Salem OR vs Vancouver WA - best quality of life for the rent prices (Tacoma: how much, house)

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by calitopnw

What is the main difference you notice between WA residents and OR residents?

Oregonians are more slacker and parochial or inward-looking.

But it isn't really fair to compare Portland metro to SE Washington Vancouver area because that is just one small corner of Washington that is more connected to Portland than the rest of Washington. The real Washington is more Puget Sound area and the east side towns like Spokane and Tri Cities.

[SkyLark2019]

You'll be fine there.

A friend of mine relocated there years ago (she was a single mother who took aid from a religious organization) and she was happy there. She ended up moving away eventually but she never had anything bad to say. She felt safe and her son (who was biracial) was treated well by people there.)

A lot of people are not prepared for the overcast weather of the Pacific Northwest. Get used to grey days and rain. Some people thrive in "gloomy" climates, others do not.

[MechAndy]

Get ready to meet a lot of ex-Californians that also grew tired of the traffic and things of that nature.
I’m beginning to think that every neighborhood has a few.

The summers and natural wonders up here are what brought us.
Winters are not for everyone but we do ok with them.
I find that just getting out and about with proper attire works best for me.

[calitopnw]

Originally Posted by SkyLark2019

You'll be fine there.

A friend of mine relocated there years ago (she was a single mother who took aid from a religious organization) and she was happy there. She ended up moving away eventually but she never had anything bad to say. She felt safe and her son (who was biracial) was treated well by people there.)

A lot of people are not prepared for the overcast weather of the Pacific Northwest. Get used to grey days and rain. Some people thrive in "gloomy" climates, others do not.

Yes I do much better in cold overcast weather than the sunny warm climate. Most people are probably the opposite, but due to health issues, I have heat intolerance. I do worry about the Summers still because I believe they are pretty dry and can still get warm (at least a few days a year are pretty hot) and most places I've looked at do not offer A/C.

[NW4me]

Originally Posted by calitopnw

Yes I do much better in cold overcast weather than the sunny warm climate. Most people are probably the opposite, but due to health issues, I have heat intolerance. I do worry about the Summers still because I believe they are pretty dry and can still get warm (at least a few days a year are pretty hot) and most places I've looked at do not offer A/C.

The Salem area would indeed have some warm days in the summer (as would the rest of the valley cities --
Eugene, Corvallis, Albany, etc.). You might be able to flee to the coast on some of those days
(it would be slightly over an hour away), but a lot of other people would be having the same idea.

[Angry-Koala]

Originally Posted by calitopnw

Yes I do much better in cold overcast weather than the sunny warm climate. Most people are probably the opposite, but due to health issues, I have heat intolerance. I do worry about the Summers still because I believe they are pretty dry and can still get warm (at least a few days a year are pretty hot) and most places I've looked at do not offer A/C.

Then you belong in western Washington State! The summers are becoming warmer because of global warming, but temperatures almost always cool down at night, so you get a break from the heat.

[ohio_peasant]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Oregonians are more slacker and parochial or inward-looking.

But it isn't really fair to compare Portland metro to SE Washington Vancouver area because that is just one small corner of Washington that is more connected to Portland than the rest of Washington. The real Washington is more Puget Sound area and the east side towns like Spokane and Tri Cities.

By way of related question... what might be said of the small WA towns hugging the banks of the Columbia, heading out to the Pacific? Or more broadly, the part of WA that's west of I-5 and south of Olympia?

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by ohio_peasant

By way of related question... what might be said of the small WA towns hugging the banks of the Columbia, heading out to the Pacific? Or more broadly, the part of WA that's west of I-5 and south of Olympia?

Remote and somewhat stagnant even dying general services vs. a revitalization of old towns/societies that are a mere shadow of their former glory days when timber and fishing were king. Poverty and associate crime can be an issue depending on where in the general area. This is really a better question to post in the parent WA forum since it covers a wider area like the question. There's some threads there which go into similar inquiries if you search specific towns.

Prices are lower and its not because the areas are simply undiscovered. Many times its the opposite reflecting a decaying, once thriving society - almost like the path to a ghost town. Did you know Oregon has the most ghost towns of any state in the US for similar reasons? That is old, dead economies based upon industries of yesteryear which never adapted to socioeconomic changes and therefore remained in the past - stuck in time. Hence, the road to decay. You see it all the time driving the backroads of the PNW, more so than other states. Think old mining or factory towns which were once thriving. Some might see it as fool's gold investing in such a place while others may view it as an opportunity (gamble). Only time will tell if things improve, stagnate or continue to decline. My guess is that nothing will change very quickly if at all like a slow burn. So, don't expect much different from what is already there. Maybe a Walmart will open/close in the future and it will be big news.

Aberdeen/Grays Harbor County. Beyond Sad


Derek

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by ohio_peasant

By way of related question... what might be said of the small WA towns hugging the banks of the Columbia, heading out to the Pacific? Or more broadly, the part of WA that's west of I-5 and south of Olympia?

I'm not exactly sure where you are talking about. But the only sizeable towns out there are the Grays Harbor and Aberdeen area.

Do your own google street view comparison.

Here is the main drag of Aberdeen WA through the center of downtown: https://goo.gl/maps/BDpXXnrLj9JttGuu7

And for the sake of comparison, here is the same downtown strip in similar-sized Astoria Oregon on the other side of the Columbia. Which looks more prosperous to you? https://goo.gl/maps/r9zN31vErNx1usNt9

And another example of a similar sized town, Hood River OR: https://goo.gl/maps/iroLhjA9DBb9xTeJ7

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by ohio_peasant

By way of related question... what might be said of the small WA towns hugging the banks of the Columbia, heading out to the Pacific? Or more broadly, the part of WA that's west of I-5 and south of Olympia?

Astoria's been attracting attention and some new transplants among retirees and young people as well, for those who can find a job in the area. It has a good food co-op in addition to regular grocery stores, has arts events, art fairs, and is a bit of a tourist destination. But it came out in the most recent thread, that there can be problems with landslides. Much of it is on a hill, the edges of which can destabilize after heavy rain. But there are homes outside of town in flat areas, too.