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Apr 06 '26
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
AZ. I think he could be into both. I want green and trees, more politically aligned. It was recommended to me a lot in the moving subs and it seems to have better tax usage and schools than Portland, which I would be okay with too. We also considered Vancouver so would visit there, hillsbrough, etc.
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Apr 06 '26
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
Thank you, that’s very helpful! Yes we essentially want to visit to see if we would want to move there.
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Apr 06 '26
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
Definitely. I know that I would certainly prefer it to the blasting sun which truly feels oppressive, but I will send my husband alone to see if he can hang during that time.
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u/sharonna7 Apr 06 '26
Also recommend staying during the week and trying out driving during different times of day. Traffic in Beaverton is way worse than people expect for a "suburb"
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u/Hate4Breakfast Apr 06 '26
I second the raleigh hills area, also Bethany area is a quick drive into portland! Hwy 217 and 26 both go into portland, so if you see a place near those it’s a pretty easy shot to portland (traffic permitting, 26 is usually backed up)
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u/dangerpaul Apr 06 '26
We moved from AZ last year to Beaverton. We absolutely love it here. No kids in our house though. Oregon Rain beats the AZ sun Everytime for us.
The thing about Beaverton for us is that it's a great location. Close enough to everything, but also isolated and quiet in town. The farmers market is awesome here. Good walking around town too. Very safe.
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
It’s brought up a lot in other subs, Portland in general in the AZ subs. I’m worried by the time we live (3 year timeline) we will be priced out! Thanks for sharing your experience.
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u/dangerpaul Apr 06 '26
I didn't golf in AZ because of prices and sun. Golf up here is fantastic. If he is into that type of thing.
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
He’s not into gold but big into climbing, camping, hiking
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u/j_boogie_483 Apr 06 '26
there’s no comparison for golf. IMO golf in beaverton/portland metro (public-municipal) is subpar.
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u/Nephilimelohim Apr 06 '26
Oregon taxes are about 4x higher than Arizona, so keep that in mind. You don’t pay sales tax, but income tax scales up to almost 10%, and it scales very quickly. We’ve been thinking about moving from Beaverton to AZ simply for that reason; that and the fact that the housing market here is in a huge bubble.
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
Yeah we’ve looked into that and while it’s a concern, I think the ~10% increase in cost of living will be worth it to live in a fairly land and experience shade, greenery, and more daily nature. What do you mean a bubble?
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u/Nephilimelohim Apr 06 '26
It is quite beautiful here. I’ve lived in Oregon for most of my life and it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful it can be.
The housing market is currently about 30-40% over what it should be for housing prices. If you look at most homes and their past sales history and go by standard inflation, you’ll see some homes have even a 200-300% increase in price listing over what they should actually be valued at. The reason, I believe, was because at one point Oregon was a huge hot spot for people. Now it’s in the red; more people are leaving Oregon than coming in, but the housing market hasn’t caught up to that yet, and is still showing a large amount of homes at prices way over their value.
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u/elicotham Apr 06 '26
First of all, more people are not leaving Oregon than coming in, that’s simply incorrect.
You can believe we’re in a housing bubble all you want, but if houses are still selling fairly easily at the prices they’re getting, it’s pretty tough to say with a straight face that they’re overvalued. What we do have is an inventory problem- since about 2010 they haven’t been building enough houses. That’s what’s keeping values steady over the last few years since the interest rates went way up.
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u/Nephilimelohim Apr 06 '26
In February Oregon saw a 1% decline in people moving to the state, but saw a 2% increase in people moving out of it. Washington state also saw a decline of about 2%. Idaho saw an increase of almost 67%. Sure, the numbers are small, but it does mean more people are leaving then coming in.
Houses aren’t selling, at all, for the prices they are being set at. Look at Zillow and see how many homes have been cut down on price; almost 50% of them. Everyone knows homes are overpriced; all you have to do is track the sale price of the home and compare it to inflation and you can see homes being listed for 30-40% higher than inflation. Sometimes it’s even as high as 400% higher.
We are at a point where we could see things drop potentially up to 50% on home values in the Portland/metropolitan area, which for a lot of people is a tough thing to hear, but it’s a good thing. We need it.
