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We plan to spend a few days in Bellingham early in January to check it out in winter. Also spending time in Seattle and a couple of days in Olympia. As a part of possible retirement relocation assessment - albeit at an open and early stage of the process. Frankly our first gating factor is our assessment of how the winter weather might suit or hinder us - particularly when it comes to the outdoor activities we like to engage in. If that works, we will look at other considerations - such as healthcare access, crime etc.
@bartonizer - I just realized that I will not make it the stalking business. I could not locate your blog with the information you shared
We got almost a foot of snow last night with the NE winds dropping chill into the minus range. Some roads are compacted/very icy. The therapy clinic a relative is going to, called this morning informing us the whole facility is closed due to weather.
Kavm, regarding Bellingham as a potential retirement destination, I would do serious research on these issues:
Property taxes(valuations) have risen dramatically, and even though interest rates are up and the market is softening, the state will seldom lower evaluations but adjusts them up immediately as they base them on current market value. My grandmothers home is modest/average, and it costs her $1,650 a month to live in the home she owns, BEFORE food, gas, insurance, medical expenses. Growth is forcing the sewage treatment plant to expand, so we are facing 16% yearly increases to water/sewer charges which are said to reach 3-4x the current rate in several years. They are already pushing $200/month FYI. Taxes and fee's on top of taxes and fee's from anything the city touches....bring money...lots of money.
I have several relatives in their later years that are now high maintenance, medically. Access to healthcare is poor in our opinion. Alot of the new to the area Medicare patients can't find anywhere accepting new patients. When one has an emergency you'll typically get taken care of, but the offices are so understaffed and overloaded it takes way too long to get follow ups, refills approved, test results, etc. One relative couldn't get her blood pressure meds approved for refill, ran out a week later and then couldn't get the pharmacy to fill the order because they closed early and only had one pharmacist who had already done a 12 hour day and was several days behind. She ended up being hospitalized with a 200/110 BP. While she was there, nurses and aides were very short staffed and care was very slow/lacking as a result....hospital lobby was full of hiring ads offering $5,000, $7,500, $10,000 bonuses with no takers (heck that's half a first/last & deposit on a townhouse rental!)
Often we have to visit a walk-in clinic to get seen because you simply can't wait days to see a doctor for an ear infection or UTI.
The same shortages extend into restaurants, car service and repairs, handymen, and the like. My partners parents had a pipe freeze and went without water in their house for 10 days before they could get a plumber to come out.
Crime is completely out of control, my elder relatives will not shop here for themselves anymore. They have to order groceries and goods and/or have us pick them up. The homeless are stealing everything, there is few to no shopping carts. Cars are broken into in the parking lots, shoppers are victims of "strong arm robbery" going to and from their cars. They know the elderly are an easy score, shove them down, grab their purse, and off to their meth dealer they go. Stores are reducing their night-time hours to try to curtail this but this time of year it gets dark by 4:15pm..
The weather, well, those in my family that can afford it, spend May-September here then leave for Arizona. The wildfire smoke has ruined anywhere from several weeks in August to the entire summer for the last several years sadly, some of our best weather typically. We get an arctic blast out of the NE when it gets cold, -8F with wind chill yesterday in some parts and gusts to 65 mph. My grandparents on my mom's side actually moved south to escape this. I personally don't mind the cold or snow I just hate the incessant rain and drizzle that is around a good 60% of the time here myself.
I could go on and on, but there is no need. We'd eventually have opportunity to afford a relative's home and a comfortable life here, but it's simply no longer safe and viable for retirement, in our opinion. There is a lack of workers for medical care and too many services you simply can't do yourself when you get old that make it a fail. Don't take our word for it though, come see for yourself. Just a heads up, that these issues mostly "hide behind the scenery" and aren't going to be evident until you engage in daily life here.
Thank you for the very detailed response! Appreciate it.
Like I said, we are at a very early stage of our process - and the primary question we want to answer in this trip is whether we can continue and enjoy our outdoor activities in PNW, beautiful as it is, in the winter months (with precipitation, sun, etc.). Even that cannot be answered fully except in negative.
On taxes, it is very good to know the situation. We pay a rather hefty state income tax in our current location (along with fair property taxes). With a good portion of our retirement funds in tax deferred accounts, that pattern will continue. While we do not think WA will save us in taxes, we are trading off state income tax for property tax - and think it will be close to a wash.
High quality health care is a very important factor for us. That’s why we are spending more time in Seattle to check that out. We will definitely look closely at that before we make a decision to relocate anywhere, including Bellingham.
We plan to spend a few days in Bellingham early in January to check it out in winter. Also spending time in Seattle and a couple of days in Olympia. As a part of possible retirement relocation assessment - albeit at an open and early stage of the process. Frankly our first gating factor is our assessment of how the winter weather might suit or hinder us - particularly when it comes to the outdoor activities we like to engage in. If that works, we will look at other considerations - such as healthcare access, crime etc.
@bartonizer - I just realized that I will not make it the stalking business. I could not locate your blog with the information you shared
Ha, I'm not ashamed of anything that I've written or posted, but I'm really not sure what's being referred to. If you find anything, I hope that it's helpful!
