# Friend looking to move to Washington State or Oregon **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2017, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-looking-to-move-to-washington-state-or-oregon/789319 "2017-06-18T22:16:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-looking-to-move-to-washington-state-or-oregon/789319/21 "2017-06-20T05:10:27Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Ah, incorrect. When the Big One hits the Pacific Northwest, it will be the greatest natural disaster in history in the Western Hemisphere. Assuming one similar to the Cascadia earthquake that hit on January 26, 1700, the damage will be widespread, and long-lasting. > > All land routes to Seattle and Portland will be inaccessible for months, as will the ports. All supplies will need to be air-dropped from staging areas in the eastern parts of both states because PDX and SEA will be gone (damaged and probably under water). Emergency experts tells us a family should prepare a minimum of two months of food, water, sanitation supplies and adequate shelter before help arrives. > > Disaster experts have already defined a TMZ (thirty mile zone), 15 miles either side of Interstate 5 from Canada to California, where roads and utility repairs are priority, on order of weeks to months. The rest of Washington and Oregon are being written off (years to decades, maybe never) for utilities and road repairs. > > I’ve participated in several Cascadia drills and the scenarios are all gloomy. The _New Yorker_ story barely touches the expected reality. Funny, I have a Seattle Emergency worker card in my hand right here, also do all of the drills and see 14 days. > **[ger\_ic116\_csz\_scenario\_update.pdf](https://file.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_ic116_csz_scenario_update.pdf)** > > 2.73 MB > **[USGS.gov | Science for a changing world](https://www.usgs.gov/)** > > We provide science about the natural hazards that threaten lives and livelihoods; the water, energy, minerals, and other natural resources we rely on; the health of our ecosystems and environment; and the impacts of climate and land-use change. Our... > **[DNR mapping tool shows hazards you might face in Cascadia event](https://washingtondnr.wordpress.com/2016/06/05/dnr-mapping-tool-shows-hazards-you-might-face-in-cascadia-event/)** > > Thousands of emergency responders, community leaders and soldiers will be practicing how to respond to the aftermath of a Cascadia subduction zone megaquake and tsunami this week. Called “Cas… Can you provide cites that match your claims? It will be bad, and yes we lack redundancies is infrastructure, but multi months of food and air drops as the only means of delivering supply’s to the largest population centers is not in any of the Fema docs I have access to (and unfortunately cannot provide links to) But lets be clear, there may be a 2% chance of a 9.0 happening in the next 50 years. But feel free to provide cites. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-looking-to-move-to-washington-state-or-oregon/789319/22 "2017-06-22T15:28:03Z")
Right now, she lives in Riverside County in Souther California. She considers it dry & hot, taking a toll on her skin, her energy, & her health in general. What there is to do there she has either exhausted or doesn’t interest her. She just feels she needs a change of venue. In her words, “I just want a town that has a higher humidity, more rain, green, maybe a zoo, Museum, downtown area, family-friendly, cheap rent, stuff to do period. I really want to live somewhere where there’s a lot of hiking trails and nature. I also want a decent size population. A hundred thousand or more sounds good” ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-looking-to-move-to-washington-state-or-oregon/789319/23 "2017-06-22T17:14:15Z")
Here’s the problem. And I’m not trying to be flippant or mean. But her objectives are fundamentally in conflict: Nice, temperate, pretty place to live with lots of available social amenities, access to nature… and cheap. You see? Everyone wants those things, so costs skyrocket. Eugene, Oregon meets her criteria to a tee. 160,000 population, lots to do, nice downtown, tons of hiking and nature within striking distance. Not cheap. And currently the number two most-sought-after area in the country, according to friends of mine who just sold their home in a day. After a bidding war. I understand rentals are even more scarce. You’re always competing with students at U of O. Apart from housing, cost of living here is quite reasonable. But then, if she’s coming from Southern California, housing/rent may not seem so bad in comparison. No zoo, though. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-looking-to-move-to-washington-state-or-oregon/789319/24 "2017-06-22T17:22:04Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Right now, she lives in Riverside County in Souther California. She considers it dry & hot, taking a toll on her skin, her energy, & her health in general. What there is to do there she has either exhausted or doesn’t interest her. She just feels she needs a change of venue. > > In her words, “I just want a town that has a higher humidity, more rain, green, maybe a zoo, Museum, downtown area, family-friendly, cheap rent, stuff to do period. I really want to live somewhere where there’s a lot of hiking trails and nature. > I also want a decent size population. A hundred thousand or more sounds good” Tell her stop smoking her running socks. She’s delusional. She probably also wants a pony. