Oregon Coast - Best Towns To Retire

Thinking of retiring on the Oregon Coast someday? We'll show you which towns on the Oregon Coast are best for retirees. We'll cover the pros and some cons of the top towns on the Oregon Coast to retire in.

1. Brookings is located on the extreme Southern Oregon Coast near the California border. The mouth of the Chetco river meets at Brookings. 

Brookings was originally established as an old logging town. The population was listed at 6,700 people in 2020. Brookings has miles of beaches, mostly rocky. beautiful forests and consistently warm temperatures. ⅓ or the population is 65 or older. 

This beautiful town has plenty of things to do – fishing, hiking, kayaking and exploring parks. The downtown offers festivals and art events. The downtown is more spread out than other Oregon Coast towns.

There is a farmers market but it’s off the 101 in a parking lot near a church. Things tend to be more spread out in Brookings than some of the other coastal towns. 

The median home cost is 410,000.  Property taxes average .66% in Curry county. So this is going to be the lowest property tax average for the county. Another reason why people retire is Brookings.

2. If you are looking for some nightlife, more restaurants and shopping, I’ll take you to the polar opposite end of the Coast to Astoria. Astoria is the northernmost town on the Oregon Coast – and it’s technically not on the Coast, it’s actually at the mouth of the Columbia River just minutes from the Coast. You will find places that are open past 9pm in Astoria. Some places stay open until 2:30am. There’s no shortage or bars, restaurants, breweries and wine tasting. Fort George and Buoy are two of the more popular breweries which also have food. There’s a cool boardwalk that you can walk along that many restaurants, bars and shops are along.  Astoria also has a more lively downtown. The 65+ demographic makes up about one-fifth of the population. There are approximately ten thousand people that call Astoria home. 

Astoria isn’t entirely a young person’s town. Senior citizens count for at least one-fifth of the population. It’s a great place to be lively while kicking back in retirement. Astoria ranks No.1 Place to Retire 16 years ago Tipadvisor. The median home cost is $388,000. Average property taxes in Clatsop county are .85%.

3. Like many of these Oregon Coast towns, you’ve got lots of great parks and things to see but Florence is most known for its dunes. In fact, an author named Frank Herbert came to Florence in the ’50s and the dunes were an inspiration for the sci-fi movie Dune. 

The town has a population of 9,000 people, and most of those people are around age 50. Almost 44% of the population is 65+! It does have a lively downtown atmosphere, but it’s really not the type of scene that will attract younger people. Most things still close at 9pm similar to Brookings. There’s a boardwalk on the waterfront of the Siuslaw River with Fresh Seafood. If you didn’t know, crabbing runs in the winter here, so you can pretty much get crab year around. The Food scene is similar to Brookings. Most stuff closes at 9pm. Some things are only open five days a week. You do have a Mo’s on the waterfront. There’s a Dairy Queen(although it’s temporarily closed) like you’ll find in many small towns in Oregon and an A and W with a drive-in if you like those older-style fast food places. There is a bar called Franks about 15 minutes up the river in a small town called Mapleton that stays open until 11. If you like dive bars it looks super divey, I’ve never been.

Located at the edge of the Siuslaw River in Lane County, Florence is somewhat remote, it has an accredited hospital right nest to downtown, safe neighborhoods, good senior programs, excellent outdoor recreation making it a place to consider for retirement.

A publication in Houston named Florence as one of the top eight coastal places to retire. 

The median home price is $350,000. Property taxes are 1.040%

4. Next we have Coos Bay. Coos Bay is going to be the largest city on our list. It is also right next to North Bend. The population of Coos Bay is around 16,000 people. North Bend is close to 10,000 people. About 22% of the population in Coos Bay is 65+. North Bend is the same. Coos Bay is similar to Astoria in that it’s not right on the Coast, it’s on a bay which the name implies. The actual Coast is just a couple of minutes away. And all of the nearest Coast is accessed by incredible parks. Shore Acres, Sunset Bay and Cape Arago are all amazing state parks. 

Overall, Coos Bay is a wonderful place to live. If you love nature, you can’t go wrong with Coos Bay. With the close beaches and wonderful spots to hike within a half-hour drive of town, any outdoor enthusiast would love living in Coos Bay!

Aside from all the outdoor things to do, there are a lot of great restaurants, shopping, Bay area hospital great hospital and is one of the largest employers on the coast. You can go eat fresh crap almost year around on the dock in places nearby. The boardwalk is nice to walk along on a sunny day. There are lots of events on the boardwalk year around. The farmers market is in downtown near the boardwalk. You do also have a casino called The Mill casino. That’s technically in North Bend, but is only going to be minutes away from anywhere in Coos Bay. 

There are a lot of waterfront homes. Now again, this is on the Bay, rather than right on the Coast. But if you want a waterfront view, Coos Bay will be one of your best bets on the Oregon Coast. The median home cost is $266,000. Property taxes are .91%

5. Finally, we have Gold Beach. Now, in all fairness, Gold Beach is going to be very similar to Brookings. It’s just north of Brookings. It has a similar feel. Similar population size. Like Brookings and unlike Coos Bay, Florence and Astoria, it doesn’t really have a prominent downtown. Things are a little more spread out. 

Gold Beach is a town in Oregon with a population of 2,418. … Living in Gold Beach offers residents a sparse suburban feel and most residents own their homes. The median age in Gold Beach is 55 and about a quarter of the population is 65+. 

It’s a quieter town that similar to Brookings, really kind of shuts down by 9 pm. It’s also at the mouth of a river called the Rogue River which is considered one of the most scenic rivers in Oregon. There is a jet boat service that goes up the river about 50 miles upriver. Farther than any roads go.

I mention Gold Beach because, if you can’t find something in Brookings, Gold Beach is the perfect alternative. It’s also in Curry County so you’ll have lower property taxes and it’s only about 30 minutes away. You also have a general hospital right in downtown. 

The best thing about Gold Beach and Brookings for many retirees is that you do see more sundown on the Southern Oregon Coast, rather than the Northern Oregon Coast. You get about a full two months(60 days) more sun in Brookings and Gold Beach than you do in Astoria. 

You’ll also find more sandy beaches in Gold Beach than Brookings. The Brookings coastline is going to be more comprised of those incredible rock formations that are often associated with Southern Oregon, Northern California Coast. So if you’re more a beachgoer, you may favor Gold Beach over Brookings. 

The median home cost in Gold Beach is $362,000. Like Brookings, Gold Beach is in Curry County with an average property tax of .66%.

---

See other related videos: