Relocation

Moving to Oregon
Moving megasites
Moving abroad
Moving in retirement
Moving with kids
Immigration & citizenship

City profiles in the USA
Climate & environment across the USA
Cost of living & salary calculators
Quality of life: national ratings
Real estate nationwide
Relocation quizzes

Databases

	More information about this resource
	Remote access is available on this resource
	Access limited to some library locations

Business & Company Resource Center

College Source OnlineCollege Source Online

Lands and Peoples

LGBT Life

NewsBank America's Newspapers

Oregon Career Information System

ReferenceUSAReferenceUSA

Moving to Oregon

CascadeLink: http://www.cascadelink.org/

First stop on the trail to discovering the Portland area. Covers business, education, elections, health, housing, jobs, libraries, news, organizations, volunteerism and transportation. Click here to go directly to Oregon city profiles, and here to check out the schools.
Craigslist for Portland: http://portland.craigslist.org/

A free website with postings for housing, jobs, services and more.
Data for Local Communities: http://libweb.uoregon.edu/dlc/

A guide to statistical, spatial and descriptive information about Oregon and Oregon communities.
The Oregon Child Care Resource and Referral Network: http://www.oregonchildcare.org/

Oregon Child Care Resource and Referral Network (OCCRRN) is a statewide network of 17 community based child care resource and referral agencies that work to improve the quality, accessibility, and affordability of child care for all Oregon families.
Oregon Network of Care: http://oregon.networkofcare.org/home_state2.cfm?productid=1&stateid=43

The focus of this site is to provide a community resource where seniors and people with disabilities, along with their caregivers and service providers, can easily access a wide variety of important information about issues that affect their lives.
Oregon research topic page: http://www.multcolib.org/ref/oregon.html

Multnomah County Library's topic page for Oregon includes many links that will give a sense of what's going on in the state.
Oregon Report Cards: http://www.movingtoportland.net/schools_reportcards.htm

Report cards on schools in Oregon are gathered helpfully on this local realtor's site. Scroll down to link to the Oregon Department of Education's site, where you can view results by school; or see the Oregonian's useful charts for quick comparisons.
OregonWorks!: http://www.oregonworks.org/

A website developed specifically as a tool for high-tech professionals considering living and working in Oregon.
Portland City Data: http://www.city-data.com/city/Portland-Oregon.html

City-data.com has photos, charts, facts and figures. Also links to data on other Oregon cities.
Portland International Airport: http://www.flypdx.com/

Flight information and cargo services at PDX.
Portland Maps: http://www.portlandmaps.com/

Property information for Portland including maps, tax information, crime data, school and park information and more.
RMLS.com: http://rmls.com/RC2/UI/Home.asp

Real estate listings for the following counties: Clackamas, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Hood River, Lane, Multnomah, Sherman, Wasco, Washington and Yamhill Counties in the state of Oregon, as well as Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat and Skamania Counties in the state of Washington.

Moving Megasites

BestPlaces.net: http://www.bestplaces.net

Compiles 3,000 city profiles, crime statistics, climate, cost of living, salary calculators, and school reports.
Homefair: http://www.homefair.com/

From the National Association of Realtors. Features tools such as The School Report, The Relocation Crime Lab and much more.
Moving.com: http://www.moving.com/

Formerly MonsterMoving. Comprehensive moving-related services.

Moving abroad

Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide: http://www.aafsw.org

This organization's website includes many helpful articles and links for expatriates outside the U.S. Foreign Service.
Classic 164 Currency Converter: http://www.oanda.com/converter/classic/

A simple currency converter, which allows you to look at historical and current currency values.
Escape Artist: http://escapeartist.com

Information on living, moving, and working overseas, plus country destination profiles, publications and links.
Foreign Embassy Information: http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/

Lists foreign consular offices in the United States and has the website and e-mail addresses of embassies.
The International Salary Calculator: http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/intsalcalc.html

Compare the cost of living in hundreds of cities around the world.
Moving: International: http://www.moving.com/IRC/

Thinking of relocating abroad? This site provides information on the essentials of relocation, understanding the documentation required to live and work abroad, and tools to aid your international move. Also includes detailed country profiles.
Prices and Earnings: A Comparison of Purchasing Power Around the Globe 2003: http://www.tunisiadaily.com/pdf/prices&earning.pdf

This report, published every 3 years, provides companies that employ staff abroad with a basis against which to check the salaries they pay their expatriates. Find price comparisons (food, clothing, apartment rents, public transportation, etc.) and wage comparisons for 70 world cities.
Transitions Abroad: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/

Transitions Abroad provides resources for work abroad, study abroad, cultural travel and living overseas.
U.S. State Department Services and Information for American Citizens Abroad: http://travel.state.gov/travel/living/living_1243.html

Provides links to services and information for American citizens abroad.
WorldClimate.com: http://www.worldclimate.com

Provides climate data and historical weather averages for many towns and cities showing typical weather each month, averaged over a range of years.

