Relocating to Oregon, which is better Beaverton or Vancouver?

Question

Which one has the best of the following-

Public Schools

Job opportunities

Cheap housing ( I'm planning on renting )

Public transportation

Recreational parks, libraries, events, etc.

Shortest commute to downtown Portland

I'm aware of the fact that Vancouver is in Washington. I think we can all agree it's considered a suburb of the Portland area (hence my question). Didn't think I had to specify that.

I'm asking around for word of mouth advice so that I can compare it to what I've read so far.

Answer 1

I agree with Adam, the engineer and Stephanie.

Vancouver is not scummy in general. Anyone who says that has not been there in 10 years. Yes, there are some blue collar areas to it and there are a few homeless, but it's been drastically cleaned up and is no longer where poor portlanders live. It's now a thriving and somewhat wealthy suburb.

Overall, the tax situation is better in Washington State, meaning that most public systems are better. This includes schools, transportation, and they are improving many of their roads. And I also agree with the person who said that Camas has the best schools is the area. They do. But Battleground, ridgefield, and Washougal are also making headway. But, they add 15-30 minutes onto your drive, depending on where you are.

Beaverton could be a longer commute to Portland because of the highway system to and from the area. The 26 and 217 are constantly problem spots and can double the travel time to downtown. But, the I-5 bridge can get jammed up easily because so many Portlanders are commuting at the same time.

There are some very nice parks in Portland, but I'd guess that Beaverton and Vancouver are about equal in that, except that many area of Vancouver are being revitalized along with their parks. This could put the advantage towards Vancouver, but that's just my opinion.

Jobs are available in both locations. Beaverton has a ton of new rebuilt areas that always need employees. Nike is also based in Beaverton. Vancouver has companies like UL, Sharp, HP, and many other tech and computer employers. Nautilus (sport equiptment) is also based in Vancouver as are several other global companies. Honestly, it really depends on the types of jobs you are looking for. Anything from Retail to clerical to tech to management to design to construction to PR and more are all available in the area. It's probably best to narrow down a field and then search for housing in a distance that works for you.

"I'm aware of the fact that Vancouver is in Washington. I think we can all agree it's considered a suburb of the Portland area (hence my question). Didn't think I had to specify that." I do have to say I'm a little concerned about this attitude. Perhaps I'm misinterpreting your tone, as is easy to do in print, if so, mea culpa. But, most people in the Portland area are VERY friendly, helpful, polite, and nice. Most of the people here who corrected you were just trying to help. I'm guessing that they'd rather have you know the geography than to fly out there, realize it, and then get mad that no one told you.
Also, your question is ambiguous. You clearly say "Oregon" - one could easily assume that you think that Vancouver is in Oregon from the way you worded it. In Portland and the surrounding areas, a little diplomacy and decorum is called for. Rudeness is not tolerated well, so consider that before making the change. The Portland area isn't a fit for everyone, so just be sure that you'll be happy.

Good luck to you in the move and job hunt! : )

Answer 2

If owning, then I would say Vancouver because property taxes are lower. If you do choose Vancouver, make sure you do your shopping across the river in Oregon so you do not have to pay sales tax.

However, if you're going to be renting, you might want to go with Beaverton. I think that the school system is better and since the MAX line was extended a few years ago, it gives you pretty easy access to downtown Portland. As far as commute, if you're driving, it might be a toss-up. The Sunset Highway from Beaverton can be a real bear, but I've heard I-5 south from Vancouver is no picnic during morning rush hour either.

Best of luck to you in whatever you decide!

Answer 3

One thing to clarify another poster's comment...if you don't want to pay income tax you have to live and work in Washington. If you work in OR you'll pay income tax regardless of where you live.

Both Vancouver and Beaverton have good public schools, and right now Vancouver has a little more $ going to their schools. Beaverton is traditionally one of the best districts in the state, and they hire wonderful teachers. I'd say Vancouver is better right now, but that changes all the time and overall both are good districts.

Depends on the industry. Both B and V have a lot of tech jobs. I'd check jobdango.com or another online site to see what the jobs look like in your field.

