Ready to Retire to Oregon?
If you’re looking for a new beginning after retirement, Oregon is a great place to start!
The state of Oregon is a true jewel of the Northwest. From beautiful beaches to majestic mountains, you’re constantly surrounded by natural wonders – even if you live in the city. Choosing to retire to Oregon is a wonderful plan for anyone who loves calm, tranquility, and becoming one with the great outdoors.
At Nursing Home Reviews, we strive to help you make the most of your golden years. This includes finding the best places to retire in any state. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of five of the best places to live in Oregon for retirees. To create our list of the five best cities to retire in Oregon, we followed a specific list of criteria that included:
- Affordability
- Healthcare
- Quality of life
- Recreational activities and attractions
If you’d like to learn more about the five best places to retire in Oregon, check out the list we’ve put together below!
1: Ontario
We kick off our list with a city that shares its namesake with a lovely Canadian province. Ontario offers those who retire to Oregon the best of city life and country charm.
This quaint little town of just over 11,000 residents offers plenty of opportunities to explore the great outdoors if you enjoy being out and about in nature. As Ontario shares its border with neighboring Idaho, you can walk along the shared Snake River or, if you’re looking for a bold outdoor adventure, check out the deepest river trench in North America at Hells Canyon.
Relatively mild year-round temperatures make it easier to enjoy outdoor activities, such as gardening, biking, and hiking. Ontario also offers plenty of other recreational activities for seniors, even boasting a dedicated senior center that hosts dances and lunches, among other activities.
You’ll find plenty of options to help you maintain a high quality of life and wellness in Ontario. This town houses close to three medical facilities per every 1,000 persons, making it easy to find an affordable healthcare provider that meets your needs.
If you’re in need of long-term care, or just like knowing that you have options available, there are a number of highly-rated (four stars or more) assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and other long-term care centers in Ontario.
If you’re looking to buy a home in the area, a median home value of $117,800 means that Ontario features some of the most affordable housing options in the state. Of course, if you want to leave the burden of owning and maintaining a home behind, you’ll find plenty of wonderful senior living and retirement communities in the area as well.
2: Roseburg
Don’t be fooled by the size of this quaint little town in the heart of the Umpqua River Valley – it offers plenty for seniors who are looking to move to one of the best places to live in Oregon. Roseburg lands on our list as one of the best places to retire in Oregon due in part to its affordability, quiet nature, and recreation potential for seniors.
There are plenty of senior centers and day programs in the area if you’re feeling crafty, looking to cut loose for a bit, or just wanting an opportunity to socialize. If you’re more of an explorer, you’ll find plenty of waterfalls and hiking trails to check out, and it’s easy to get to the world-famous Crater Lake from here! Which reminds us – if you like to fish, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to do so in Roseburg.
Looking to buy a home? The rates in Roseburg are among the most affordable in Oregon, with a local median value of $215,000 compared to $334,000 for the entire state. According to most experts, those prices aren’t expected to stay low for long, so make sure to take advantage of the market while you can!
For those who have been looking to downsize, you’ll find a number of top-rated senior living and retirement communities in Roseburg. The area also features a fair amount of highly-rated long-term care facilities (nursing homes, assisted living, memory care, etc.), hospitals, primary care providers, and specialists to help you keep your health and wellness on track.
3: Dallas
With plenty of visual history to admire and close proximity to the beach, the Dallas of the Northwest isn’t just one of the best places to retire in Oregon, it’s one of the best cities to retire anywhere in the States!
Outside of many of Downtown Dallas’ historical buildings remaining intact, there’s plenty to check out in the area if you’re a history buff. Short day drives to nearby Salem and McMinnville will lead you to the Mission Hill and Evergreen Aviation and Space Museums. The latter boasts several World War II fighters, space rockets, and even the Spruce Goose!
For those who like to keep active, you’ll find plenty of walking trails in the area, a number of sports complexes, an aquatic center, and a wonderful park. The climate in Dallas is mild and temperate for much of the year, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors!
If you’re in need of medical assistance for any reason, from checkups to complex procedures, you’ll find yourself in close proximity to plenty of top-rated medical centers and long-term care facilities in Dallas.
Looking to buy a home in the area? You’ll find a bevy of affordable options, as the quaint suburb of 16,168 boasts a median home value of $222,700. If you’re looking to move to a quiet, affordable retirement or senior living community, you’ll find plenty of great options here as well.
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4: Brookings
Why do we consider Brookings one of the best places to retire in Oregon? This town is what comes to mind when someone mentions “retirement utopia”. Year-round warm weather, lovely palm trees, and pristine beaches are just a small part of what makes Brookings one of the best places to retire, anywhere.
Lovers of the outdoors will find plenty of opportunities here for activity. There are plenty of trails and lakes for hikers, kayakers, and fishing enthusiasts alike. If you like to shop and socialize, Downtown Brookings offers many festivals, pop-up markets, and gallery events all year long!
Although finding a new home out here can be expensive, with a median home value of $335,000 (fairly close to the median state home value price), choosing to retire to Brookings does offer a perfect opportunity to downsize and create a new beginning in one of many top-rated area retirement or senior living communities.
You’ll also find a number of medical facilities in the area that are highly-rated, from urgent and primary care, to long-term care facilities. It’s those numerous opportunities that earns Brookings a spot on our list as a great place to retire in Oregon.
5: Florence
The last town on our list just happens to be another quaint coastal paradise. With a population of just around 8,921, Florence allows you to enjoy the serenity of maritime life without feeling overcrowded by tourists or partiers.
If you’re looking to retire to Oregon and Florence is the place you choose, you’ll be in great company. Much of Florence’s population – over 40 percent, in fact – is made up of senior citizens, with an average resident age that hovers around 50. Noting these facts alone, you could say that Florence meets the perfect definition of a true retirement community.
Additionally, Florence offers plenty of activities. Outside of lovely beaches and other trails, you can take a stroll on the local boardwalk, hit the Florence Golf Links for a quick game, or take to the Pacific by renting a boat at the marina. There’s also a lively downtown area to enjoy, which features a fair amount of year-round attractions and plays host to the occasional festival.
Have you been curious about learning a new hobby or skill? Maybe you want to give your photography skills a boost, or you want to learn to play the guitar. With a top-rated educational facility in Lane County Community College close by, Florence provides you with a great opportunity to continue your education however you see fit. You’ll also find a local senior center which offers classes, lunches, and plenty of other opportunities for socializing and learning.
When you need healthcare services, you’re in good hands in Florence. There are a number of primary care and urgent care facilities, as well as hospitals in the area. If long-term care is needed, you’ll also find many highly-rated assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and memory care facilities in Florence.
If you’re looking to buy a new home in the area, you’ll find that prices are lower than the state median. The median cost of a new home in Florence is around $224,900, which isn’t too bad considering the area. You also have plenty of retirement living and senior living communities to choose from if you’re looking to downsize and leave the duties of being a homeowner behind.
There Are Plenty of Great Reasons to Retire to Oregon
Outside of the five locations we researched to make the list of our best places to retire in Oregon, you have plenty of amazing cities to choose from in the state. Remember, “best” is always a subjective term. Your wants and needs may correspond to a different city or town in Oregon, and that’s perfectly alright!
If you’re looking for the best cities to retire in your state, always consider your potential future needs. Nursing Home Reviews offers a comprehensive listing of long-term care facilities in many US states, as well as reviews, ratings, violation lists, and more important information to help you make an informed decision.
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