We live in Ashland, which is off I-5 and about 20 miles north of the California border in the Rogue Valley. The valley has the Cascades on one side and the Siskiyous on the other. Ashland is a small (20,000) town and home to the Oregon Shakespeare festival, so lots of culture, restaurants, wineries, micro-breweries, etc. The metro area is around 200,000, with nearby Medford home to the big box stores.
The Rogue Valley is at 1,000' to 2,500' feet with nearby peaks to 7,500' (local ski area is Mt. Ashland). The nearby Applegate Valley is home to vineyards, marijuana and hemp grows and paragliding. We are about 2 1/2 hours from the coast through the redwoods.
Lots of outdoor stuff to do. I manage a web site for a hiking group,
Ashland Hiking Group. Rafting and fishing on the Rogue, Umpqua and Klamath rivers. Mountain biking is also popular, with lots of single track.
Don't know about local job opportunities. Ashland is mainly a retiree destination. Weather is warm, dry (low RH) summers and winters above freezing.