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OK, I couldn't help but add this. Taken from a public domain post on Quora. If even 30% of this is an accurate description of the residents of Ashland...whoa.....I mean.....whoa......
I'll say this...if nothing else it is hilarious and reads like a script from an episode of Portlandia....
Living in Ashland, Oregon is like living in an entirely different dimension.
For perspective, Ashland is nestled in the Rogue Valley… You've heard (rightly) that Ashland is a beauriful, picturesque artsy community, surrounded by mountains.
In the higher elevation communities of Applegate, Williams, and Cave Junction, our neighbors grow pot…LOTS of pot. So much pot that we not only smoke it, we eat it. We juice it. We play alchemist with it.
Ashland, Oregon locals are STONEY. Stay at home mamas brew tinctures and salves. Yogis “elevate” before class. University students buy it from high school kids across the street.
Ashland locals are hip as f***.
While generally considered a hippie community, there are LEVELS of hip.
There are aged, old school hippies from the sixties, keeping it real, doing what they can not to move too fast. There are “conservative” hippies, (aka: shadow hippies) who work mainstream jobs and are harder to spot in a crowd, but for their jaunty red scarves and wool pea coats in the winter. The young, rebellious, “IamNotAHipster” tucks his shirt in and uses public transportation while sipping mate out of a gourd.
As a community, Ashland is very spiritual. We bathe nude in the moonlight in all weather at the Wellsprings, and gather for Kirtan (Sanskrit) chanting.
We dance as part of our spiritual practices. Ecstatic dance, wave, tribal bellydance, African dancing, dancing with snakes… we do it all.
We gather as a community for Beltaine, and erect a Maypole. We venerate the feminine divine. We pray in the Goddess Temple.
During the academic year, we have University students. They're okay, I guess. They tend to travel in packs and bomb “cultural learning experiences,” but by the end of their stay, they've properly morphed. We just feed them Magic cards and Theater.
During the summer, we are a tourist town… the Shakespearean Festival brings them in droves. Locals learn to drive on alternate routes, but never above 25 mph. We bicycle, skateboard, bus, or hoof it.
The parks are filled with locals and tourists alike. Our favorite park, Lithia, runs along Lithia Creek, and a section of the creek bed itself is paved for our children, but if you pass the playground, theater bandshell, and duck ponds, you can just go skinny dipping in the Faerie Ponds. We used to spin fire there, but…ORDINANCES.
We are a healthy Tribe. Thirty years ago, you couldn't buy a steak in a resturaunt, but today you are easily able. You can expect your steak to have come from a local farm, to have been grass-fed, and to have been named and loved, for the highest-vibration nourishment possible.
We don't smoke. We sprout our grains and ferment our own probiotic kombucha, jun, and kraut. We drink lithium water or gather it from Tub Springs on the hillside. We compete with tame deer to harvest our urban gardens.
We are a political people; we rally and we vote. Generally, our rallys involve a parade, but Ashland parades tend to be filled with Ashlanders and there isn't anyone left to watch… why be a bystander, when you can wear a costume and participate? …and AFTER, there will be hoop dancing!
As a community, Ashland is very spiritual. We bathe nude in the moonlight in all weather at the Wellsprings, and gather for Kirtan (Sanskrit) chanting.
We dance as part of our spiritual practices. Ecstatic dance, wave, tribal bellydance, African dancing, dancing with snakes… we do it all.
Well there you go, NC_Cpl. Your perfect, dream retirement community! Have fun!! You've finally arrived. lol
Kind of reminds me of something I heard about going to a Grateful Dead show back in their heyday. You make your way to the front of the stage, then turn around. Thats where all the entertainment is....
OP, if you're dubious about Ashland, there's still the rest of southern Oregon to consider,
including places like Phoenix and Talent (in-between Medford and Ashland).
