Washington vs. Oregon- which state to live in?

[OneforfreedomParticipant 930]

Throwing out another question for you guys- if you have any experience in Washington or Oregon, please share- would love to hear from you!

Which state is better to live in, if you consider the factors below:

1) Most bike-friendly
2) Closest to nature- mountains, water, plenty of hiking
3) Low cost (can be negated since I am willing to live with roommates). I’d be single, with a six-figure income, and I plan to live on about $20K/yr.
4) Most friendly people
5) Most Sunshine/best yearlong weather

[Anonymous 42]

Oneforfreedom wrote:

Most Sunshine/best yearlong weather

Rain rain rain! Then mt, Rainier could blow and mudslide to the Pacific! I hope you like lumber, snow, slush, and 3 days a year for riding weather! I always go to the Northwest forecast to relieve any weather related depression I may be feeling…. Serious!!!

[Biggvs_DickvsParticipant 3725]

Seattle sucks for single guys. Of course I’m out in the burbs because I can’t stand the inner city. Too crowded and expensive for little to no return.

Surrounded by manginas which can be a good thing since you’re not one, so you have some novelty value.

There IS lots of bike stuff here. Very bike friendly. Big whoop. Everything else sucks. I would move but my family and kid are here and what I get from being near them outweighs the bad for the time being.

It is fairly close to nature stuff so that’s good. That’s another reason I stay. Forget about seeing the sun for 8 months out of the year. When it does come out in the winter, the temps are WELL below freezing.

This is also one of the most expensive places in the US to live. I’d be really surprised if you could survive here for 20k a year. Maybe, but you probably wouldn’t like what you’d have to put up with to do it.

I personally wish I had never come here. All of the politically correct bulls~~~ that we always bitch about on this site is magnified and much worse here. Think San Francisco without the nice weather. You can be fined here for not sorting your garbage the right way. Didn’t put your compost in the compost container? That’s a finin. Plastic bags are literally outlawed.

Sure, come move here. Misery loves company.

"Data, I would be delighted to offer any advice I can on understanding women. When I have some, I'll let you know." --Captain Picard,

[KeymasterKeymaster]

I have lived in Vancouver while there for work for almost a year.
They don’t call it “the wet coast” for nothing.

And there is a joke in the Manosphere about women from Seattle. Where an Seattle-9 is an LA-6. But “the women” is never a reason to move anywhere. Apparently they call it Porkland, Oregon for a reason too.,

But don’t quote me.

I didn’t like Vancouver very much and there are a lot of similarities. The scenery and mountains , however — like Vancouver to Banff Alberta through the Rockies — are breathtaking. Seattle and Vancouver are basically identical climates.

If you keep doing what you've always done... you're gonna keep getting what you always got.

[Biggvs_DickvsParticipant 3725]

Keymaster wrote:

I have lived in Vancouver while there for work for almost a year.
They don’t call it “the wet coast” for nothing.

An there is a joke i the Manosphere about women from Seattle. Where an Seattle-9 is an LA-6. But “the women” is never a reason to move anywhere. Apparently they call it Porkland, Oregon for a reason too.,

But don’t quote me.

I didn’t like Vancouver very much and there are a lot of similarities. The scenery and mountains , however — like Vancouver to Banff Alberta through the Rockies — are breathtaking.

Yep.

Gotta say though – Vancouver is a whole world away from Seattle. Believe it or not, compared to Seattle the women there actually have a little respect for men and aren’t all snotty stuck up. In seattle, you constantly get the “why is an unworthy man like YOU talking to ME” attitude from women. Any woman that’s even a little bit hot (LA 6) won’t settle for anything less than Brad Pitt with Bill Gates’ money. The arrogance is truly nauseating at times.

The good news is, the girls that come from non-femmestoppo americanized countries/cultures aren’t like that, and there’s a fair number of them here. You just have to catch them before they go AWALT.

"Data, I would be delighted to offer any advice I can on understanding women. When I have some, I'll let you know." --Captain Picard,

[TaxGuyParticipant]

Are you asking about Oregon vs. Washington, or Seattle vs. Portland? I’ve lived in Portland, and it’s a smaller version of Seattle. Oregon has no sales tax, but a 9% income tax.

