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Living in Cannon Beach Oregon - EVERYTHING You Need to Know

Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach Oregon

What is Living in Cannon Beach Oregon Like?

Located on the northern Oregon Coast, Cannon Beach sits 80 miles west of Oregon's largest city Portland, with a population of around 1,500 at the time of writing. Cannon Beach is surrounded by forests, rivers, ocean beaches, and a mountain range, but the town might be best known for the goliath 253-foot high Haystack Rock that sits just off its shoreline. If you've seen pictures of the Oregon Coast, there's almost no chance that Haystack Rock wasn't in at least one of them. The town is situated along Highway 101, which runs along the Pacific Coast, providing easy access to other coastal towns and attractions. Cannon Beach embodies the Pacific Northwest lifestyle with its stunning coastline, lush forests, and proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Cannon Beach residents and visitors enjoy recreational activities such as exploring tide pools, hiking in Ecola State Park, and visiting the iconic Haystack Rock. The Best of Cannon Beach includes a quaint downtown, art galleries, and unique shops, as well as residential neighborhoods with breathtaking ocean views.     
 
As mentioned, the biggest attraction of Cannon Beach is the iconic Haystack Rock, a towering sea stack that draws visitors from all over the world. The beach is also a popular destination for its vast expanse of sand and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. The town of Cannon Beach offers a variety of shops, galleries, restaurants, and several art festivals throughout the year. Ecola State Park offers hiking trails with breathtaking coastline views for nature lovers, while the nearby Oswald West State Park features a secluded beach and old-growth forest. Cannon Beach has several other parks, including Les Shirley Park and Chapman Point, which offer picnic areas and scenic viewpoints.     
 
Besides the local hotels, restaurants, and other businesses, there are a few smaller employers in and around Cannon Beach, Oregon, including the City of Cannon Beach, which provides various services to the community, and the Haystack Rock Awareness Program, which operates educational programs and tours related to the iconic Haystack Rock.  
 
The cost of living in Cannon Beach, Oregon, is much higher than the national average, but it offers a luxurious lifestyle for those looking to live on the Oregon Coast. Today, the average home value in Cannon Beach stands around $1.2 million. If you want to rent, you'll likely need to search the towns surrounding Cannon Beach. Finding a non-vacation rental on the Oregon Coast is difficult. It's almost impossible in Cannon Beach.  

With four miles of secluded dog-friendly beaches, state parks such as Ecola State Park and Oswald West State Park, a vibrant and walkable downtown, breathtaking beauty, and abundant outdoor recreation, Cannon Beach, Oregon, might be the perfect place for you! Keep reading to discover more about what it's like to live in Cannon Beach, Oregon, including answers to some FAQs about living in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Hopefully, the information in this article will help you determine if living in Cannon Beach, Oregon, is right for you. 

Are You Buying a Home in Cannon Beach Oregon? 

Buying a home starts with one simple step: getting pre-approved for a mortgage. Knowing your numbers upfront gives you a clear budget, strengthens your offer, and helps you move quickly when you find the right home.

Todd Davidson, Executive Loan Officer with Rocket Mortgage Local, helps buyers secure the best financing options for their purchase. Right now, Rocket is offering a special lender-paid 1% rate reduction for the first year on purchase loans.

With interest rates recently improving, some buyers have been able to start with first-year rates under 5%, which can mean saving up to $500 per month during that first year. It’s a great way to ease into homeownership and keep more money in your pocket while you settle into your new home.

Whether you're planning to buy in the next few months or sometime in the next year, getting pre-approved now can help you understand your options and be ready when the right home comes along.

Have questions or want to see what you qualify for?
Click below to connect with Todd and get the process started.

👉 CLICK HERE to email Todd and schedule a quick call
📞 Or call/text 971-275-2465

Todd Davidson Headshot.JPG

Todd Davidson

Executive Loan Officer

Living in Cannon Beach Oregon Tips/Info/Blog Posts

Helpful Tips for Moving to Oregon and Buying a Home

NEW BLOG ALERT SIGN UPCLICK HERE

SIGN UP FOR LISTING ALERT > CLICK HERE

REALTOR CONNECTCLICK HERE

FREE HOMEBUYERS GUIDECLICK HERE

INFO ON GETTING PRE-APPROVED AND BUYING  > CLICK HERE

STEP-BY-STEP HOMEBUYING GUIDE  > CLICK HERE

HOUSE AFFORDABLITY CALCULATOR  > CLICK HERE

ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR MOVING TO OREGON  > CLICK HERE

💡 Tip: On the fence on whether to buy or rent? Check out my blog post "A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying a Home" and try our Rent vs Buy Calculator (at the end.) This will show you the difference in $ between renting and buying factoring in appreciation and tax deduction > https://www.livinginoregon.net/post/your-step-by-step-guide-to-buying-a-home or want to find out how much home you can qualify to buy? Check out our House Affordability Calculator which will show what you could qualify for > https://www.livinginoregon.net/post/house-affordability-calculator

FAQs About Moving to and Living in Cannon Beach Oregon

What is Cannon Beach, Oregon, known for? 

