The Coast or the Valley?

[Wyody]

Having just finished my first visit to southern Oregon in nearly a couple of decades, I can say this with all honesty and certainty:
"If you're not living at the coast, you're missing Oregon".

Whoa - Hot, Sticky, Boring Willamette Valley. Reminds me of riding thru southern Utah. Plenty of trees - all stunted. Plenty of hills - too thick for walking. Oh, you can occasionally duck into a canyon for a loop-drive past a waterfall or some such ... but seriously ... if you're gonna opt for the valley, you might as well live anywhere.
Ah, the coast. Cool temperatures. Crashing waves. Okay, Coos Bay is a little too big for comfort - a little too much like a city - a little too dirty with a bit too much of an "urban" look to it and North Bend somewhat the same way - and I'll have to exclude Brookings for now because my trip didn't take me that far south (although I've heard great things about Brookings).
Florence seems about the right size town for me - with plenty going for it and wonderful lakes south of town among the coastal mountains. Believe it's all Tribal lands 'cause there weren't houses every square inch around the lake like on white-man's land.
I heard we had a day at 83 degrees - the day before our return to Lincoln City. That would have made it the warmest day of the year. Shoot, in Grants Pass, it was 80 in the shade on a concrete patio at 10:00 A.M.! Our nights are now in the low 50's - and really, all summer, nights have only been over 60 a couple of times.
I choose the coast. If you want desert, I'd stay in Nevada or Idaho or Arizona. If you want heat and slightly uncomfortable humidity, I'd choose almost anyplace in the country that's green - won't be too different from mid-Oregon.
If I could just find somebody to heat-up this ocean, life would be grand!

[Wyody]

Here's a problem or two associated with living on the coast as compared to up by the bigger cities:

If you own a home at the coast - especially the "small-townish", central and northern coast - there will come times when you need a contractor to come in for the roof, the remodel, the repairs.
..... Lotsa Luck!! .....
Some people I know actually sold their homes years ago to grab a condo or apartment - because they couldn't find a contractor in the area and had to import from Eugene, Salem or Portland.
Heck, our roofers come from SW Washington!
The mileage and/or motel expense totally changes the look of any contractor bills.
There are a few good contractors around. They're so busy they don't have to return your call. Some do, some don't. They can be overworked if they want to ... but this is the coast - overworking is so ... so ... passe'! Yet, there's not enough work apparently to support another contractor moving in. Prices are expensive.
I was taking a walk the other day - up and away from the beach. Found a series of small manufactured-homes on small lots ... like it used to be a trailer-park or somesuch. Took a quick look at one fairly decent place - about 20x30.
$289,000.00 asking price. This is about the size of two really nice motel rooms.
No ocean view. No real view of the mountains either.
So, okay, it's no secret - if you want to move to the coast, bring your banker with you - or better yet, BE a banker! Even then, if you aren't the handiest handy-man going then prepare yourself for exorbitant maintenance costs.
One lottery win - and I won't care.

[Wyoming53]

If there is so much work, why haven't they attracted any new contractors to move into the area? Cost of housing keeping them out?

[Wyody]

Not sure if your Sheridan, WY is a good example anymore - but will glue the nutshell for ya:
More work than one contractor can do, needs to do, wants to do.
Not enough for one more because:
It's expensive at the coast. Takes a lot of money to get by. From the grocery store to the gas-station to the water-bill, it takes a lot.

In Evanston, Wyoming for example: There's enough work for three plumbers to eke out a living. If you're the fourth, good luck!