Best small town to live in Oregon (Portland, Eugene: find a job, best school)

[chancervan]

Looking to move to Oregon next summer and need help. Currently in rural Oklahoma and looking for rural area with at least 2 to 3 acres within 30 minutes or less of work. Work would be as a vet tech. Need a good school and a town that invests in its schools. Looking in the SW area but not on the coast. Also what can we expect for summers and winters? Would like to research at least 2 or more areas and then visit them next spring. Thank you for any help. By small town probably less than 5000 people but it depends on town.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Most towns have a vet. I don't know if there are job openings for vet techs. I do know that vet techs aren't paid very well.

Oregon is not famous for good schools. The state of Washington has a much better funded school system.

There are 6,453 threads in the Oregon forum about "tell me which is the best small town." I suggest that you do some reading and come back with some specific questions if you find your questions are still unanswerred.

Oh, and because marijuana has been legalized, 2-3 acre rural (agricultural) plots in SW Oregon are going for big money as marijuana farms.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Use City Data's resources:

https://www.city-data.com/city/Oregon.html

You can filter towns by population, then read all about them.

Then pick a few and come back and ask.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by chancervan

Looking to move to Oregon next summer and need help. Currently in rural Oklahoma and looking for rural area with at least 2 to 3 acres within 30 minutes or less of work. Work would be as a vet tech. Need a good school and a town that invests in its schools. Looking in the SW area but not on the coast. Also what can we expect for summers and winters? Would like to research at least 2 or more areas and then visit them next spring. Thank you for any help. By small town probably less than 5000 people but it depends on town.

You are probably not going to like the answer, but wherever you can find a job. I don't know anybody who has picked out a small town in Oregon and then just found a job there. That's just not the way it works. At least not to start with. They get the job first and then move to that town. They know that if they lose the job, they will be packing up and moving to some other place.

Feel free to put your resume out in what ever areas you like. Just don't expect to get flooded with job offers. Your work is specialized. I would guess that most of the jobs for it would be in the larger cities like Portland and Eugene.

The veterinary clinic near me I believe is a mom and pop operation, that employees a couple of receptionist, who have probably worked there forever.

[Lamppy]

I recommend Pleasant Hill (by far the best school district), Dexter, and Lowell. There are many veterinarians in Eugene and Springfield which would be approximately 30 minutes away from each of those small towns. Winters will be rainy, foggy, with occasional icy days. Summers, which usually start July 5th , will be 80-95 degrees, no humidity. We sometimes get over 100 degrees, but for only a day or two. The fall days are beautiful, starting at the end of September, and we'll have occasional rain with warm winds. 2-3 acres will be hard to find...anywhere. It seems to be what everyone is looking for these days.

[texasdiver]

Silverton Oregon. Good schools, nice town, easy commuting distance to the greater Salem area and surrounding towns.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Silverton Oregon. Good schools, nice town, easy commuting distance to the greater Salem area and surrounding towns.

Silverton is a good option, but it isn't in SW Oregon.

[chancervan]

Thank you that gives me some places to start looking. We are still in the planning stage. We have 3 generations moving in one household so need something for everyone.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

Silverton is a good option, but it isn't in SW Oregon.

Rural area,
Good Schools (town that invests in its schools)
SW Oregon

Pick which two of these are most important to you. You aren't going to find all three.

[NBened]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Silverton Oregon. Good schools, nice town, easy commuting distance to the greater Salem area and surrounding towns.

Would you recommend Silverton as a good place to retire?