Cannon Beach has been recognized as Oregon's best beach town, one of the northwest's top art towns, and has a fantastic, walkable downtown. The city attracts 750,000 visitors a year. Yet what this wonderful beach town is most known for is Haystack Rock. Accessible on foot at low tide, Haystack Rock is one of if not the most photographed landmarks in Oregon. If visiting or living in Cannon Beach, Oregon, you must see it up close. It's truly spectacular.

What cities are nearby Cannon Beach, Oregon?

If visiting or living in Cannon Beach, Oregon, some of the closest cities are Seaside - 7 Miles, Gearhart - 9 Miles, Warrenton - 19 Miles, Astoria - 21 Miles, Tillamook - 30 Miles, Vernonia - 37 Miles, Forest Grove - 48 Miles, Hillsboro - 66 Miles and Portland - 78 Miles.

What is the weather like in Cannon Beach, Oregon?

Living in Cannon Beach, Oregon, you can expect a lot of rain. The town receives on average 92 inches of rain a year and rains 185 days. The 128 days of sunshine provide those visiting or living in Cannon Beach with some of the most breathtaking views on the Oregon Coast. Over the course of the year the temperature typically varies between 40 and 67°F and rarely gets below 32 or above 75°F. 

What is the cost of living in Cannon Beach, Oregon, like?

You can look at ten different websites for the cost of living in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Half will say the cost of living in Cannon Beach is lower than the Oregon average, and half will say it's higher. If you factor in today's rent, utilities, food costs, transportation, healthcare, and the other necessities to live, you need to make $55,000 a year to live in Cannon Beach, Oregon. To move to Cannon Beach, Oregon, and buy a home, you'll need to make $90,000 a year to afford the house payment, maintenance and other living expenses. Making buying a home and living in Cannon Beach, Oregon, the most expensive spot to live on the Oregon Coast. For more info on the cost of living on the Oregon Coast and its various cities, including how we calculated, check out my blog post, "The REAL Cost of Living on the Oregon Coast."

What are home prices like if I'm thinking of moving to Cannon Beach, Oregon?

If looking to move to Cannon Beach, Oregon, and buy a home be prepared to pay a lot. At the time of writing, most homes for sale are over $1M, some well over. There were only a few homes below $1M, and those were 1 or 2 bedrooms, and some were condos.

What is there to do and see in Cannon Beach, Oregon?

Top things to do in Cannon Beach, Oregon include: Check out Haystack Rock, play in the Tide Pools at low tide, Ecola State Park, Hug Point State Park, Oswald West State Park, Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, the great and walkable downtown, and last not but on least, the beach itself. This four-mile walkable, beautiful, dog-friendly beach is worth the trip to Cannon Beach by itself.

I'm thinking of retiring in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Is it a good idea?

The Oregon Coast is a popular option for retirees. Retiring in Cannon Beach, Oregon, would be fantastic for many people. There's a tremendous amount of outdoor recreation at your fingertips, such as hiking, biking, crabbing, and fishing: beautiful restaurants, plenty of arts and culture, fabulous beaches, and spectacular views. A few things to consider if you are considering retiring to Cannon Beach, the town is flooded with tourists in the summer and is pretty slow in the winter. Housing is expensive; don't forget it rains almost 90 inches a year. One way to avoid some cons would be to live in Cannon Beach part-time.

How is the healthcare in Cannon Beach Oregon?

Living in Cannon Beach, Oregon, puts you near the Providence Seaside Hospital, which is a level IV trauma center and has 25 beds. This hospital would likely be able to provide you with most of your medical needs. If looking for a specialist and can't find them in the Cannon Beach area, Hillsboro is about an hour and fifteen minutes away and Portland about an hour and a half. Between these two cities you'll find some of the largest hospitals in the state and any sort of specialist you'd need.

 

I want to move to Cannon Beach, Oregon. How do I make that happen?

If you're considering moving to Cannon Beach, Oregon, we're here to help! The information on this website, including the helpful links below, should give you some good information to aid your research. If you want to ask questions, try our Facebook Group > Moving to Oregon, where we have a broad group of locals and Oregon transplants to answer any question you might have. If you're looking to buy a home in Cannon Beach or other communities on the Oregon Coast, getting pre-approved for a mortgage should be your first step. For Mortgage Info, reach out to me. I specialize in working with people moving to Oregon and the Cannon Beach area and would love to help you buy a home and move to Cannon Beach, Oregon.

For FAQs about moving to Oregon or living in Oregon, check out my blog, 31 FAQs About Living in Oregon. For more information about living in Oregon, check out the homepage of LIVING IN OREGON.

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