Tax-wise, presumably you'd pay more property taxes in Ashland than in nearby communities,
owing to property values being higher in Ashland. And maybe Ashland has an extra
quarter-cent city sales tax; I don't know. Your income taxes would be the same as
anywhere else in Oregon, of course. And if taxes weigh heavily in your thinking,
you should consider WA rather than OR... WA is a blue state with a red-state
tax structure (no income tax), perhaps unique in the US.
There probably isn't a place quite like Ashland elsewhere in the West,
but it sounds like its unique features (Shakespeare Festival, lively counterculture)
aren't really significant to you... maybe not even appealing.
So why pay a premium to live there?
Chiming in again as a person who has lived here for 20 years... this is not the community for the OP.
It's a great town, not as loopy as people like to describe, but yes, does have that fun loopy element as part of the mix.
But it is not a good match for the OP. And, yes, taxes are higher here than in surrounding towns. And it shows. The town is better maintained, has more services, more parks and green spaces, and has a more highly rated school system than other towns in southern OR. Taxes pay for things. I can see that if you don't care about those things, or actively don't want them, then you might wish you didn't have to pay for them... but as a whole the citizenry of Ashland has chosen to support those things, so we all pay. It's more common than not for bond measures to pass here, usually easily.
Chiming in again as a person who has lived here for 20 years... this is not the community for the OP.
It's a great town, not as loopy as people like to describe, but yes, does have that fun loopy element as part of the mix.
But it is not a good match for the OP. And, yes, taxes are higher here than in surrounding towns. And it shows. The town is better maintained, has more services, more parks and green spaces, and has a more highly rated school system than other towns in southern OR. Taxes pay for things. I can see that if you don't care about those things, or actively don't want them, then you might wish you didn't have to pay for them... but as a whole the citizenry of Ashland has chosen to support those things, so we all pay. It's more common than not for bond measures to pass here, usually easily.
I kinda agree. Sounds like the OP would be happier some place like the TX Hill Country or Idaho.
OP, if you're dubious about Ashland, there's still the rest of southern Oregon to consider,
including places like Phoenix and Talent (in-between Medford and Ashland).
Tax-wise, presumably you'd pay more property taxes in Ashland than in nearby communities,
owing to property values being higher in Ashland. And maybe Ashland has an extra
quarter-cent city sales tax; I don't know. Your income taxes would be the same as
anywhere else in Oregon, of course. And if taxes weigh heavily in your thinking,
you should consider WA rather than OR... WA is a blue state with a red-state
tax structure (no income tax), perhaps unique in the US.
There probably isn't a place quite like Ashland elsewhere in the West,
but it sounds like its unique features (Shakespeare Festival, lively counterculture)
aren't really significant to you... maybe not even appealing.
So why pay a premium to live there?
If you are rich enough you don't have to spend your entire income, you are better off in Washington. If you live on your cash flow, sales tax rates in Washington are higher than income tax rates in Oregon, so you will be better off to live in Oregon.
Thanks everyone for the sincere responses - they are all appreciated! My responses:
Taxes - We paid very high taxes (city/county, not state) where we lived when we raised our kids (Chapel Hill) for all the same reasons you cite (good schools, nice downtown, etc.). As a matter of fact, I see some definite parallels between Chapel Hill and Ashland in this regard. That said, and once the kids are gone, and you're living off your savings, higher taxes become less palatable than they were previously. The generations that follow can carry that burden (not that I don't believe in the concept or value of taxes mind you, they just move higher on the decision heirarchy). I'm looking at the bigger tax picture that considers ALL taxes on retirees, rather than any one single part of it. Oregon is regarded as a "middle tier " tax state in this regard - not great, but also not as bad as others, and thats acceptable. But, as you say, Ashland specifically adds a lot to that, and if its in the form of bond measures that pass most of the time, thats a bummer, because its largely out of your control. Kind of like joining a really expensive country club and then complaining about the dues, right? But I do undertstand it - Ashland uses taxes as a way to differentiate itself from surrounding areas and attracts tourists. Keep the riffraff out. Maybe even a way to be population selective" without appearing discriminatory? So without revealing too much, we will be well-off enough financially to live pretty comfortably most anywhere (within reason), and do whatever travel and recreation we (realistically) want. But in order to preserve that security, and not feel like we're burning through our portfolio, I want to be careful on things like taxes. It's hard to shake Midwest values...lol!
