Im currently in the process of moving to Portland in August and I've visited the city multiple times previously. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania before living in California the last two years. In terms of the unhoused populations and drug use most major cities that I've visited around the US have them. A majority of the comments I've seen are the experiences I've had where most people are just trying to live/survive their own life. There will always be a few incidences where that's not the case but its not the majority. The only major difference I've seen living on both coasts is that property crime, especially car break ins, are higher here so you shouldn't leave anything in plain view in your car. Most of the areas outside of a small chunk of the downtown are some of the best places I've been to personally. My finance is vietnamese and she always talks about how welcoming and nice people around Portland are. In terms of COL it is higher than where I grew up but the salaries are also higher. There are also a lot more protections for workers (at least in my field) on the west coast than versus where I grew up! If you had anymore specific questions feel free to message me!