Moving in retirement

America's Best Hospitals: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/nycu/health/hosptl/tophosp.htm

U.S. News & World Report's annual list of top hospitals, ranked according to 17 separate specialties.
American Hospital Directory: http://www.ahd.com

Look up hospitals in the U.S. that treat Medicare patients. Taken from Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR), Provider of Services, and Medicare Cost Report files, some basic information is available free from this database. You can look up hospitals by name, city, state, zip code, or area code. The profile will include, if available, number of beds, ownership, accreditation, medical school affiliation, a list of services provided, basic financial data, utilization statistics, and a link to the hospital's website if the hospital has one and paid for it. More detailed information is available on a subscription basis.
CNN/Money Magazine's Best Places to Retire: http://money.cnn.com/best/bpretire

Focuses on cities perceived to offer good quality of life and affordable housing for retirees. Features of each location, including population, property tax, home prices and cultural attractions.
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations: http://www.jcaho.org

The JCAHO accredits nearly 18,000 health care organizations and programs, including hospitals, health care plans and providers, home care organizations, nursing homes and other long term care facilities. The heart of the site is Quality Check, their searchable directory of Accredited Organizations. A search returns basic information, address, phone, accreditation rating, and full performance report, if available.
Senior Housing: http://www.springstreet.com/seniors

Searchable guide to retirement communities, assisted living residences, nursing homes, and Alzheimer's facilities in the U.S. Listings include detailed descriptions, color photos, floor plans, and some virtual tours. Includes information about various housing options for seniors, on health and wellness, and about financial considerations in paying for care.

Moving with kids

Best Cities to Have a Baby: http://www.fitpregnancy.com/bestcities/

FitPregnacy's ranking of 50 US cities for everything from doctors and hospitals to doulas, midwives, breastfeeding success rates, birth and health risk, stroller-friendly trails and parks, affordability, and a whole lot more. (Portland is ranked #1!)
Child Care Aware: http://www.childcareaware.org/

Child Care Aware is a non-profit initiative committed to helping parents find the best information on locating quality child care and child care resources in their community.
Kid-Friendly Cities Report Card: http://www.kidfriendlycities.org/2001

A comprehensive 239-city study from the environmental organization, Zero Population Growth (ZPG), using 16 different quality of life indicators such as community life, economics, education, environment, health and public safety.
National Center for Education Statistics: http://nces.ed.gov/

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences, is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education. Click here to search for public schools.

Immigration & citizenship

Center for Intercultural Organizing: http://www.clcbank.org/

The Center for Intercultural Organizing (formerly known as Community Language and Culture Bank) exists to breach the linguistic and cultural boundaries isolating Oregon's diverse citizenry in order to strengthen our collective struggle for social, political, and economic justice. Workshops, forums and other activities about immigrant and refugee rights.
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization: http://www.irco.org/

Services available through IRCO include the Asian Family Center, the International Language Bank, youth and family services, employment programs, community education, health & environmental outreach services and arts for new immigrants program.
USCIS: http://uscis.gov/graphics/

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services home page.

City profiles in the USA

Community Information by Zip Code: http://library.csun.edu/mfinley/zipstats.html

Assembled by California State University -- Northridge, this site provides links to selected Internet resources for statistical data on population, education, health, environment, business, and politics which can be retrieved by zip code.
E-Podunk: the Power of Place: http://www.epodunk.com

Search by U.S. city or town name and retrieve a variety of information including attractions, crime rates, economy, education, environment, government, health, history, jobs, news, organizations, postal service, recreation, travel, and utilities.
Project Vote Smart: http://www.vote-smart.org

Tracks the performance of more than 40,000 office holders and candidates for public office. Resources include voting records, issues information, background information, campaign finances and performance evaluations made by over 100 liberal to conservative special interest groups, and other directories of political information. A great feature is the ability to type in a zip code and get back information on all your representatives, state and federal, including biographical, address, committee assignments, etc.
Yahoo!: Neighborhood Profiles: http://list.realestate.yahoo.com/re/neighborhood/main.html

Look up neighborhoods by street address, city, or zip code to find demographics, cost of living, housing characteristics and "quality of life" (weather, air quality, crime, culture). Comparisons with the national averages are also included.