Beaverton right now, because the light rail, MAX, goes out there as do the Portland lines. When you get to Vancouver you have to switch to their public transportation so it makes it more difficult.

Beaverton is much better about parks, libraries, events, etc than Vancouver. They have great stuff!

In a car, the commutes are probably close, but I think the traffic backs up more going to Vancouver. So, probably Beaverton, but time of day and where in the cities you live will make it vary greatly. Via public transportation, Beaverton is a shorter commute.

Answer 4

Which one has the best of the following-

Public Schools - Vancouver

Job opportunities - Both, depends on the type of work you're looking for.

Cheap housing ( I'm planning on renting ) - I have a house for rent in Vancouver, check portland.craigslist.org

Public transportation - Better in Beaverton, cleaner in Vancouver, less extensive in vancouver (for now), in the next 10 years Vancouver will have light rail service and so will beaverton

Recreational parks, libraries, events, etc. - These are places to get mugged in Beaverton, They're a little better in Vancouver.

Shortest commute to downtown Portland - Its a toss-up. According to a recent study its shorter from beaverton, but that is expected to change in the next few years with modifications to the freeway from vancovuer to portland

Answer 5

As the crow flies is very different than the actual commute time. Keep in mind that Portland has no sales tax and people from Vancouver are always trying to scam off of us. So, traffic from Vancouver to Portand can take an hour during early rush hour, then an hour in the opposite direction during later rush hour. If you live in Beaverton, there are many routes you can take to downtown, c/w the I-5 bridge or going tens of miles out of your way to another bridge to come from Vancouver. A agree with the other poster...be nice to people who are trying to help you, even if you feel like they are treating you like you're stupid. We are just REALLY HELPFUL here in Portland. We MUST be giving to put up with all of the WASHINGTON license plates crowding our freeways and taking our street parking ;)

Answer 6

Well, first of all Vancouver is in Washington, not Oregon.
Second, probably Vancouver, as you get best of both worlds.... you can do your shopping in Oregon for no sales tax, and live in Washington for no state income tax.
There are other suburbs of Portland I would choose over Beaverton, like Gresham. Or go small town and move to Sandy. It's still not a bad commute ... as such things go.

Answer 7

Jobdango Vancouver Wa

Answer 8

ok if your looking for schools, job, public transport then its beaverton. If your looking for less expensive housing, parks/libraries and shortest commute to downtown portland then its Vancouver. Everywhere has their own pros and cons. Like Washington has a sales tax while Oregon doesnt. Its just what u think is more important.

Answer 9

I live in Vancouver WA. For someone to say it is scummy, they are wrong. There are always scummy parts in a city/town. I live in the Orchards area. It is very nice and clean. Cascade park are area is a very nice area too. They are fixing up downtown better. I woud not recommend living off of fourth plain. Lots of rif raf. But good places to eat. I think there is cheaper housing in Vancouver, lots of public transportation. Lots of dog parks here in Vancouver, and we aren't far from all the parks to go swimming and have bbq's. If you want to go shopping Portland is just right across the bridge, and you have no sales tax. Also the Felida/Salmon creek area in Vancouver is very nice too.Public Schools in WA State are better then the ones in Oregon. We have more money to work with. Alot of people have been moving from Oregon to WA due to the fact of schools. Good Luck!!!

Answer 10

We just moved to Portland a month ago. Before that, we flew up a few times and checked out Vancouver also. Each time we could NOT wait to get out of Vancouver. It is scuzzy there !!! Housing might be cheaper, but there is only limited bus-service. Also, it is hell to commute to and from Portland....total gridlock going over the bridge !

Portland has lightrail, busses and streetcars and LOTS of things to do and see. There is always something going on. If you move to Beaverton, lightrail gets you into downtown Portland in about 20 minutes. There are lots of other "burbs" you could move to...we live at Orenco Station (belongs to Hillsboro), and we really like it here. Lots of shopping, banks, grocery stores etc. out here, so you don't really need to go "downtown" for anything.

The best thing is for you to check out both places, and not just once.....then you will have your answer ! Good luck !!!!!