Couple points I can pass on that may help you: 1) I presume that where you're at in ID has a rather dry climate. Whereas, Portland has a LOT of rain during the year. And as you head further north, the amount of rain continues to increase. The PNW coast is literally a rain forest. So, when considering the two cities, just determine how much you can handle. It's a large reason why there's such an inundation of coffee shops here. 2) Portland has more micro-brews than any other city in the world. 3) Oregon doesn't have a Sales Tax, Washington doesn't have an Income Tax. 4) Portland has around 2+ million people. Seattle is, I believe, around 6 million. Personally, I really like Portland. I really enjoy Seattle, but the traffic is uber-shitty. To each their own.