Used to work in Portland, OR before the pandemic took hold. I was a bartender downtown near city hall and a few firms, the bulk of the people I served were making twice/three times what I made. I made a working relationship with a lot of the regulars and I realized not a single one lived in Portland. The majority of them lived in Vancouver or Camas, WA because the income tax is different in Washington versus Oregon. The amount of house and land you get for the price of the average apartment rental in Portland is unreal. The apartment I had, rent + parking + creature comforts was $1,600.

Now living outside of Vancouver, I have a house on 2 acres fenced in that’s maybe 10 minutes away from the freeway…mortgage is $1,100 a month. I didn’t get it at the time but now I understand why they lived further away