(content submitted by Lisa Roberts.)
It is a common thing for people living in the United States to move from one state to the other. The difference in living expenses, economic growth, job opportunities, and much more is the main driving force. Simply speaking, they are looking for a better life. Every once in a while, it is possible to notice that the majority of people move to the same place. In our case, the area we are going to discuss today is Eastern Oregon. To answer the question of why people across the country are moving to Eastern Oregon, it is necessary to learn more about the state.
A short introduction to Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is considered to be the eastern part of the state of Oregon. The boundaries are not set in stone as the division is not “official”, but it includes only eight counties: Union, Umatilla, Morrow, Wallowa, Baker, Grant, Harney, and Malheur.
Within these eight counties is a number of cities offering many opportunities. The focus point of today’s article will cover Morrow County, Umatilla County, and a bit of Union County as well. Once I talk about the living standards and multiple benefits of having a home in these counties, we might understand why people across the country are moving to Eastern Oregon.
Where to move?
So, now that we know where to focus, I will spend a couple of minutes talking about the top family cities in Eastern Oregon, that could be potential destinations of your move:
- Hermiston, Umatilla County
- Pendleton, Umatilla County
- Milton-Freewater, Umatilla County
- La Grande, Union County
- Boardman, Morrow County
Hermiston
A great way to describe Hermiston in a sentence is that it’s a medium-sized city that still captures and maintains the closeness and the atmosphere of a small, family-oriented town. With the main focus on agriculture and economic growth, the city offers plenty of job opportunities. Still, you will have to get used to the occasional unpleasant smells. Nevertheless, the positive sides outshine the negative.
If we take into consideration the crime rate in Oregon, Hermiston is a fairly safe city to live in. And, if your goal is to raise children, it is good to know that the town organizes a lot of fundraisers, with the goal of investing money in education.
Pendleton
Another small town that shines with the atmosphere of closeness and family values is Pendleton. With a beautiful view of the Blue Mountains, a lot of people move here to live in nature. Hunting and fishing are highly developed, and the people like it so much they don’t mind having to commute to town every day for work. Even though the town is not too diverse, it cherishes important values, and the people are nice and respectful of one another.
Milton-Freewater
As I mentioned before, Umatilla County’s main focus is on agriculture. Another proof for that is Milton-Freewater, a small agricultural town. Since the land is rich for farming, there are a lot of job opportunities. People are friendly, and you will quickly develop that feeling that you know everyone around you. Some might say that there is not much to do, but the atmosphere around you prevails over everything.
La Grande
Since we talked about Umatilla County, it is time to make a small change and turn the focus towards Union County and the city of La Grande. If there ever was a small city with a friendly “everybody-knows-everybody” attitude, it is La Grande. Just spend an hour talking to the locals, and you will see why this city holds a special place in their hearts.
The entire scenery of the mountains surrounding the valley is plain gorgeous, and it is the place to be for any nature lover. The town progressed in the last two years, and there are more places for children to play and spend their time.
Boardman
To wrap up this small introduction of the most loveable cities in Eastern Oregon, it is time to visit Morrow County and the city of Boardman. I hope that you are starting to get the pattern here since Boardman is another small town that will make any visitor feel at home. Next to Pendleton, it is the city with the most economic growth, with large numbers of people commuting for employment. If we look at both Umatilla and Morrow Counties, it is clear that they are mostly focused on agriculture. Nevertheless, in the past few years, there have been strong indications of tech and tourism industries flourishing. It is safe to say that Boardman is a rapidly growing city.
The differences between the Eastern and Western Oregon
To understand why people across the country are moving to Eastern Oregon, we can’t only talk about the Eastern part. It is also crucial to focus on the Western area as well. There are known political differences between the I-5 corridor and west, and the eastern three-quarters, known as the Cascades. It is also worth mentioning that the Metro area that includes Portland and its surroundings is at odds with the eastern side.
When it comes to politics, the east side is mostly Republican, while Western Oregon is mostly Democratic. The division between the urban and the rural parts of the state is strong, and you can feel it in the air. If we were to look for comparisons, Eastern Oregon is more akin to Arizona or New Mexico, or even Texas. On another hand, Western Oregon and the Metro area are similar to California in this respect.
It becomes obvious why so many people choose to move to Eastern Oregon, and why moving all the way from Tennessee, for example, would be an excellent choice.
Moving to Eastern Oregon made easy and simple
I hope that this short but information-packed article gave you an answer to why people across the country are moving to Eastern Oregon. If we take everything into consideration and look at the big picture, it is safe to say that the Eastern Oregon area is a haven for everyone looking for small, family-oriented towns, with the main focus on living in nature. If your goal is to stay away from political machinations and lead a peaceful life, you just might be in the right place!