Culture - this amounts to a love/hate thing maybe. You know when you visit certain places that like Boulder, St. Helena, Carmel, Charleston, the Hamptons...its easy to get swept up in the charm and proclaim "lets move here!!" While I've never been to the Shakespeare Festival it sounds really great, as does the charming downtown, the park, all of it frankly. I understand that too. I lived in Key West for 1.5 yrs. Interesting (but not easy) pace to live. No middle class. I would tell people there are just two classes in KW, those who own the restaurant, and those that bus the tables. But it's easy to get swept up in the environment of these beautiful small towns, so I'm trying to take a step back and evaluate on other criteria, because I know the charm factor can't be the only criteria.
The red/blue aspect is not that big a deal, as long as one isn't isn't judged or made to feel like a perpetual outsider. Heck, I've lived in mostly blue places all my life (Chicago, Bay Area, Denver, Raleigh), but I never felt that it mattered that much. In fact, people who are crazy red turn me off just as easily! Raleigh for instance is a nice city and politcally purple, but travel 20 mi. out of town and you're in deep red territory (cue the banjo tune from deliverance). Not a place I'd like to live for sure!! So I'm aware that being what I'll call a "soft conservative" in Ashland would put me in the minority, but as long as it doesn't result in overt discrimination, harsh judgement or is "socially exclusionary," I can live with that. I'm up for a robust political debate anytime, and will still shaking hands with the other person afterwards.
Texadiver mentioned TX, and thats a reasonable and good suggestion, and TX is also up for consideration, but I'm mostly just considering Austin (surprise!!) because the rest of TX strikes me as too red for my tastes. I like a balance. Im not drawn by trucks with gun racks, confederate flags, or MAGA hats. On the flip side, I'm not drawn to Bernie Bros, "I'm With Her" bumper stickers, or optional, self-selective gender pronouns.
There's still the matter of airport proximity, quality healthcare options, and housing costs, but I think I've got a decent bead on those things.
Thanks everyone - you guys are great and are truly helpful!!
You pretty much described my cultural experiences living in blue states/areas. I've lived in liberal areas most of my life in CA along the coast (Monterey, SoCal). We've never felt discriminated against although politically moderates. I typically vote more blue than the rest of my family and friends. I never let politics determine where we live. It's more a matter of enjoying the beautiful environment wherever that happens to be. However, I can understand the points you've made regarding Ashland. I find extremes in either direction somewhat annoying. We also prefer diversity, so if an area has too much group think or behaviors, it can feel a bit backwater.
Texadiver mentioned TX, and thats a reasonable and good suggestion, and TX is also up for consideration, but I'm mostly just considering Austin (surprise!!) because the rest of TX strikes me as too red for my tastes. I like a balance. Im not drawn by trucks with gun racks, confederate flags, or MAGA hats. On the flip side, I'm not drawn to Bernie Bros, "I'm With Her" bumper stickers, or optional, self-selective gender pronouns.
NC_Cpl
Not Austin for retirement. That's where you go if you are young and have a tech job and don't mind worse traffic than Portland. The TX equivalents to Ashland would be any of a dozen or so smaller towns within an hour or so of Austin or San Antonio. Or honestly, San Antonio itself over Austin for retirement. I'm thinking of towns like:
Georgetown
Boerne
Kerrville
New Braunfels
San Marcos
Liberty Hill
My personal pick for a retirement location in TX would be Boerne, right outside of San Antonio on the edge of the hill country.
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