Anyone familiar with Klamath Falls, OR?

[Molly Meow]

I am looking to move out of California. Oregon looks like it's the choice. I'm looking at towns with less than 100k people and Klamath Falls really stands out. The average rent I'm finding is about half of what I'm paying here. Plus, simply by moving I'll get a raise because Oregon's minimum wage is 50 cents more than I'm making now.

I've seen pictures of Klamath Falls and it really seems like a nice area. It doesn't seem to get nearly as hot there (I'm looking at 112 for the third day running) and there seems to be enough opportunity for employment.

Anyone have any input? Live there and love it? Hate it? I'd love to hear your opinions.

Thanks.

 

[Molly Meow]

Bump.

Anyone live there?

 

[ceiligh1]

I grew up in Oregon but I cant say that I know much about klamath falls. What I do remember is just driving through the town on the way to somewhere else. It seemed small and not a place that had a lot of industry. I know a few people from college who lived there and they didnt feel there was that many jobs out there. Now this was a couple years ago just after the tech industry went down so oregons job rate went with it so it could be better. If I were you I would look in Lebanon or that sort of area. Smaller town but close enough to places like Corvallis and Eugene where you could work if you needed to. Another option would be Portlands bedroom communites. Just my 2 cents.
Good luck. Klamath falls is a beautiful place though.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I grew up in Klamath Falls. Lived in K Falls proper through Jr High school and then in a teeny town about 1/2 hour away through high school, which I really hated. The best thing I ever did was to move away. I moved a few days after graduating from high school. Klamath Falls wasn't too bad, at least compared to my high school years. It's not the most happening place, however.

I prefer the Ashland area, but the cost of living is also a lot higher and there is rain to deal with. Corvallis is also really nice, but that rain...

You can look at the newspaper online (Herald and News). It's a pretty depressed area. Not many stores. Price of housing has actually gone up more than I would have expected.

Not sure how much of a help I can be, but feel free to ask. My mother still lives there.

Where in CA do you live? The weather is nice. Lots of sun, but not terribly hot in the summer usually (they just had some hot weather). It does snow in the winter, though.

 

[Molly Meow]

Thank you so much for the responses!

T&B, I live in the central valley, about 2 hours south of Sacramento. It's ridiculous here - both the heat and the cost of living.

I'm just looking to move somewhere that I can afford. I'm working at Blockbuster right now, and my boss is good friends with the store manager of one of the stores in Klamath Falls. That's why I chose there to start looking.

Neither my DH or I have college degrees. It's something we both want to pursue in the future, but we just can't afford to do it here. We've been to Oregon and think the whole state is beautiful. My parents live very close to the California/Oregon border, so we'd prefer to move to southern Oregon.

Thank you again for the responses. If Klamath Falls isn't that stable of an area, I'd appreciate suggestions of where in southern Oregon I should look. Medford/Grants Pass/Ashland are out of the question. The rent I'm finding is what I'm paying here.

Thanks!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I don't know that K Falls isn't stable, necessarily. I've been away for so long I wouldn't know really--it just doesn't seem that there are a lot of new stores, etc, that have opened up there. But then again, the area that I live has exploded so much maybe I was comparing it too much to that.

Are you looking to find a place to live for awhile, save up money, so you and/or your DH can then go to college? If so, that might be a good option? I'm assuming that OIT (or whatever it's currently called, if it's not called that) is still there, if you are interested in the tech type stuff. But I don't know for sure.

The problem with other parts of Oregon is that you will find that it's so much more expensive. We had a job possibility in the Portland area a few years ago and I couldn't believe that housing was about as expensive as here, which is the biggest negative for us in Maryland (that and being across the country from our parents ).

Oh, I know the part of CA you live! Yes, VERY hot! When we were in Klamath Falls one time we drive back to So CA (where my in-laws live) and drove down that way and the hotel pool was too hot for the kids to swim in.