Originally Posted By fan-o-fun My husband and I are considering a move to the Portland area. We currently live in North Texas. Can a family of 4 own a home in a good area on 130,000 a year? In Tx, we do very well for our money. We have a 3000 sq ft home we bought in 98 for 114,000 in one of the best school districts. What does it take income - wise to live well in Oregon? Any info about Oregon would be helpful, especially if you live there.
Originally Posted By gaydsnywitch I lived in Oregon until last July. I lived there almost 30 years. You shouldn't have any problem finding a good house if you're making $130,000 a year. Portland has an urban growth boundary which limits developable land so prices are somewhat artificially inflated. But, I've heard that real estate prices are somewhat more stable than in other areas. I'm a single guy so I really don't know much about schools and family stuff. I lived just a few miles outside of the downtown core. Portland averages about 36 inches of rain a year. Unlike some places, it's spread throughout the year. It can be kind of depressing but it is what makes Portland so green. I finally got tired of the wet and the chilly winters so I moved to Tucson. I still have family and friends in the area. There is a town of stuff to do in and around Portland. It's great for bicyling. It has a wonderful zoo. There's Saturday Market downtown which is basically an open air market where artists sell everything from tie dyed clothes, to painting, to wind chimes, etc. If you're into skiing, Mt Hood is a great place. They even sometimes have summer skiing. There's a lot of parks and waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge. All within an hour or two of Portland. The Pacific Coast is just an hour or two in the other direction. And Portland is just outside of the burgeoning wine region of the Yamhill and Tualatin valleys. Because of Portland's relatively compact size, it is fairly easy to get around on public transportation. Traffic can be horrendous thought, but you'll find that in any city of size. I'm sure if I sat here I could think of lots more to say, but I have to run. Let me know if you have any other questions. (I only left Portland because I was ready for some place warmer and drier.)
Originally Posted By fan-o-fun Thank you gaydsnywitch. (that name is just fun to type!) I don't know anyone there to ask so your info is very helpful.
Originally Posted By goodgirl Try using this to get an idea: <a href="http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html" target="_blank">http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools /costofliving/costofliving.html</a> You might want to check out realtor web sites to look at homes on the market that you would be interested in.
Originally Posted By SuperDry Another thing to consider is that Oregon has one of the highest state income taxes, and you start paying the full rate at a very low income (like $10,000/year), but there's no sales tax. Portland is right along the border with Washington State, which makes Vancouver, WA a suburb of Portland (not to be confused with Vancouver BC which is 300 miles to the north). Taxation in Washington is similar to Texas: 8.xx% sales tax and no income tax. The people I know in the area live in Vancouver, but take the 10-minute drive to Oregon for tax-free shopping when they go to the mall. I know that people that live in OR and work in WA have to pay OR state income tax, but I'm not sure about the other way around.
