Welcome, Teatime! As a resident of Oregon, I applaud your good taste!
A word about Oregon taxes: Property taxes can be high, very high, if you live in the city limits. If you live rural, then taxes are in fact quite reasonable. I live rural and pay about half of what I paid in property tax in California. There, I lived in a 3 bedroom 2 bath house on a 50' x 100' lot. Here, I live in a 3 bedroom, 3 bath house on 35 acres. So... "high" property taxes are relative, based on what you are accustomed to. You definitely want to check out tax rates for whatever property you're thinking of purchasing, and be aware that any improvement you make to dwellings valued over $10,000 is a basis for the county to reassess the value.
We have no state sales tax.
The tax situation is complex. Oregon's traditional revenue came from Federal timber payments. The state was encouraged to grow trees instead of industry as a matter of national interest -- so they did. But those timber payments abated abruptly, and Oregon was left scrambling to try and make up the huge shortfall -- $253 million dollars annually -- on its own. There is huge resistance, understandably, to creating a sales tax. But the revenue must come from somewhere. That said, similar to California, property taxes are held to annual increases of 3% per year. And because the revenue has not been made up sufficiently, many services, including law enforcement, have suffered a lot. Since you plan to live rural, be aware that you will basically be on your own if troublemakers come a knockin'. Law enforcement is spread very thin here.
Re liberalism: The west side of the state is predictably liberal, near the universities. Education and liberalism are well known to go hand in hand. If you prefer a more conservative bent, I would encourage you you to stick to the areas east of the Cascades, especially the smaller towns. The closer you get to Idaho, the more conservative it gets. Even in the rural areas in the western part of the state, there are lots of conservative folks. That said, my experience in the west is that people are less concerned with all of that and more interested to know how you're amending your soil or what variety of tomato you're planting this year.
The hipnecks and the ******** coexist quite peacefully. Mostly Oregonians live by a simple creed: Don't be a jerk. And you are very much encouraged to be Exactly Who You Are.
As has been noted, there is stiff competition for jobs. Best to come with an independent source of income (retirement, self-employment, trust fund) or a job already nailed down. Counties are frantically working to entice clean industry and the logging industry is picking up again, but finding work can be extremely challenging for those who are looking. Do check this out quite carefully if you are planning to find a job when you arrive.
There are regulations, particularly about water, with which you'll want to familiarize yourself. Water rights are fiercely protected here. If you can't buy them with the property you intend to purchase, chances are you won't be able to get them. You can always drill a well for residential use, but you won't be able to use water from that well for any commercial purpose. The State of Oregon maintains ownership over most surface water, unless water rights have been specifically granted to the property owner. Taking water from them is a big no-no.
A lot depends on where you plan to settle. We have many Oregonians on this site and they can impart specific, helpful knowledge about the areas you might be considering. Good luck with your plans, and if I can offer you any assistance, please don't hesitate to ask!
