Advantages & Disadvantages of Retiring in Portland

You think about retiring in Portland but want to get additional information about the city, living costs, housing situation, entertainment, senior life, safety, public infrastructure and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of retiring in Portland in the following chapters.

Retire in Portland – Overview

Reasons to Retire in Portland

1. Mild winters are attractive to many pensioners in Portland
2. Pensioners in Portland can spend lots of time outdoors
3. Easy to get around by bicycle for retirees in Portland
4. You can enjoy great public transport in Portland
5. Retirees in Portland often don’t need a car to get around
6. Decent medical infrastructure in Portland
7. You will not run out of important material goods
8. Pensioners in Portland find most things they need within walking distance
9. Decent senior centers in Portland
10. Portland is a tolerant city
11. Easy to socialize in Portland
12. Many interesting bars in Portland
13. Many good restaurants in Portland
14. Retirees in Portland can use a big international airport
15. Decent internet connection in Portland
16. Many recreational spaces in Portland
17. You can spend lots of time in nature
18. Portland is relatively close to the coast
19. Many people will envy you for retiring in Portland
20. Air quality in Portland is pretty decent
21. Portland is a rather relaxed city
22. Portland will be an attractive place to retire for a long time

Mild winters are attractive to many pensioners in Portland

One advantage of retiring in Portland is that you will have pretty mild winters.

In fact, many people retiring in New York City or other colder places will secretly envy you in this regard and retiring in Portland can therefore make sense if you can’t stand the cold at all.

Pensioners in Portland can spend lots of time outdoors

Since winters are pretty mild and summers are pretty sunny, people who retire in Portland can also spend lots of time outdoors and this can be great since you can stay fit and can also get lots of fresh air which may get you in a pretty good mood.

Easy to get around by bicycle for retirees in Portland

Since Portland is a bicycle-friendly place, you can also get around by bike in an efficient manner and can not only save lots of money on fuel but can also get enough exercise to stay fit in the long run.

You can enjoy great public transport in Portland

If you don’t like getting around by bicycle, you can still use the bus or other means of public transport to get from A to B in a pretty efficient and reliable manner.

Retirees in Portland often don’t need a car to get around

Since Portland is a bicycle-friendly place and you can also get around by public transport in a reliable manner, you may not even need a car to get around and this can be great since the older you get, the more likely you will no longer be able to drive a car in a safe manner and it is therefore important that you have proper transportation alternatives lined up for you.

Decent medical infrastructure in Portland

Another upside to retiring in Portland is that you will also find many good doctors and hospitals and if you have enough money, you will be able to find one of the best medical treatments money can buy you in this region.

You will not run out of important material goods

Thanks to excellent public infrastructure, retirees in Portland also don’t run out of important material goods compared to retirees in smaller towns where overall supply of material goods is often much worse.

Pensioners in Portland find most things they need within walking distance

Not only will you have good supply of material goods, but you will also find most things you need as a pensioner in Portland within walking distance and this can be great since the older you get, the more important it is to have all important things and facilities near you home since you may no longer be able to walk long distances due to health conditions.

Decent senior centers in Portland

There are also decent senior centers where you can hang out with other retirees so you can share valuable insights and can also play parlor games or do other things so you will never run out of ideas regarding how to spend your leisure as a retiree in Portland.

Portland is a tolerant city

Another benefit of retiring in Portland is that it is also a pretty tolerant city and no matter where you come from, you will be welcome as long as you are a friendly and tolerant person and also know how to behave.

Easy to socialize in Portland

It is also pretty easy to make many new social connections and friends in the Portland region rather quickly since people are often curious and open to new things and will often also be interested in your stories and your background in general so you will have a lot to talk about.

Many interesting bars in Portland

Since there are many good bars in Portland, you will also be able to talk to many like-minded people of your age and can discuss what’s going on in the world so you can get different perspectives on certain topics and can adjust important decisions accordingly.

Many good restaurants in Portland

You can also try many delicious foods from all over the world in the Portland region since Portland is a big multicultural city with many different cultural influences and this can be great since it just makes your life much better when retiring in Portland.

Retirees in Portland can use a big international airport

Since Portland has an international airport, it will also be pretty easy for your loved ones visiting you in this place while it would be harder if you lived in smaller towns where public infrastructure would be much worse.

Decent internet connection in Portland

You will also have a decent internet connection in Portland and this allows you to make video calls with your loved ones and also to get the latest news so you can stay connected to the world and know what’s going on.

Many recreational spaces in Portland

There are also many parks and other recreational spaces in Portland where you can hang out and really enjoy your leisure in quiet environments so you will not get distracted by loud noises or other unpleasant things and can really focus on problems that need to be solved right now.

You can spend lots of time in nature

Since Portland is surrounded by nice lakes and nature reserves, you can also spend lots of time outdoors in nature as a retiree in Portland and can therefore do many nice free things so even if you don’t receive a pretty high pension, you may still find many things to do in the Portland region.

