Oregon used to be something of a bargain.
The state was a rare find on the West Coast, a place where homes were cheap by national standards, household products like groceries were relatively inexpensive and utility rates were the envy of many other parts of the country.
No longer. Oregon is now the nation’s 12th most expensive state, according to an annual federal survey that tallies the cost of housing, utilities and retail goods. Portland, Corvallis and Bend all rank among the most expensive metro areas in the U.S…