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-looking-to-move-to-washington-state-or-oregon/789319/25 "2017-06-22T21:09:42Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Right now, she lives in Riverside County in Souther California. She considers it dry & hot, taking a toll on her skin, her energy, & her health in general. What there is to do there she has either exhausted or doesn’t interest her. She just feels she needs a change of venue. > > In her words, “I just want a town that has a higher humidity, more rain, green, maybe a zoo, Museum, downtown area, family-friendly, cheap rent, stuff to do period. I really want to live somewhere where there’s a lot of hiking trails and nature. > I also want a decent size population. A hundred thousand or more sounds good” Please define “cheap rent”. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-looking-to-move-to-washington-state-or-oregon/789319/26 "2017-06-22T21:20:52Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > “I just want a town that has a higher humidity, more rain, green, maybe a zoo, Museum, downtown area, family-friendly, cheap rent, stuff to do period. I really want to live somewhere where there’s a lot of hiking trails and nature. > I also want a decent size population. A hundred thousand or more sounds good” The Midwest is nice. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-looking-to-move-to-washington-state-or-oregon/789319/27 "2017-06-22T21:23:10Z")
Rents in Tacoma are a bit cheaper than Seattle. Again, if you move to the Puget Sound area you can find cheaper and cheaper rents the farther you get from downtown Seattle. But at some point you’re looking at a 2 hour plus journey if you want to go to Woodland Park Zoo or the Seattle Art Museum, and the rent is still not that cheap compared to the Midwest. ---
**Author:** ![sbunny8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@sbunny8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbunny8)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-looking-to-move-to-washington-state-or-oregon/789319/28 "2017-06-23T01:37:42Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Eugene, Oregon meets her criteria to a tee. > > Apart from housing, cost of living here is quite reasonable. [This article on Mental Floss](http://mentalfloss.com/article/81296/average-cost-one-bedroom-apartments-50-major-us-cities) lists prices for a one-bedroom apartment in 50 US cities. The two cities in the middle of the list are Austin Texas $1100 and Portland Oregon $1095. [HuffPo says](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gobankingrates/heres-what-an-average-apa_b_10346298.html) median is $1234.43. According to [Rent Jungle](https://www.rentjungle.com/average-rent-in-eugene-rent-trends/), the average price for a one-bedroom apartment in Eugene Oregon is $880. Seems to me this is saying that Eugene is less expensive than most big cities. But I couldn’t find any data on rent prices in small towns. Is $880 per month a lot of money? It’s been many years since I went apartment hunting. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-looking-to-move-to-washington-state-or-oregon/789319/29 "2017-06-23T01:47:44Z")
**sbunny8** , I’ve never rented here, so no personal experience with it. But here is today’s Craigslist for apartment rentals in the Eugene area: [Eugene apartment rentals](https://eugene.craigslist.org/search/apa) There are a number in the $880 range, but many are higher. I guess it just depends on your needs and how close you want to be to downtown. Most of the ones around $800 are student housing-type units. Like you, I don’t know if $880 is a lot of money for rent. Doesn’t seem so for me, but everything is relative! ---
**Author:** ![sbunny8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@sbunny8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbunny8)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-looking-to-move-to-washington-state-or-oregon/789319/30 "2017-06-23T05:26:34Z")
I seem to recall that years ago they said you should spend 25% of you income on housing but nowadays more people spend more like 35%. Quick back-of-the-envelope calculation: minimum wage in Oregon is $9.75 starting next week; at 40 hours a week that’s $20,280 per year, which is $1,690 per month, so 35% of that is $591.50, hence you can’t afford a one-bedroom apartment in Eugene working full time at minimum wage. You need a roommate or something less than a one-bedroom apartment, like a studio apartment, or a yurt, or an RV parked at a friend’s house. But I suspect that’s true in most other US cities as well. Minimum wage in Oklahoma City is only $7.25 which gives you just $493.83 to spend on housing, which is still less than the $650 it takes to get a one-bedroom apartment there. And that’s one of the cheapest cities in the list of 50. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-looking-to-move-to-washington-state-or-oregon/789319.md?page=1)