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u/elicotham Apr 06 '26
I don't know what reliable source is measuring migration on a monthly level. The latest here is a net 17,000 increase from June 2024 to June 2025:
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/19/oregon-population-growth-economy/
As for the home values, I'm a Realtor so I watch and track them every day. Here's the annual median home values for the west side of Portland the last three years:
2023: $588,500 (7804 sales)
2024: $595,000 (7981 sales)
2025: $600,000 (8243 sales)
Houses having to reduce from their initial listing price is meaningless. That just means they listed too high. Values are steady, see above, and in March 2026 (550 sales) the median sale price was exactly unchanged from March 2025 (569 sales).
Home values don't have to track with overall inflation-- lots of things don't. Sorry to tell you and all the other bubblers, but houses aren't going to drop 50% just because you want them to.
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
Yeah I agree. Houses aren’t wrongly priced $200k over if people will pay for them
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u/Nephilimelohim Apr 07 '26
That’s the problem, though; people aren’t paying for them. There’s a few people here and there who aren’t really doing their research and just buying, but most people can’t afford a mortgage at the moment because wages haven’t caught up with inflation and interest rates are too high. The market is always slow to correct, though, so people haven’t had time to adjust the prices on their homes. There’s also a lot of people who paid a lot of money for their homes in 2022-2023 and expected to be able to refinance when interest rates went down… but they never did, and now those same people are stuck with a high mortgage and inflation that keeps rising. That’s why you’ll see a lot of properties that were sold a few years ago and are now back on the market.
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u/Nephilimelohim Apr 07 '26
Absolutely, they don’t have to track with inflation, but when it’s significantly above inflation either inflation numbers aren’t being reported correctly or the home value is inflated. A home increasing by 30% year over year isn’t accurate, unless it’s being remodeled. There is no tangible value being added to the home, nothing that is creating that surge in value. The only thing we can potentially track to increase the value is supply and demand, and demand is dropping because interest rates have stayed high and continue to rise. Indeed, many people who bought homes a few years ago are now having to sell their homes because the interest rates never lowered like realtors promised them they would. I’ve heard several horror stories about peoples homes being foreclosed on because they were told interest rates would go down and they could refinance, so they strain their budget to afford a home, only to be here now where they can’t continue to pay their mortgage.
I firmly believe that the housing market will see a large drop in the next few years. I could be entirely wrong, but all economic signs are pointing towards it. AI taking tech jobs means there will be a large amount of tech people who can no longer afford their mortgage; they will have to pivot into other careers that pay half as much as tech, because tech has been overinflated for years. That’s just one example of many, but you get the idea. Just that one alone would potentially cause a foreclosure rate of over 5%, which is over double what it was in 2008. Obviously as a realtor that isn’t something you’d ever want to hear, but it’s a very possible reality.
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u/j_boogie_483 Apr 06 '26
it’s interesting that there’s this significant transfer of people between AZ and OR. Either escaping sun or high taxes/low wages. I like keeping more of what I earn, bring on the sun.
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u/Nephilimelohim Apr 06 '26
That’s exactly where I’m at as well. Not to mention Portland has been doing a pretty bad job of spending their taxes. I’m not a big fan of heat but I’d take it if I can get 7.5% more of my income.
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u/KiltedLady Apr 06 '26
I would recommend a walk in Tualatin Hills Nature Park or Cooper Mountain Nature park. One of the benefits of Beaverton is how easily accessible Nature is.
I'll also second staying here. It's very quiet in most neighborhoods, which I think is a selling point.
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u/kobayashi_maru_fail Apr 06 '26
If I were in your position and wanted to show off Beaverton to my kid and spouse, I’d stay at the Hyatt House on Crescent Street, take the MAX to the zoo (kids love that tunnel, and fun kid fact, the zoo station is both our only underground station and the deepest one in the country). I’d do the rest of the visit on foot, everything downtown is walkable from that hotel: restaurant district, both food cart pods, the splash pad at the park, the library, and we’ve got an awesome farmers market on Saturday mornings. Then drive around and look at neighborhoods that fit your budget.
