Living in Oregon Pros and Cons List

Oregon can be described by its plethora of natural beauty from its coast to the high desert, or the mountains and deep canyons. Oregon has a climate that would make almost anyone happy. There is the mild rainforest climate of the coast or the alpine climates in the mountains to the grasslands in the northeast just to name a few of the climates. There are many reasons to move to Oregon and a few reasons why you wouldn’t want to move there. Here is a list of pros and cons to help you weigh your options.

List of Pros of Living in Oregon

1. Natural Beauty.
If you love the great outdoors Oregon is one of the great places to experience it. Outdoors lovers can enjoy white water rafting, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, and snowshoeing just to name a few activities. All over Oregon you can find the beauty of nature to explore

2. Liberal Vs. Conservative.
Portland, Oregon has been named one of the nicest places to live in the United States. The majority of Oregon’s population lives there. Crime is low there and it’s an attractive location if you have a liberal mindset compared to other cities in Oregon.

3. No Sales Tax.
The state of Oregon doesn’t have any sales tax throughout the state; which can be a big help to consumers. If you have a penchant for shopping this can be a big plus because you will save big especially if you are used to living in states that pay hefty sales tax rates like California.

4. Reasonable Cost of Living.
According to Numbeo.com to maintain a normal standard of living in Oregon you would need around $4000 a month compared to about $4700 in California.

List of Cons of Living in Oregon

1. Taxes.
Sure you won’t be paying any sales tax but the other taxes just may break the bank. Property tax mill-rates range between $15 and $20 (per $1000) in Portland essentially making a home that is worth $242 thousand dollars property taxes only $3968 for the entire year.

2. Crazy Laws.
There is a law on the books that says you can’t pump your own gas. Now for those of you that like the idea of having someone else pump your gas this may be a pro, but if time is short and there’s 10 cars waiting to have their gas pumped and the gas guy is taking his own precious time, prepare to be late. This never bothers the people from Oregon but if you are from a normal sane state and used to pumping your own gas you may want to opt for an electric car.

3. Not the Outdoors Type.
For people that really aren’t the outdoors type it may be difficult to fun things to do. Most activities are centered on the natural beauty that Oregon has to offer.

4. Weather is Important to You.
Oregon has more cloudy and rainy days then the rest of the United States. Not saying that the sun doesn’t shine there, because it does but be prepared for the occasional earthquake too. The seasons aren’t as diverse as they are in other parts of the country either. Say good bye to the normal Winter, Spring, Autumn, and Winter.