Climate & environment across the USA

Asthma Capitals: http://www.asthmacapitals.com

The U.S. Asthma Capitals rankings are identified each year by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. These rankings indicate the 100 worst cities in America for people with asthma, based on 15 prevalence, risk and medical factors.
HUD Environmental Maps (E-Maps): http://egis.hud.gov/egis/

Provides "location, type and performance of HUD-funded activities in every neighborhood across the country; and select EPA information on brownfields, hazardous wastes, air pollution and waste water discharges." Choose from a variety of maps including general purpose, population, ethnicity, income, housing, community development, public housing, and housing program maps. Searchable by zip code, city, or address.
ScoreCard.org: http://www.scorecard.org

Locate polluting companies in your neighborhood, find information about the type of chemicals being released, and learn the health risks associated with those pollutants at this Environmental Defense Fund sponsored site. Discover how your state or county fares in a national ranking of polluters; find maps locating toxic polluters by town, county, and state; and read about the regulatory controls governing these toxic chemicals.
Search Your Community: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/commsearch.htm

Enter your zip code and search databases from the Environmental Protection Agency that cover pollution, hazardous waste sites, environmental conditions and activities in watershed areas, and daily UV forecast information.
Weather.com: http://www.weather.com

Enter a city of zip code and retrieve monthly averages and records for that location.
Window to My Environment: http://www.epa.gov/enviro/wme

Provides a wide range of federal, state, and local information about environmental conditions and features in an area of your choice by zip code or city/town.

Cost of living & salary calculators

Cost of Living Comparison Calculator: http://www.bankrate.com/brm/movecalc.asp

Bankrate.com's calculator breaks down the cost of living comparison into catagories such as home prices, doctor's visits, and the cost of pizza. Scroll down to find the calculator.
Salary.com Salary Wizard: http://www.salary.com

Search by job category/classification and location and compare it to the national average, a new location or a related job.
SalaryExpert.com: http://www.salaryexpert.com

Select a job title and enter a zip code or metro area. Gives average salary for that position in that geographic location. Graphs base salary against the national average and cost of living.

Quality of life: national rankings & ratings

America's Most Literate Cities: http://www.ccsu.edu/AMLC/

Updated for 2005. Get overall city ratings or individual ratings for Education, Publications, Newspapers, Libraries and Booksellers.
CNN/Money: Best Places to Live: http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive

CNN and Money Magazine collaborate to produce this useful set of rankings for American cities, to help make good decisions about where to live.
Forbes' Best Cities for Singles: http://www.forbes.com/2005/07/25/singles-best-cities_cx_05sing_0725land.html

Lists the top 40 cities for singles based on numbers of other singles, nightclubs, job growth and cost of living with a dash of subjective buzz factor.

Real estate & rentals nationwide

Domania.com: http://www.domania.com

The major content here is a database of more than 21 million home sale prices from over half the states in the U.S. See their Home Price Check Help for a list of states and counties covered. You can search property sales by street address, zip code or city/state; and include entire street, part of street, neighborhood and limit by date from 1987 to current year. Additionally, they provide home value and property tax estimates (free registration required); mortgage rates by region; and advice on buying, selling, or owning a home.
Homestore.com Apartments and Rentals: http://www.springstreet.com/apartments/

The main feature of the site is its database of apartments for rent in the U.S. and Canada. Select the state and geographical area, then specify the size and price range to get a list of properties which specifies the apartments that are handicapped accessible and/or accept pets. Some of the listings have pictures. Also has listings for temporary apartments, storage facilities, and vacation rentals.
The Living Network: http://the.living.net/

Real estate multiple listing services. Currently, resources for 47 states and the District of Columbia are listed. An incredible resource for the prospective home buyer. Some states are more fully covered than others.
Realtor.com: http://www.realtor.com

Enormous database of homes for sale. Currently lists more than one million homes in the U.S. Also has a directory of realtors and a lot of consumer information about buying and selling a home. There is a mapping feature if the address of the house is available. From the National Association of Realtors, founded in 1908 with more than 70,000 members.

Relocation quizzes

Find Your Own "Best Place to Live": http://www.bestplaces.net/html/find_your_best.html

This site offers two versions of the "Find Your Best Place" tool. The full version has over forty categories, on nine pages. The quick version has fifteen categories. Define your ideal place to live by indicating the importance to you of each category and it will display a ranking of the cities which best meet your criteria.
Find Your Spot: http://www.findyourspot.com

Take a 10-15 minute online quiz to determine the best places for you to live, work and retire. Answers are rated to match your preferences for weather, culture, education, outdoor activities, geography, housing costs and other specifics. Have to enter name, address and e-mail address to received recommendations. Each 4-page report provides an overview of each place's climate, arts/culture, education outlets, housing and cost of living, and healthcare.

Send comments and suggestions about this collection.

Relocation

Databases

Moving to Oregon

Moving Megasites

Moving abroad

Moving in retirement

Moving with kids

Immigration & citizenship

City profiles in the USA

Climate & environment across the USA

Cost of living & salary calculators

Quality of life: national rankings & ratings

Real estate & rentals nationwide

Relocation quizzes

Research