 |
The "Facts
of Life"
in
Portland, Oregon
|
 |
 |
We've tried to give you information and
links regarding Portland on our
web site:
statistics...sports...recreation...culture...cost of living...tax
information... home
listings...job information...and more.
If we've missed something or
you'd like to ask some questions,
please don't hesitate to contact us.
|
|
For maximum
information, please start at our
HOME PAGE.
We hope you'll
choose us to be your buyer's agent when you relocate. Thanks!
If you are planning
to move to the Portland area and need to purchase
a home,
-
Location: Northwestern Oregon, where the Columbia
and Willamette rivers meet. The metropolitan area is made up of six
counties: Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington and Yamhill in
Oregon; and Clark County (Vancouver) in Washington.
- Population: 1.7 million, Portland
is the largest metropolitan
area in Oregon. The area includes smaller suburban cities:
Beaverton, Hillsboro, Aloha, Tigard, Tualatin, Lake
Oswego, West
Linn, Oregon
City, Gresham, Milwaukie, Wilsonville...to name a few.
To see a map of the area and the location of the suburbs, click here.
- Elevations: vary from a few feet above sea
level to 11,235 feet atop Mt. Hood.
- Climate: Mild, with daytime temperatures
70-90 degrees in the summer and 35-45 degrees in the winter. The area
gets approximately 37 inches of precipitation a year, most of which is
rain. While Portland gets snow, it is seldom more than a couple inches
a year and rarely lasts more than one or two days.Check our weather page
for more information.
- Government: The city of Portland is
governed
by a mayor and four commissioners, all of whom are elected on a
non-partisan basis to serve four-year terms. Each of the counties in
the metropolitan area is under the jurisdiction of a board of county
commissioners.
- Voting: U.S. citizens who are 18 or older
may register to vote in Oregon. However one must be a resident of
Oregon for at least 20 days before being able to vote. Click here
for registration information.
- Parks: The Portland area has 9,400
acres of parks,
including the smallest park in the world (Mill Ends Park) and the
largest urban wilderness (Forest Park,
over 5000 acres).
- Public Transportation: Portland has an
excellent mass transportation system. Tri-Met's buses and the MAX
light-rail system are clean, fast, and inexpensive. Click for more information.
- To Order Portland's Major Newspaper: It's a good idea
to order the Sunday paper....just to get used to what's going on in the
Portland area. They mail it to you, and you'll probably get it by the
following Wednesday. .The Oregonian,
1320 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201; (503) 221-8240
- What's the Cost of Living? Well, just like
other cities...it's higher than some places and lower than others.
. If you want specifics, follow this link to Bankrate.com.
They will let you compare your city/area to the Portland area, based on
various parameters. It's a cool and informative site and will give you
more information than we ever could.
- What's the tax situation?
We have no sales tax. State Income tax is progressive up to 9
percent. Car registration is $86/two years (whether you drive a Rolls
Royce or a VW) unless you get specialty/vanity plates. Emission testing
is $21.00. Property tax
varies by county, but is approximately
$13-$16 per $1000 of assessed value. Gasoline tax is 24 cents per
gallon.
Thanks for looking at our Portland,
Oregon information!
Let us know
if we can help you.
Please check our
other pages linked below for further information
Copyright 2004
Portland Professionals Real
Estate all rights reserved
