Retiring in the Pacific Northwest

[Greybeard]

Well, it's almost time to hang up my work boots. I'm looking to retire in about a year and a half. I've lived on the Texas gulf coast for most of my life, but the heat, mosquitos, and hurricanes are now wearing on me. My son and his wife live near Portland and my wife and I would like to be closer to them.
Does anyone up there have any tips or warnings about retiring in Oregon or Washington? We are looking to get a place somewhere out in the country or a small town and have no desire live in any of the big cities up there.

Thanks!

 

[Salmonchaser]

Well Portland has a reputation for being a pretty screwed up city with the potential to be a really good big city. Most of my siblings live in and around the city and they survive just fine even though they are rationally conservative. Keep Portland weird is real.
Oregon has 36 counties 30 of them always vote conservative, you wouldn’t have to go far to escape the liberalism of the Portland area.
I have hunted and fished all over Oregon, quite a bit of opportunity with in a 1-5 hour drive of the City. Two of my brothers routinely kill Roosevelt elk, both live and work in Portland, neither of them ever set up a tent. Same with Black tail deer.
You’ll likely need a different boat to fish Bouy 10 for salmon than you may have used on the Gulf coast but learning to Fish from the Mengler bridge out can pay great dividends. You’ll likely catch more Kings there than if you go to Alaska. There is a lot of fishing along the entire Columbia system. Small mouth to oversized sturgeon.
Mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk hunting is the entire eastern two thirds of the state. All draw hunts for mule deer and elk, mostly. There are some OTC elk tags with decent opportunities.
Oregon will tax you’re retirement at 10%
Washington will not.
There are some great communities along the river on the Washington side as well and you’ll still be close to the kids.
I gotta go do chores. Good luck.

 

[Greybeard]

That is exactly the type of advice I'm looking for! Thanks!

 

[corndog1]

I am visiting my brother as we speak in Lincoln City on the coast. I love visiting this place.

 

[Caseknife]

@Salmonchaser pretty much nailed it for Washington also. Three counties control the politics in Washington. Our Game Commission is mostly controlled by predator lovers that believe wolves, bears and cougars can control the ungulate population without human intervention. Eastern Washington is a wonderful place to live, kind of burning up right now though, lots of small ranching/farming communities where everybody knows each other. OTC hunting for deer, elk and fall bear, granted it is not the best. Limited draw hunt for branched antler elk and some deer units. No income tax yet, do have sales tax and the highest gas tax in the nation I believe. Washington offers lots of outdoor recreational opportunities from seashore to over 14,000', all within a day's drive.

Idaho right now would be the better of the three states to relocate to. Right now, meaning many people have been moving there to get away from oppressive politics, but some seem to think they can bring it with them, and could change in the future.

 

[jimh406]

For Oregon/Washington, the temperatures vary a lot depending on which side of the Cascades you are on with the West Side being warmer in the Winter and East Side hotter during the Summer by about 20 degrees. The West Side of the Cascades can be overcast much of the year. You probably should visit in November/December to experience that. Summer is generally sunny and warm which isn't really the personality of the areas with regard to weather.

There isn't much in the way of civilization on the East Side, and you have to travel passes to get to Portland if you live on the East Side. Washington keeps trying to pass a State Income tax, but for now, it's an advantage over Oregon. However, Washington has a healthy sales tax and Oregon has none. Unless something changes, I expect Oregon and Washington to both be on the high side of taxes although they are getting the taxes in different ways.

I'd give the edge to Oregon for fishing/hunting depending on the type of hunting/fishing you want to do. Washington is pretty poorly run for both.

Another option is to look at other states/cities that have a fairly nearby airport that flies to Portland. Many do. That opens up many of the nearby states. If the weather is good and/or you are staying longer ... drive, otherwise, just take a short plane ride.

You can do some online searches to learn more about the politics/crime/etc. That might or might not matter to you.

 

[SAJ-99]

Washington has a pretty substantial death tax on the estate. Living here is nice, but dying here is expensive, for the inheritance at least. Oregon might have one too.

West side vs East side are almost two different planets. Maybe look at Bend, but still a 3 hr drive. Salmon chaser has a good summary.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

Washington has a pretty substantial death tax on the estate. Living here is nice, but dying here is expensive, for the inheritance at least. Oregon might have one too.

West side vs East side are almost two different planets. Maybe look at Bend, but still a 3 hr drive. Salmon chaser has a good summary.

Oregon starts at 10% for anything over a million.

 

[ashersdad]

Both OR and WA rank as two of the worst states to retire in. They'll gladly tax the sh*t out of you while alive and dead. If you can get past that, there are beautiful places in both states. I love Eastern Oregon, and you would still be within driving distance of your son. Southern Oregon also has some very nice small towns. Personally, I would rent for a year before pulling the trigger. Good luck!

 

[Salmonchaser]

The wife and I are both retired, live just out side Cove, Oregon. 15 miles east of LaGrande. Within an hour of good fishing and hunting, maybe an hour and a half. High school will have 25 graduating seniors. We can fly to Portland from pendleton in 40 minutes for less than it cost to drive the 31/2 hours. I can be in any one of Oregon's top three elk units in under an hour. We have a small store/gas station and post office. Just got back from there in and out a high school kid held the door. You don't see that in Portland.

 

[Lab]

La Grande is in the mountains and on East side. Very solid community and hunting all around. I loved Bandon area too. on the coast.

 

[JEL]

I would look at Stevenson, WA if I wanted to live near Portland.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Stevenson would be a top choice for being close to Portland without feeling like you were too close to Portland.

 

[Irrelevant]

You guys are crazy, Stevenson gets over 2x the rain Portland does.

OR has an income tax. Between it and WA that's about the only thing it has on the "con" side. Hunting is way better. Fishing is way better. E. OR is magical. Every small town in the Willamette Valley is beautiful.

I guess the only other thing that WA has over OR is big mountains and true, REMOTE wilderness. Not necessarily "the Bob" but we can definitely find places a few days in that haven't seen anyone in years.

Despite what people say, Portland > Seattle (and it ain't even close).