Today, we’re getting into the pros and cons of living here in Roseburg, Oregon! These topics are the most common complaints and praises we hear from people who live right here in the Roseburg, Oregon, area.
Pro #1 – Roseburg Oregon’s Mild Climate
Everybody loves Roseburg because of our mild weather patterns. In the winter, you’re looking at days in the high 50s. In the summers, you’re looking at an average of around 80 degrees. Some years we may experience a heatwave lasting for a week or two, where we can experience temperatures approaching the triple digits. Or a week or two during the winter months when our temperatures can hit freezing temperatures during the day. These highs and lows are a very small portion of the year, with the remaining time filled with extremely favorable temperatures and weather.
Out-of-state homebuyers often ask us about snow. Luckily, you’re not going to be shoveling driveways here in Roseburg, Oregon! Roseburg is located in the Umpqua Valley at an approximate 500-foot elevation. Local kids often wish for snow days, but unfortunately, they just don’t come. We may get a dusting of snow once or twice a year, but it’s almost always gone by noon. That said… If you like the snow, you’re only a short drive to the Umpqua National Forest, Diamond Lake Resort, and Lemolo Lake Resort, where there’s always plenty of snow for winter fun!
Con #1 – Oregon Rain
Now for the first con… As you may know, Oregon does get a lot of rain. But Roseburg and the Douglas County area actually actually aren’t that bad. Roseburg gets about 35 inches of rain per year on average, which, compared to the national average of 38 inches per year, is actually less! Now, if you were to go even just an hour north of town to Eugene, Oregon, which is about 70 miles north of Roseburg, they average 47 inches a year. That’s a 12-inch difference in rainfall!
Pro #2 – Roseburg Oregon Is Beautiful
Because of all that rain, everything is beautiful and green! Not only here in Roseburg but in Oregon as a whole. It’s always fun to bring clients from out-of-state and hear, “Oh my gosh, Oregon is completely trees!” Which is 100% accurate. The landscape here is truly beautiful.
Con #2 – Allergies
Believe it or not, all that green brings us to our next con, which is seasonal allergies. It’s certainly not fun, but luckily they make over-the-counter medications to make allergies bearable. For those of you, like some of us here in the office, who have seasonal allergies, it’s worth it to be surrounded by our stunningly beautiful green landscape. Trust us.
Pro #3 – Calm, Cool, and Collected
The next benefit to living here in Roseburg, Oregon is just how peaceful it is here. This has made Roseburg the perfect place for families, retirees, and those looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. A lot of the people who move to Roseburg, Oregon, are coming from the more populated areas in Oregon, Washington, and California and are looking for a slower-paced lifestyle. If you’re looking for more of a rural feeling area, Roseburg might just be the right place for you.
Con #3 – I Don’t Know… What Do You Want To Do?
There is a hidden con to living in a slower-paced town, and that’s the fact Roseburg doesn’t offer much of a nightlife. In the past, there wasn’t much in the way of dancing, live music, or that sort of thing, but there are many places popping up that are seeking to change that. Visit Open Mic night at The Sunnyside Theater, a live band at North Forty Beer Company, or Food Truck Fridays at Wailani Shave Ice and Island Grindz.
Pro #4 – Outdoor Recreation
While Roseburg may not have quite as much in the way of entertainment as a big city, we have something much better here, and that’s our outdoor recreation. From fishing, hiking, hunting, wineries, and golf courses, Roseburg’s mild climate, mixed with the ruralness of our town, gives us so many fun things to do that you wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere.
The spring and fall run chinook and coho salmon and the summer and winter run steelhead give any fisherman a lot to look forward to. The legendary salmon and steelhead of the North Umpqua River will get you hooked! Not to mention floating, rafting, boating, and swimming, and just the beauty of the North Umpqua River. If you’re interested in hunting, there are plenty of BLM and public lands surrounding Roseburg and the Douglas County area. So whether you’re hunting whitetail, blacktail deer, elk, cougar, bear, or turkey, there are plenty of opportunities for hunting here in Roseburg.
For those of you who just enjoy being outdoors and taking in the wildlife, we have plenty of hiking trails, waterfall hikes, and of course, our golf courses and wineries.
Con #4 – Lack Of Shopping
While Roseburg does have some of the most beautiful outdoor experiences, what we do lack, is leisure shopping. We still have most of the big box stores that you’re used to, including Lowe’s, Home Depot, Costco, and the Walmart Superstore. But if you’re looking for high-end boutiques or luxury shopping centers for your next shopping spree, you may want to make the short drive up to Eugene to get your shopping fix!
Pro #5 – Roseburg, Oregon’s Central Location
Which brings us to the next pro: our incredible, central location! Not only are we only an hour away from the more metro Eugene area where you’re going to be able to have those sporting events, concerts, and the benefits of a more metro area, but we’re also only an hour’s drive away from the Oregon Coast, and all that beauty that the Pacific Northwest beaches have to offer. You can enjoy living in Roseburg, with incredible city amenities and famed beaches right at your fingertips.
Con #5 – The Clock’s Ticking
As you can see, there are so many reasons that people would want to move here to Roseburg. Because of that, more and more people are coming. This leads us to our next con, which is the increase in the cost of living. With supply and demand, our real estate prices are going up, as have our rental rates.
Our theory is that more and more people are discovering the beauty of Oregon. Of course, it would make sense that people would want to move here. If we think about California and what’s happened there over the last handful of decades with their population growth and their price increase, Oregon may have a similar fate. Hopefully, not in our lifetime, but it’s definitely trending that way.
If we think about Portland, Oregon, for instance, how much they’ve grown and how that’s just starting to trickle down the I-5 corridor to some of the other larger cities in Oregon like Salem, Corvallis, Eugene, and then even just right above the California border, in the Medford-Ashland area. The population has continued to grow, and of course, their prices have gone up accordingly. It only makes sense that Roseburg would be next. Our average sales price is still over $100,000 less than the state of Oregon as a whole and is still very affordable in comparison to many places on the West Coast. I don’t think we’re going to have a population explosion anytime in the near future, but the trends are definitely there and leading us to buy and hold properties in the Douglas County area.
So hurry up and get here while prices are still affordable! If you’re thinking about moving here or have any questions about Roseburg or the Douglas County area, give us a call at (541) 236-2662!
If you haven’t already, make sure to check out our blog and subscribe to our YouTube channel to learn all about what it’s like living in Roseburg, Oregon, and the greater Umpqua Valley!