Portland is relatively close to the coast

Although Portland is not located at the coast, it is still not far away from the ocean and you can therefore make nice day trips to the beach and can really enjoy your time in the Portland region while people who retire in Chicago and other places far away from the coast don’t have this luxury.

Many people will envy you for retiring in Portland

Since Portland is a pretty nice place and offers high overall quality of life, many of your loved ones will envy and admire you for your plans of retiring in Portland and you will therefore have a pretty high social standing among your peers.

Air quality in Portland is pretty decent

Compared to most other big cities in the US, air quality in Portland is pretty decent and this may become pretty important at an older age since the better air quality is, the less likely it will be for you suffering from serious pulmonary problems.

Portland is a rather relaxed city

While people retiring in Los Angeles and other major cities often complain about traffic and many other issues that come along with living in a big city, Portland is a rather relaxed place where you can really enjoy your time without having to deal with many hectic people.

Portland will be an attractive place to retire for a long time

Since Portland is the biggest city in Oregan and is also a pretty important economic center, it will be an attractive place to retire for many decades and you don’t have to worry about public infrastructure becoming worse anytime soon.

As you can see, there are many reasons for retiring in Portland.

Yet, there are also some drawbacks to retiring in Portland that I want to address for you in the following so you can get a better picture of reality and can better decide whether you still want to retire in Portland or rather want to move to a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Retiring in Portland

1. Living costs in Portland are relatively high
2. Hard to find a decent place to stay in Portland
3. Housing shortage may even get worse
4. Rents are barely affordable for many retirees in Portland
5. Many pensioners in Portland still have to work at retirement age
6. Crime rates in Portland are above national average
7. Natural disasters may destroy your home in Portland
8. Social inequality is about to get worse in Portland
9. Many people who retire in Portland have to live in rather dodgy districts
10. High overall financial pressure for people retiring in Portland
11. Portland may be overrated

Living costs in Portland are relatively high

One downside to retiring in Portland is that living costs are pretty high and you therefore have to spend lots of money on drinks and many other things of daily life in the Portland region while people retiring in Columbus or other cheaper places have to spend less in this regard.

Hard to find a decent place to stay in Portland

Since demand for housing is enormously high in the Portland region, it is also pretty hard for many retirees in Portland to find a decent and affordable place to stay within a reasonable timeframe and many pensioners in Portland become increasingly desperate in this regard.

Housing shortage may even get worse

Since Portland becomes increasingly popular all over the US, housing shortage may become an even bigger problem in the future and retirees who don’t receive a really good pension may really struggle to find a place to stay in the Portland region just a few years from now.

Rents are barely affordable for many retirees in Portland

Due to huge demand for housing, also rents have skyrocketed over the past decade and many retirees in Portland are therefore no longer able to pay rent in a reliable manner and may have to fear getting evicted sooner or later.

Many pensioners in Portland still have to work at retirement age

Another problem with retiring in Portland is that due to high living and housing costs, many pensioners in Portland even have to work during retirement age to be able to pay their bills since their pensions are often simply not high enough.

Crime rates in Portland are above national average

You should also know that Portland is not the safest city and crime rates in Portland are significantly above average.

Consequently, many retirees no longer feel safe in certain parts of the city and may also no longer want to leave their homes at nighttime.

Natural disasters may destroy your home in Portland

Another disadvantage of retiring in Portland is that you may get hit by natural disasters sooner or later and if you are unlucky, you may not only lose your home but even your life in the Portland region.

Social inequality is about to get worse in Portland

You also have to know that all sorts of social problems are about to get worse in the Portland region since an increasing number of people get really desperate since they no longer know how to pay their bills and this may also further contribute to increasing crime rates.

Many people who retire in Portland have to live in rather dodgy districts

Due to skyrocketing rents, many people retiring in Portland also can’t afford to live in nice districts but rather have to live in pretty dodgy neighborhoods and may just not feel comfortable and welcome which may greatly decrease overall quality of life in the long run.

High overall financial pressure for people retiring in Portland

Due to high living and housing costs, people who retire in Portland also have to deal with huge financial pressure and often have to worry about their finances and this may lead to all sorts of financial problems in the long run.

Portland may be overrated

While Portland has become pretty popular over the past decades, it may still be overrated and you may find cheaper places that still provide similar quality of life, for example by retiring in Fort Worth or other cheaper cities.

Top 10 Retiring in Portland Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Portland A Good Place To Retire?

While Portland can be a great place to retire since public transport is great, you will find many good doctors and you can enjoy high overall quality of life, Portland is still a pretty expensive city where living and housing costs are too high for many retirees who really struggle to make a living in this region.

Alternative Cities To Retire

If you don’t want to retire in Portland, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Denver

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Oklahoma City

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Boston

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/portlandcityoregon

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.