What city is better to relocate to, Phoenix, AZ or Portland, OR?

Question

I am a CA native, living in LA now and barely surviving because of the extremely high cost of living and extremely rude people. I am seriously considering relocating in the next few months. Phoenix and Portland are my top two realistic choices, because they are much cheaper than CA, but still modern, popular and relatively close. It is important to have lots of things to do, music, friendly people, a good public transportation system and affordable rent.

Answer 1

i just finished law school in portland, oregon and am now looking at whether i should stay in oregon or return to my home state of arizona (arizona state undergraduate). this is an interesting question. i think it would be easiest to break this answer down into a bullet point format:

portland:
-declining job market
-smaller city center, easier mass transit
-weather is cloudy 300 days a year
-rarely snows and weather is great throughout summer
-people are nicer
-beach is one hour away
-no sales tax
-more bar oriented, pride themselves on good beer
-could care less about professional sports and will likely lose the trailblazers in the next ten years

phoenix:
-better job market and more jobs
-terrible mass transit (building a light rail just like portland)
-sunny 300 days a year
-very spread out, takes a long time to get around
-vegas and the beach are 5 hours drive
-better clubs and livelier nightlife
-more athletics and events valleywide (superbowl this year, nba all-star game in 2009, nascar this week, spring training baseball)

many of the other aspects are the same...cost of apartments, food, vehicle upkeep, gas. i think i would recommend portland if you can get a job and maintain a steady income. if you need to find a job trust phoenix to come through--they always have for me. you will enjoy either choice and there is always some comfort in not being able to make a bad decision.

Answer 2

Portlands public transit is expanding. Our Max train is being extended along I-205 as South as Sunnyside Rd....(which is great!) Many of our public buses (Tri-met) are also using biodiesel.
Portland is a very clean & efficient city with environmentally-minded people. I love it here; there's tons to do.
Everything is close, whether you'd like a day at the beach (an hour 1/2 drive), a day on the mountain (Mt' Hood is also an hour 1/2 drive). If you're looking for something hip to do, there's always an event, concert or show to attend....or if you're into something more natural....there's a thousand options. Drive up I-84 East through the Columbia river gorge and hike or sightsee.............it's beautiful.
Rent is getting steeper, but probably nothing compared to where you're coming from. I'd give you estimates, but don't know what you're looking for.
I've been to Phoenix/Scottsdale/Tempe a few times...my sister used to live in Flagstaff.....I liked it OK....the heat is something fierce!
I guess it boils down to what you want to see when you look out your window: green or brown.
An aside to the guy that has the bulletins above me...I liked your list but I think the 300cloudy days per year is a little bit of an exaggeration....and I know some serious Blazer fans that would beg to differ with you. Plus as far as organized sports go, portlands been toying with the idea of getting a Major League baseball team for years..........maybe even pro-football (which i could care less about).
Good luck with whatever you decide. Peace

Answer 3

I lived in Phoenix for many years and moved.
IT is too HOT. Last Aug it set a record for 30 days where the temp was over 100 deg.
Too Many People.

I just helped my best friend move from Phx to Washington State, two hours north of Spokane. Real nice place.
He has been there for six months now and his health has improved.

Portland would be a very nice place to live. I have family there and visit them often.

Answer 4

Choose Portland. Wasn't it voted one of the top 10 places to live recently?

Phoenix has a very poor public transit system, and not much "soul". Phoenix is just one large connected glob of run-down strip shopping centers and suburbs. It's also more than 90 degrees 8 months of the year. Unless you have family and friends in Phoenix, there really isn't anything there.

Answer 5

Depending on your age and if you like the heat, but I would take the Phoenix area. I would live in the Scottsdale area and was thinking about moving there. The Portland area is a beautiful place also but it is more humid. Phoenix gets my vote.

Answer 6

cogite said it best, i lived in both places.
its what your looking for in jobs, whether and lifestyle.
Oregon runs in to a depression mode for 10months out of the year, because of the fact its so high up. and ya it is completely beautiful up there, you cant do much. and you don't have to pump your own gas, they do it for you, Oregon law. Nice people and a family envierment,

Now for Phoenix, it is HOT, most of the hear, like 10 months out of the year, and even when monsoon season hits, its still hot. And that's even worse cause people don't know how to drive in the rain. and they are more pron to get in to car accidents, the roads are completely different then Cali or Or. Yes there are a massive about of jobs available there, but so is the traffic, ugg its almost as bad as Vegas.

But what ever you dicide. im sure you'll be happy.

Answer 7

Phoenix dude. They have NFL and MLB whereas PDX does not. However if you are one of those "keep Portland wierd" types then Portland will be your new home. Free drinks at the Eagle!

Answer 8

I would definately say AZ, I was raised there and love it! I would love to move back. There is always something to do, and there are always great bands in concert. If you can stand the summer heat, I think it's a great place to live. And if you can't stand the heat all you have to do is drive a couple hours north. Northern az is beautiful!

Answer 9

I'm moving to oregon real soon, good prices on homes good fishing and no sales tax

Answer 10

i loved portland or..the rose city..when over there on the ships...i found the people verry frendly ..loved the place ...cheers...seamanab