Where is the best place to live in Oregon?

Question

I know that people ask this question but I need some help. We are planning to move to Oregon within the next few months. My husband is an attorney and we need to live near a bigger city, Ie Eugene, Bend, Portland, etc. However I have always wanted to live in a small town since I moved to Las Vegas 15 years ago. Where is the best place to live? Not too pricy. I want a place where I can raise my family and have the green of Oregon and the stability of a job (my husbands) I am a teacher but I am aware of the school situation in Oregon. Where should we look at? Please help! Thanks!

Answer 1

Look into a little rural town called Harrisburg. It is about a 15-20 minute drive from Eugene, so certainly close enough to commute. This is a town of 3,000 population, close-knit, has great sense of community, great schools, kids sports programs, and you can get a really nice home for $150,000-$175,000. If you prefer living on several acres, this would be a super place to be able to afford it, and still be close in to a city (Eugene). Because Harrisburg is in Linn County rather than Lane County (which is where Eugene is) the taxes are lower.

The primary drawback to Harrisburg is that to do any real shopping, you need to go in to Eugene. There are several small markets, including a drive-thru market; a hardware store, bank, laundromat, doctor, dentist and other services, and four miles away in Junction City there is a Safeway Supermarket and a Bi-Mart store (similar to Rite-Aid), fitness centers, and fast food places, among many other things.

Living in Harrisburg would also give your husband a larger area to look for work in, as it is about 20 miles from Eugene, 22 miles from Springfield, 22 miles from Corvallis, and 25 miles from Albany.

Just a suggestion of a place to look into more closely :).

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Where is the best place to live in Oregon?
I know that people ask this question but I need some help. We are planning to move to Oregon within the next few months. My husband is an attorney and we need to live near a bigger city, Ie Eugene, Bend, Portland, etc. However I have always wanted to live in a small town since I moved to Las...

Answer 3

The Oregon State Bar is located in Lake Oswego but that area is very very pricey. You should live around Tigard or Beaverton area. Those are both nice. They have good schools a lot of businesses but it's a nice suburban area that is also a close drive to Portland. It only takes about 15 minutes to go from Tigard to down town Portland and only about 10 min from Beaverton on the freeway with no traffic. With traffic it can take longer (like 30 min to an hour). If you want to live more in the country with the fastest and least traffic route, try Scappoose (population around 6,000). It's about 25 minutes always because there is never any traffic in that direction. Welcome to Oregon. It's very beautiful here in the Summer so I suggest you move here then. Good luck!

Answer 4

Milwaukie ! the cutest city ever look into and visit there you wont be sorry and the school district is amazing. North Clackamas school district is the best you can do in oregon honestly!

Bend isn't as foresty and eugene is an amount of time from Portland which isn't fun. Milwaukie is a suburb of Portland and is not to far from the Wilamette River talk about amazing sunsets. and the Christmas boats that go by on the Wilamette you gotta let the kids see that all the light designs of christmas simply amazing view to watch!

Answer 5

oh good lord please do NOT move to milwaukie. yuck.

ok, well most places in oregon are expensive. if you are concerned about price...bend is skyrocketing. BUT...that also makes it a fantastic investment for real estate. so...that is something to consider. i love bend, it's fantastic, and it does have a "small town" feel.

portland does not have a small town feel, but it is the main city and there are jobs for your hubbie i'm sure. you'd have to move to a suburb....lake oswego and west linn are the most expensive, but the best schools.

eugene could be great for you because it's a big city, but very homey, liberal, and jobs i am sure. and it's not as expensive as the two other cities.

i don't know....you might try your luck with bend!! you can't go wrong with buying a house there...or anywhere in oregon really...and i'm sure they are in need of more schools, more teachers, and more attorneys b/c of the increasing population.

seriously though...oregon is not cheap. many people find it hard to make it there, and it's about a 30% higher cost of living then say...texas.

Answer 6

Salem is pretty good. You can live on the outskirts of town and still be close to a reasonably sized urban center. Portland is only an hour north.

Also Corvallis is a nice college town.

Answer 7

I personally would suggest the smaller surrounding areas near Corvallis such as Sweet Home, Lebanon,Philomath,north>Albany,(Salem, Woodburn, Mt. Angel, Canby,)>closer to Portland The area is considered central Willamette(pronounced,will -LAM- met) Valley,the farther south and east of Portland is less rain, The valley(as is is known as) is nice as you have easy and beautiful drives to either the pacific coast,and the Cascade mountain range,and a tremendous variety of family things to explore and do.

Answer 8

multnomah county in oregon.
i have a house going up for rent on 76th AV.
it is a nice neighborhood with plenty of adults to talk to.

Answer 9

EXPLORE IT!