Who is from Oregon?

Question

How do the people living in the Oregon coast pay their bills when there are very few jobs there?

I would really love to move to the Oregon coast but it seems to me that all the jobs are in Portland, Beaverton, Salem, and Eugene. Is this impossible?

Answer 1

More people are working in retail, tourism, manufacturing or timber jobs on the Oregon coast than in professional fields.

The fastest growing segment of people moving to the coast are retirees. Vacation homes are everywhere, from Astoria to Brookings. Retirees coming up from California usually have no trouble paying for a home in Oregon after selling a home in California.

The trick to living on the Oregon coast is to do your research. You can't expect to open the newspaper and see the number or variety of jobs that you'd find in Portland, Salem or Eugene.

You might consider a government job, as agencies have to maintain offices in many coastal towns, unlike private companies that can (and do) move to metropolitan areas to take advantage of a deeper workforce.

Here's a couple links you should give a try:

State jobs: http://www.oregonjobs.org/

City government: http://www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/ES/SEEKER/city_govt_jobs.shtml

County government: http://www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/ES/SEEKER/county_govt_jobs.shtml

School district jobs: http://www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/ES/SEEKER/education_jobs.shtml

Here's several links to job listings with the Federal government:

http://www.fedworld.gov/jobs/jobsearch.html

http://www.fedjobs.com/

http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/

http://www.fs.fed.us/fsjobs/

Don't be discouraged. Do you research and you'll find a way to live near the Pacific Ocean. Good luck.

Answer 2

The Oregon Coast is depressed economically, and it is harder to find jobs, especially good jobs, on the coast. If you work in highly skilled careers or professional fields, then your chances are better. There is little industry anymore, most jobs are service related for tourism, and there are Casino's in each county along the coast.

Weather can be depressing as well, as the temps hover between 40 and 65 year round, and in summer there is often a fog through most of the day, in the spring and winter it rains. Fall tends to be the nicest time of year on the coast, it can actually be quite pleasant, with the ever-present wind less strong than other times of the year.

The rates of obesity along the Oregon Coast seems to be higher than national averages, and I am thinking it is related to the depressing weather, and perhaps people on meds (anti-depressants tend to cause weight gain). This has just been a personal observation.

You are right that most job opportunities tends to be along what is called the "I-5 Corridor" : Portland Metro Area, Salem, Eugene, Medford, Grants Pass, Ashland, with the Northern three having the best opportunities. This area also has better weather, with hot summers, a bit colder winters, and a lot more sunny days than the coast.

You might consider moving to Eugene, at least to start, then driving the hour to the Coast whenever you want. If you really want to try living on the Coast, then you might want to look into the Coos Bay/North Bend area, it is the largest population center on the coast, though it isn't right on the ocean, a 5-10 minute drive from downtown will get you there. It is on the water though.