ($1700 for 1 room UGH). Sharing a 2 bedroom would be possible. Ideally I would love to be able to afford my own little place (Something I haven't been able to do in CA because of the insane rents! Our studio apartments start at $2200 ).
A little about me - I'm nearing 40, I'm divorced with no kids (so I don't need to be near good schools), I am an office admin currently with lots of office work experience, and can do any type of office work. I am vegetarian, animal lover, nature lover, animal rescue volunteer, not big into politics, laid back, have tattoos.
Thank you! That is actually all very helpful info. If I do go with Vancouver as opposed to Salem however, I would want to find employment in Vancouver. As opposed to commuting to Portland. I just want to make that clear. Although I know Portland is "just across the bridge" as I have visited (and yes I know about the income tax and tax free shopping I have considered that great option as well!) I would like to steer clear of Portland if I can. I was uncomfortable when I visited due to the massive amount of homeless. Maybe that is just the downtown experience of Portland? Maybe there are nice Portland areas I have not seen yet? But from what I did experience when I came to visit, Portland didnt feel very safe. Areas I looked at like Lake Oswego were the opposite - very beautiful, charming, clean BUT had a high rent price tag when compared with some of the other cities.
You might look at NW Portland --- Arbor Lodge, Cathedral Park, St. John's. Or parts of inner SE, like Woodstock, Belmont, and Hawthorne. These will have lower crime while still being pretty affordable, if you wanted a more walkable, less suburban lifestyle with more interesting businesses.
As for Vancouver vs. Salem vs. SoCal, I don't think either of them really feel like the LA area. They're more like north/south Sacramento maybe, if you've been up there. Or like a nicer Fresno (like NE Fresno maybe). Less of the cookie-cutter suburban housing, fewer cul-de-sacs, less of the intricate and well-maintained landscaping. Just kinda average blue-collar '70s-'80s suburbia with basic, mostly ranch houses.
My wife and I are from SoCal originally and moved here four years ago after visiting and vacationing the PNW for many years. The last place we lived in was Monterey which is still our favorite spot in CA. But prices are outrageous. Over the years real estate has gone up everywhere including WA and OR. If you've been visiting for a while you'll know you are chasing a moving target in terms of housing. Although we never lived on the OR side, we weighed our favorites places in both states before making the move. Our favorite for our family in OR was Corvallis which is a nice college town, home to OSU.
There are so many variables to consider for each person or family that it really comes down to your own set of criteria. And since affordability is a big factor, that has to be a primary decision point. You have to balance that out with your own ability to obtain work given the local pay rate for such work. The one thing to keep in mind is that while WA and OR can be less expensive than CA, wages are also lower. And sometimes there may be more competition for general office type jobs.
Generally speaking, I think Salem is more affordable than Vancouver simply because Clark County is one of the fastest growing areas in the greater Portland metro. Having no state income tax and less Portland drama among other things brings more people to this side of the river. So, the population is growing as is the demand of home purchases as well as rentals. There are some areas where rents may be cheaper but they also have more crime. So, you don't want to end up there. Just like CA, there are some bad neighborhoods. If someone tells you something different, they're lying. Crime happens all throughout WA and OR to varying degrees. While downtown Portland is in the news most often, other places have issues as well. The nicer areas with better schools also tend to be safer with less crime. Those typically go hand in hand regardless of which state you're looking at. It's hard to find low(er) rent areas combined with safe, nice places and decent jobs. Personally, I would rather share an apt. than have my own place in a cr@ppy neighborhood with more crime and low lifes wandering about.
Most of this depends on where you can find affordable housing and work combined. I'm guessing Salem. But only you will know once you start looking. Normally its better to find a job first before moving since there's no guarantees once you get here. But its also harder to find work remotely when competing with locals. And locals are less inclined to hire folks from CA if you were not already aware. WA and OR blame Californians for many of their ills including increasing RE prices. So, its a bit of a catch 22 situation you are in. That's not to say there aren't many Californians up here. Just don't wave the flag expecting to be greeted with a big welcome party. Nothing wrong with CA. That's just the way things are culturally. So, its good to be aware of the history there and sensitive to their plight whether Californians fault or not. They blame those rich Californians for <fill in the blank>. And of course, other states will have a similar bias such as ID, CO, etc... You've been labeled right out of the gate. But as long as you're not obnoxious, it won't matter much once here. BTW, if you must have Trader Joes and good Mexican food, then look accordingly.
Derek
Last edited by MtnSurfer; 04-21-2023 at 11:21 PM..
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PNW: Best city for a suburb girl
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