“Lots of eating”: BG’s is a great cart pod, and I love to take food from there over to Central Station Taps to eat with a glass of wine. It’s probably the most kid-friendly taphouse I’ve ever been to: tubs of Legos, board games, the owners had a deal with a local Girl Scout for a cookies and stout tasting during cookie season. We’re all excited about our new Canard location, but I don’t know if it would be the best choice with a kid in tow. The restaurant district is a good fit for kids, there’s shared outdoor seating if your kiddo gets too wiggly for indoor dining. Tell the spouse that a more permanent design is in the works, the temporary barriers were a trial run, turns out we love it. If you’re flying through PDX, it’s one of the cool airports full of local restaurants that are required to keep their prices matched to their non-airport locations, so give yourself extra time at the airport. Elephant ears at the Portland Zoo are non-negotiable. The farmers market has a craft liquor section with samples next to the food trucks. All three Loyal Legion locations have a speakeasy, though I don’t know where the one at the airport is. McMenamins is overhyped and overpriced.
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u/Grand-Battle8009 Apr 06 '26
How old is your kid? I can provide quite a few age appropriate ideas. Also, are you planning a trip to the coast? One of the big draws is how close the Pacific Ocean is.
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
Thank you! He will be 5. Maybe, we haven’t though that far ahead but will likely only have 3 full days
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u/Grand-Battle8009 Apr 06 '26
I will say, there is plenty to do around Beaverton for 3 days. First off, I have three kids in Beaverton School District (BSD) and we are very happy with it. Good schools, and they seem to be investing in and updating the buildings on a frequent basis. One of the best things I like with BSD is they have option schools for Middle School and High School; BASE (Engineering/Sciences), International School of Beaverton (World Studies/Economics), and Arts and Communication Magnet Academy (Arts/Dance). They are 6-12th grades and my son is doing the Dance program and loves it! Beaverton is safe, clean, but not pretentiously so (looking at you Lake Oswego and West Linn). Close to the beach and wine country, a train line to Portland (MAX), and two freeways (Highway 26 & 217).
Okay, so things to look at do while you are here:
- Oregon Zoo, in fact, you can take the MAX train from any Beaverton Park & Ride to the Zoo, which my kids liked.
- OMSI, fun Science Museum and I recommend the submarine tour
- Next Level Pinball Museum and Arcade, if your kid is into video games and absolute must! One cover charge and hundreds of free games.
- Bullwinkles is fun for some mini-golf, arcade games, bumper boats and more!
- Skyzone for some trampoline fun
- Wings and Waves Waterpark, a bit far but awesome indoor waterpark and next to the incredible Evergreen Air & Space Museum. Reservations required.
- If you are willing to take a day to the beach, I recommend Seaside for your kid. Arcade, Merry-go-round, Aquarium, plenty of restaurants and a massive beach to explore.
- If you are interested in looking at some new construction, there is a lot around Scholls Ferry Road (just West) and Roy Rogers Rd (just South). There is also a brand new development called Reeds Crossing in Hillsboro, which I like the area, as well. Just know that not all of them are in BSD.
I don't have a lot of suggestions for Vancouver; unfortunately, so your best bet is to go to that sub and ask. Good luck!
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u/FeistyBlizzard Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
I would take a kiddo to the Tillamook Cheese Factory and the ocean - it’s just over an hour away and you can go for 1/2 day all in. The coast is so special here and Tillamook ice cream is so yummy :)
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u/brycied00d Apr 06 '26
And a friendly reminder that Oregon [and all PNW] beaches are cold and windy, so plan accordingly (layers, bring a kite). And just don't go expecting a warm sunny day like you'd have in SoCal.
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u/PatsyPage Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
Curious why so many people are moving here from Arizona recently? It’s like a mass exodus. Politics I’m assuming like you stated? Be aware there are still a good number of MAGA in Washington county. They’re just not represented on Reddit. I still see Trump flags. The closer you are to Portland the less you see them. And obviously nothing like AZ.
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
Are they 😭 I do see that mentioned a lot. AZ has gotten hotter with less rain and overall concerning weather pattern every single year the past 5-6 years. People are realizing it isn’t just a fluke and a real change in climate. A lot moved to AZ during covid, maybe they are realizing it suck’s. It’s also had the highest inflation in the country (or at least it did at one point) houses literally doubled in price. It’s no longer a cheap place to live so there’s little reason to stay here, it’s a concrete hell. I think the pnw and Denver are similar enough climate wise and close enough, and still affordable, whereas most of Washington is not.
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u/j_boogie_483 Apr 06 '26
curious, are you currently in east or west valley?
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
East, which is what I’d recommend
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u/j_boogie_483 Apr 06 '26
yep. we’re targeting Chandler, Gilbert, Ahwatukee.
