What's a person got to do to get a drink around here? That might have been the question of the day in Monmouth until 2002, when the town voted to lift its ban on alcohol. It had been the last on the West Coast to still be under prohibition rules that were enacted with the town's founding in 1859.
Home to Western Oregon University and surrounded by a thriving agricultural zone, the town is a nice rural community that is still close enough to larger towns to be a convenient home for anyone wanting to commute or enjoy what the bigger towns offer
What's a person got to do to get a drink around here? That might have been the question of the day in Monmouth until 2002, when the town voted to lift its ban on alcohol. It had been the last on the West Coast to still be under prohibition rules that were enacted with the town's founding in 1859.
Moving to Monmouth
Home to Western Oregon University and surrounded by a thriving agricultural zone, the town is a nice rural community that is still close enough to larger towns to be a convenient home for anyone wanting to commute or enjoy what the bigger towns offer. Like most of the rest of Oregon, more people are moving here than are moving out. With some pent-up demand after the long housing slowdown coming into the mix as well, the amount of vacant units available is traditionally lower than the national average. That means it might take some more time to find the place you really want. Good research is the key. Start looking for that perfect pad as soon as you know you are going to be moving and make a plan. Be prepared to pay first and last months' rent, and a security deposit, and get ready for a credit check at most properties. Homes rent in Monmouth more rapidly during the summer when the school year is approaching because the university is such a big part of the local economy.
Monmouth Neighborhoods
Madrona Park / Talmadge Road: This city and Independence, the town next door, are tucked so close together that it's hard to tell when you leave one and enter the other. The area around Madrona Park abuts Independence along Talmadge Road. Home to a large manufactured home park and newer single family properties, it's a good part of town to look for a home for rent.
Ackerman: The southwest part of town that runs along Ackerman St. West and up to Main Street is a good place to start looking for 1 bedroom apartments because there are a few midsize complexes. Main St. has all the charm of a classic American small downtown and bisects US Highway 99W, which runs through town going north and south and has many of the town's retail establishments.
North Monmouth: Going north past Main will take you through the heart of the Western Oregon University Campus. It's beautiful, with lovely landscaping and buildings. Consider looking for a duplex to rent that is within walking distance of downtown and the college.
Ash Creek / Hoffman Road: On the north of town are some newer development areas that blend into the open farmland. Hoffman Road is where new housing developments are expanding the town footprint into the open fields.
The Word on Monmouth
Take one part small college town, one part farming community, mix in a small manufacturing base and comfortable suburb and you have Monmouth. It's close enough to Salem that some people working there live out here. The agricultural bounty of the Willamette Valley means you have access to excellent locally grown produce. Recreational opportunities that help keep Oregonians loving the outdoors are all around you. From the spectacular Oregon Coast to the west and the magnificent Cascade Mountains to the east, it's a paradise for adventure lovers. Monmouth is home to the Jensen Arctic Museum, which happens to be the only museum on the West Coast dedicated to arctic life and culture. Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge is just a few minutes out of town, and nearby wineries offer tastings of their fine vintages. To the south, Sarah Helmick State Park is somewhat of an undiscovered gem on the Little Luckiamute River.