That said, the bigger difference is which side of the Cascade mountains you live on. West of the mountains it’s wet, but that’s where the big cities are. East of the mountains, it’s a desert. There are cities like Spokane WA and Bend OR that are around 100K population. They are sunny almost all of the time, but they have real winters with plenty of snow. Bend has a ton of outdoor activities including Mt. Bachelor ski resort 15 minutes from town..

Also, the west side is very liberal, while the east side is very conservative. Lots of guns and big pickup trucks on the east side in both states.

Can you do your job anywhere, or are you just talking Portland and Seattle?

Order the good wine

[OneforfreedomParticipant 930]

Yeah I meant Seattle vs. Portland. The main reason I am so focused on both cities is the huge bicycling culture/infrastructure. I like that.

I plan to work Locum Tenens- basically as a fill-in doctor for when other doctors are on vacation/sick/leave.

The jobs range from 2-15 weeks and you can work anywhere in the country. Pay is very competitive , and they provide housing, transportation, etc.

So I’m thinking…the weather in the PNW is supposed to be FANTASTIC in the summer right? So I would take a job there during the summer, enjoy it to my heart’s content, bike around, etc.

Then, when the gloominess hits, I peace out to Florida.

[TaxGuyParticipant]

Weather in Portland is very good in the summer. Portland isn’t cheap, but it’s cheaper than Seattle. I would pick Portland over Seattle for what you are doing, but just my opinion.

Order the good wine

[OneforfreedomParticipant 930]

TaxGuy wrote:

I would pick Portland over Seattle for what you are doing, but just my opinion.

How so? Can you elaborate?

[sidecarParticipant 35837]

Live in Vancouver, Washington, for low property and income tax. Cross the river to shop in Oregon for no sales tax.

[TaxGuyParticipant]

Sidecar has a good point, unless you want to bike to work. Living in Portland is cheaper than living in Seattle. If you are riding a bike, it’s one of the best places in the country to live. Tons of bike lanes. You’ve got OHSU, which is a very good hospital and a top notch cancer center. They just got a billion dollars of funding for the cancer center. Summer weather is typically very good.

Seattle is twice the size of Portland, so it’s harder to get around. The rush hour traffic is worse in Seattle than it is in Portland. Plus you’ve got Forest Park right in Portland for hiking. Portland also has the highest number of strip joint per capita in the nation if that helps…..

I’ve never lived in Seattle, so maybe there’s pluses there that I don’t know about, but cost of living is lower in Portland, and it sounds like that is a factor for you.

Order the good wine

[OneforfreedomParticipant 930]

Thank you all for the input. Here is my conclusion:

WA has the benefit of no state income tax (which will allow me to save at least $10,000 annually- compared to what I would pay in Oregon income tax). That $10,000 would be $100,000 over a decade, and invested, that could be around 10% of my retirement portfolio. This is a MAJOR plus point in favor of Washington over Oregon.

Oregon has no sales tax- this is a good benefit, but one that I won’t take much advantage of since I would have quite low levels of spending.

The problem with Seattle (based on what I’m hearing from everyone I talk to) is 1) Hilly- hard to bike 2) Seattle “Freeze”- unfriendliness.

The problem with Portland is the aforementioned income tax (which is also an issue with the rest of Oregon).

Some of you mentioned living and working in Vancouver, WA, and then hopping across the river to Portland to explore/enjoy. This seems like an amazing idea, but the other recommendation for Ashland/Medford/OR or Spokane/WA overrules this in my eyes because the weather there is superior (more sunlight) to that in Vancouver, WA (see below).

The final major point I’ve taken away is that the weather is MUCH better in different parts of the state. In WA, Spokane has been highly recommended. In OR, Ashland/Medford/Rogue Valley has been highly recommended. Both are bicycle friendly, close to nature, with excellent weather (lots of Sun).