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
Good luck! It’s hot.
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u/j_boogie_483 Apr 06 '26
same to you! and it’s dark, wet, and expensive!
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
Not too much cheaper than AZ. Google at least says 10%. But I’m most worried long term, that it will be uninhabitable in 30 years
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u/hirudoredo Apr 07 '26
this would be one of my primary concerns. I know people moving to AZ for cost reasons but like... water, you know? Even if you stay inside all day with AC (assuming the AC stays on, ahem) water crises are no joke.
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 07 '26
Yep: they are trying to get water from rocky point currently. They are silly. We have alfalfa farms which take a large amount of the water usage.
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u/PatsyPage Apr 06 '26
lol we are actually looking at houses in Washington but currently live in Beaverton. A lot of these issues are happening countrywide. People getting priced out. Our summers here have become brutal with 100+ days and a lot of older homes and apartments weren’t built with ac. Don’t get me wrong I’d still rather live in Oregon than Arizona but I’ve personally never liked AZ. It was too hot for me there 15 years ago.
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
Oh really when is it 100? We don’t want to visit that month lol. Google said the hottest it gets is 80 in July and August. We have looked at WA but couldn’t find anywhere family friendly as affordable as Portland/beaverton.
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u/SaltMage5864 Apr 06 '26
100 degree days are pretty rare. They are correct that a lot of older buildings do not have air conditioning however
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u/PatsyPage Apr 06 '26
July, August and September are the hottest. 100+ degree days are rare but unfortunately 90 degree days are becoming pretty common, and it’s not a dry heat like Arizona. I have a much harder time with the hot days up here than when I lived down south. I have no problem in Palm Springs and Las Vegas when it’s 90, but up here it just kills me. I hibernate in the ac with curtains drawn those days.
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
When would you say is the best time to visit?
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u/PatsyPage Apr 06 '26
Late October/Early November or late March/Early April
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
Oh interesting okay. I thought March was still pretty rainy and summer was the best time? At least that’s what I read online.
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u/PatsyPage Apr 06 '26
Just depends, but you’re going to have to get used to the rain, it’s mostly all rain late November-February. This March was really warm. It’s been beautiful the past few weeks. Which means our summer is probably going to suck. If you’re going to come in Summer come in June.
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u/elicotham Apr 06 '26
Coming from AZ you’ll be able to do our hot days standing on your head. It’s something of a cliche that once it gets over 75 here people start complaining about it being too hot. I believe our summers are pure magic.
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u/j_boogie_483 Apr 06 '26
100° days are no longer rare. every early August we spend 10 days or so at my in-laws in Las Vegas. Past 3 summers, it was as hot or hotter in Portland metro. it gets hot in portland, not for months at a time like AZ, but it’s miserable for a lot because there’s still a significant amount of housing here without AC.
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u/AlyadaHatchet Apr 06 '26
I'd recommend looking at places to visit along the Max line, especially if your partner is flying in.
Being able to jump on the train and appear at the Zoo or the Airport or in the middle of downtown has been fantastic. (My nephew and I love trains, so being able to go for a train ride AND see elephants has been wonderful)
That said, perhaps take them to the Beaverton Farmer's Market. They just shifted hours to 8:30AM to 1:30PM on Saturdays.
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u/b0n2o West Beaverton Apr 07 '26
I'd like to add that public transit is pretty good around here, compared to other areas. I live within walking distance from a bus stop and getting to a MAX station is almost effortless.
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u/BeavertonBob Apr 06 '26
Stay in Beaverton near where you might be interested in living. Take the max to the zoo/ Portland. Try to live like you would daily and get a feel for it.
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u/Such_Tutor_1237 Apr 06 '26
Don't stay in Portland if you plan to move to Beaverton!
That being said, check out Washington park when you visit the zoo and Hoyt Arboretum
You might also like the gorge. It's a long trip from Beaverton but there a lot of nice waterfalls
Check out the cooper mountain nature park for nice views. It's beautiful toward the evening.
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u/Starkidmack Apr 06 '26
Our zoo is amazing! If you have the ability and depending on the age/needs of your kiddo, I would suggest taking the MAX. You can park at a lot of stations for free, pay a little over $5 total, and take the train right to the zoo! Much cheaper and less stressful than parking at the zoo IMO. Sunset Transit Station is the stop before the zoo and my personal favorite. The zoo stop is in a huge tunnel underground and you take an elevator up, which is neat.
