Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
Gold Beach, Oregon
Perched on Oregon's Rugged Southern Coast, Gold Beach is Popular with Outdoor Lovers and Retirees and Boasts a Long, Clean, Wild Beach
With forested mountains to the east, the Pacific to the west and the mighty Rogue River to the north, Gold Beach is in a gorgeous setting on Oregon's rugged southern coast. It started out as a placer gold mining encampment but today is popular with fishermen, outdoor lovers and retirees.
Not a lot happens in this coastal hamlet, and that seems to be fine with locals. The beach is seven miles long and runs the entire length of town. It is wild and clean, with crabbing, steelhead fishing and clamming popular pastimes. The city hides glass floats along the sand each February through April, and beach combing for them fills many a day. The downtown has artists, studios and galleries, and restaurants serve locally caught salmon, halibut and crab. The Ellensburg Theater Company offers a handful of productions per year, and museums such as the Curry County Museum and the Cape Blanco Lighthouse detail area history. Motorboats run tours up the Rogue River, and easy to difficult hiking trails are dotted along the mountains and river.
Homes come in all shapes and sizes and are located in town, along the river and in the hills. Turtle Rock is a cute little cottage community on the beach. The Gold Beach Brew and Art Fest includes a classic car show, and the annual Festival of Quilts attracts craft lovers. Most stores are locally owned.
Population: 2,500 (city proper)
Age 45 or Better: 60%
Cost of Living: 8% above the national average
Median Home Price: $455,000
Climate: Gold Beach sees little snow but receives, on average, 80 inches of rain per year. Most of it comes during the fall, winter and spring. Summer temperatures are in the 50s and 60s, and and winter temperatures are in the 40s and 50s. Skies are often overcast, and the wind is often blowing.
At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients? Yes
At Least One Hospital Accredited by Joint Commission? No, but Curry General Hospital is accredited by DNV Healthcare.
Public Transit: Yes, a dial-a-ride service within town and a regional service to several coastal cities.
Crime Rate: Meets the national average
Public Library: Yes, and it is nestled in the pines.
Political Leanings: Conservative
College Educated: 24%
Is Oregon Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement? No
Cons: Gold Beach is remote. Brookings, which only has 6,500 people, is the nearest town and is 30 miles away.
Notes: Many residents only live here part-time. Shopping and services are limited. Despite its remoteness, Gold Beach has grown by 6% within the last decade. Home prices have increased 5% since a year ago.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes, although maybe only on a seasonal basis.
Oregon:
Oregon became a territory in 1846, but its request to become a state was bogged down by Congress and the free versus slave state debate. Southern politicians finally allowed Oregon to enter the Union as a free state on February 14, 1859.
Although the 42nd parallel marks its southern border, water delineates most of the Beaver State's boundaries. The Columbia River separates Washington from Oregon on the north. The Snake River helps form the state's eastern border with Idaho. The Pacific Ocean is on its western edge.
Oregon is one of the country's most geographically diverse states and is characterized by volcanoes, dense forests, high deserts, and abundant bodies of water. For its latitude, its climate is mild. Mount Hood, at 11,249 feet, is the state's highest point. Crater Lake, the center of the state's only national park, is the deepest lake in the United States.
Timber, fishing, and hydroelectric power have pushed the state's economy in the past. Technology, however, is finding a firm footing. Tektronix and Intel helped establish the state's Silicon Forest. Notable companies who are or have been part of the forest include Google, eBay, Airbnb, and WebMD. Sportswear companies like Columbia and Nike also bring in billions to the state.
Portland, the state's most populous city, has more breweries in its boundaries than any other in the world. As of 2016, there were more than 60. The city boasts the world's smallest park. Mill Ends Park, dedicated in 1948, is a total of 452 square feet.
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