Considering how things are going right now, I’m debating between Spokane and Ashland/Medford. If I had to make a choice right now, I’d probably choose Spokane, WA due to WA’s 0% income tax, bicycle culture (I found an amazing bike path running across the city), low cost of living, and high outdoor recreation activities. I’m not a fan of the extreme cold winters they are having, but you have to give on something you know? When I desire more adventure, I can take trips to Seattle and check out the San Juan Islands, etc.

If income tax was not an issue, I’d probably choose Ashland/Medford because of the higher winter temperatures there.

Thanks again, guys! You’ve given me SO much help and I am very appreciate of your time.

[sidecarParticipant 35837]

Oneforfreedom wrote:

Some of you mentioned living and working in Vancouver, WA, and then hopping across the river to Portland to explore/enjoy. This seems like an amazing idea, but the other recommendation for Ashland/Medford/OR or Spokane/WA overrules this in my eyes because the weather there is superior (more sunlight) to that in Vancouver, WA (see below).

So live in Kennewick, WA, and shop in Hermiston, OR, or Pendleton, OR, whenever you need to make a major purchase. Or Payette, ID, and Ontario, OR. The pacific northwest has all kinds of climates, most of them bordering Oregon where you can take best advantage of the sales tax / income tax divide.

[JollyMisanthropeParticipant 3356]

I grew up in the Tri-Cities and now live a stones throw from Seattle.

My advice would be to avoid King County, unless you like being ass-raped by taxes.

If I get my wish I’ll retire either in Canon Beach or Sunriver.

The Children of Doom... Doom's Children. They told my lord the way to the Mountain of Power. They told him to throw down his sword and return to the Earth... Ha! Time enough for the Earth in the grave.

[JollyMisanthropeParticipant 3356]

sidecar wrote:

Oneforfreedom wrote:

Some of you mentioned living and working in Vancouver, WA, and then hopping across the river to Portland to explore/enjoy. This seems like an amazing idea, but the other recommendation for Ashland/Medford/OR or Spokane/WA overrules this in my eyes because the weather there is superior (more sunlight) to that in Vancouver, WA (see below).

So live in Kennewick, WA, and shop in Hermiston, OR, or Pendleton, OR, whenever you need to make a major purchase. Or Payette, ID, and Ontario, OR. The pacific northwest has all kinds of climates, most of them bordering Oregon where you can take best advantage of the sales tax / income tax divide.

Born and raised in Kennewick for 23 years. You couldn’t pay me to move back there.

The Children of Doom... Doom's Children. They told my lord the way to the Mountain of Power. They told him to throw down his sword and return to the Earth... Ha! Time enough for the Earth in the grave.

[sidecarParticipant 35837]

JollyMisanthrope wrote:

If I get my wish I’ll retire either in Canon Beach or Sunriver.

Go with Sunriver. King County has nothing on Cannon Beach when it comes to tax-rape.

JollyMisanthrope wrote:

Born and raised in Kennewick for 23 years. You couldn’t pay me to move back there.

Admittedly I’ve never lived there. I’ve only been there for the fishing, but I’ve always assumed there’s stuff to do there outside of salmon season.

[OneforfreedomParticipant 930]

JollyMisanthrope wrote:

Born and raised in Kennewick for 23 years. You couldn’t pay me to move back there.

Why not?

[Mr. ManParticipant 2916]

I lived in Tacoma and Olympia Washington for ten years, and I’m a total outdoor geek: backpacking, climbing, bikepacking, mountain biking, kayaking. I spent a lot of time exploring Oregon as well. Both states — on both sides of the Cascades — offer a lot of cool s~~~ to do. But Oregon does have a little better weather, for sure.

But it seems like bike culture is really important to you, like it is for me (I only recently bought another car after being car-free for three years here in Detroit), and so I’d suggest you at least go spend some time visiting each city. See which vibe you like better as viewed from your saddle. So don’t rent a car, ride a bike like you would if you lived there.

Hell, I’d almost move to Portland just so I could hang out at this placeVero Bike Shop And don’t forget all the epic bikepacking routes in Oregon, like the Three Sisters Three Rivers Trail.

Either state will provide you with endless opportunities to have a life well-lived outside, so I almost don’t think there’s a bad choice here. Oh, and if you don’t already have one, get yourself a fat bike so you can ride all winter.

Good luck!

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