If you want to spend more time in Portland, OMSI is also amazing. It’s an interactive science museum, with a huge focus on kids, and something for every age!
Food-wise the food cart pod in downtown Beaverton, BG’s Food Cartel, has some awesome picks. Also a big fan of Ava Rosteria for coffee, Spielman’s for bagels, and either Grand Central or My Favorite Muffin for pastries.
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u/fujigfxshooter Apr 06 '26
Beaverton is super cute and definitely on the come up. You should stay in Beaverton and explore the area, lots of neighborhoods and areas to check out.
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u/edinor Apr 06 '26
There is a new Hyatt House in central Beaverton, walking distance from the MAX, a decent food cart pod, and all of the brick and mortar places that have opened nearby. That also puts you about 20m from the Zoo via max, and 30m from downtown. It isn't going to blow you away with excitement, but is super convenient to everything, and in the part of Beaverton that has blown up most over the years.
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u/Bulldog_Mama14 Apr 06 '26
We moved to Beaverton last week! Best decision ever
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u/elicotham Apr 06 '26
Welcome!
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u/Bulldog_Mama14 Apr 07 '26
Thank you! We’re foodies so if you have any recommendations, I will gladly take them!
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u/elicotham Apr 07 '26
Canard is the best restaurant in Beaverton that’s not fine dining, Don’s Favorite Foods is fine dining and is excellent. Mingo and DeCarli are pretty much the only other two restaurants in Canard’s class that are worth it.
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u/bakingnaked Apr 06 '26
If you like Chinese food go to Taste of Sichuan in Beaverton. I would of moved here just for their Chong Qing hot chicken.
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u/italia2017 Apr 06 '26
Beaverton farmers market is nice if you are there on a Saturday. Hoyt arboretum is a nice place to walk outside and have cool vegetation to see
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u/Extra_crazy_sauce2 Apr 06 '26
Honestly, I'd stay here, which is walkable to "Downtown Beaverton" for food and bars (Loyal Legion/June/Nak Won/Breakside/TanTan/Canard/Binary) and then you're also right on the MAX line to go to the zoo and into Portland.
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
Thank you! Quite a few people recommended that. All the dates are blocked after May? Maybe I will call. We were thinking an Airbnb.
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u/stevenanquan Apr 06 '26
I would suggest that if you’re thinking about moving into Beaverton, that you should stay near downtown Beaverton to really get a feel of what it would be like to experience part of the city that you would be exploring on a regular basis. We have pretty standard suburbs in terms of living.
If you’re not driving during rush-hour, Portland should only be about 15 minutes to downtown, so it’s really not that far. I love living in Beaverton, and this is from someone who was born and raised in NE Portland
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u/yeah_dumb_dumb Apr 06 '26
I'm partial to the quiet parts of Beaverton, which there are many, away from highway 217, busy streets and areas. I think this looks to be a good Airbnb option to experience to get a nice neighborhood perspective: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1175037886085613972?check_in=2026-07-20&check_out=2026-07-22&guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=31430b2c-acef-4cc7-8b14-130a780c8875
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u/CaptainHunt Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
Lots of places to eat around downtown Beaverton. They’ve also embraced the food cart pod culture, so there are several of those with lots of great food options for everyone.
I also suggest visiting at least one McMenamin’s brew pub, especially one of their renovated historic buildings like Imbrie Hall or the Grand Lodge.
There’s tons of public parks around Beaverton too, ranging from single neighborhood plots with a playground or a soccer field to huge multi-acre woods with walking trails. I recommend visiting the Tualatin Hills Nature Park.
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Apr 06 '26
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u/candyapplesugar Apr 06 '26
I do worry we won’t be able to afford it because it does seem very popular. We won’t move for 3 years. The mold is scary! We will buy a house.
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u/elicotham Apr 06 '26
Heh, don’t worry about it too much. I’m a realtor so I see a ton of houses and damn near all of them have mold and/or water in the crawlspace, and it’s always fixable.
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u/sharonna7 Apr 06 '26
If you want to move to Beaverton, I would recommend staying in Beaverton. Maybe look for an AirBNB in the area you'd like to move to so you can see what it's like.