Regarding winter weather, as always, it's all about what you're accustomed to or comfortable with. I've only spent a little amount of time in SLC during the winter. For reference, I've lived in FL, MD, NC, CO, and WA. We lived on the Western Slope of WA before this, and the winter was far more severe in CO (we were at about 5,800" in Glenwood Canyon, Denver before that). This is more along the same level of severity of what we experienced in the Mid-Atlantic- usually a good snowstorm or two per year, maybe a week or two total during the season where it's legitimately cold and icy. There's a potential for wintry weather here at sea level from Halloween to early April, but it usually happens in Dec, Jan, or Feb. For us, the limited amount of light per day is at times more challenging than the amount of winter weather.
There are some microclimate differences locally- and Snowman's assessment is correct- access and ease of mobility can be hindered by elevation, or location- within city limits you can (for the most part) be in the mountains, on a lake, seaside, etc. so there are differences within town.
There are some peculiarities- like the Fraser River Outflow, which is a somewhat rare phenomenon in which cold air trapped in Canada blasts southwestward to the broad plain between the mountains north of Vancouver, BC and the Chuckanut Mountains south of Bellingham. Eventually the air sinks south and modifies further south, but in Whatcom County, we experience significantly colder air than much of the Puget Sound Region. We're currently in one of those patterns, where for a few days we are much colder than other areas (highs in the teens, lows in single digits), but this is rare. That said, I'm as centrally located as you can get, and you can cross country ski down my street at the moment. Where parts of the Seattle area only got an inch or two of slush from Monday night's storm, we received a foot in Bellingham with temps that never got close to freezing. In these situations, we get colder, snow stays longer, etc. In terms of ice- no, it's not a regular concern in the winter, though it can happen, like it did for a couple nights earlier this week. Overall, though, we usually get one or two decent sized snows and a couple minor ones each season. It's rare for anything frozen to last more than a week at sea level.
As to how it affects your normal activities, well, it's subjective, but there are generally plenty of people out and about during the colder seasons. We generally plan a few trips to warmer climates from Dec-Mar, but i don't think that's even unusual for anyone in northern climates. And there are plenty of mild streaks. For example, my wife and I rode in the lighted bike parade the weekend before last and it was mild, no problem. Huge number of people showed up. Yes, it can be chilly, but the temperature range isn't as extreme as SLC by any means. As I've mentioned before, my wife and I bike and especially walk all year round here. Just like anywhere else, layering is the key. Again, the amount of light on shorter days affects our plans more than the weather itself....
Thank you very much for detailed and thoughtful response, Bartonizer! Like you said, it really is very subjective. We are trying to avoid relying overly on the impressions from the bright and sunny days of Summer and want to have a better rounded experience to inform us.
I refer to winter weather here as "bi-polar".
The way the NE winds converge with southerly wind and moisture is a huge variable. Typically it just gets really cold and clear, but what happened this week with the moisture meeting the NE cold left us with 14" of snow as of last night. 1-3" more is forecast today, with freezing rain tomorrow leading into a big warm up and melt off into "King Tides" with southerly winds over X-mas weekend.
I'm really hoping the freezing rain doesn't happen, it's a disaster to our power grid. If you can imagine X-mas weekend with no power, icy roads, then river flooding and coastal flooding......no.....please no!
Thank you for the very detailed response! Appreciate it.
Like I said, we are at a very early stage of our process - and the primary question we want to answer in this trip is whether we can continue and enjoy our outdoor activities in PNW, beautiful as it is, in the winter months (with precipitation, sun, etc.). Even that cannot be answered fully except in negative.
On taxes, it is very good to know the situation. We pay a rather hefty state income tax in our current location (along with fair property taxes). With a good portion of our retirement funds in tax deferred accounts, that pattern will continue. While we do not think WA will save us in taxes, we are trading off state income tax for property tax - and think it will be close to a wash.
High quality health care is a very important factor for us. That’s why we are spending more time in Seattle to check that out. We will definitely look closely at that before we make a decision to relocate anywhere, including Bellingham.
Many thanks!
The bolded is true, I think that escapes many people who come here expecting a "free lunch" on taxes. Property taxes, sales taxes exceeding 10% in many locales plus additional taxes on hotels and restaurants, and our fuel taxes which will be the nations highest as of 2023 with the carbon tax Inslee and the legislature rammed through(AGAIN, without a vote from the people), all total up to alot more total tax load than many other income tax states. Now they are trying to push putting transponders in everyone's vehicles for an additional "per mile" tax too so the electric car people don't escape the states pick-pocket The only people it really pans out for financially are those who buy a smaller/cheaper home in cash and basically squat at home.
The Seattle area seems to have more medical care available, many posters here discuss travelling there from the peninsula or other outskirts, unable to get care in their locations. That being a major issue, an outskirt of the Seattle area may be most favorable for you.
Thank you! We will definitely look Seattle closely, though the location of Bellingham - with easy train access to Vancouver and Seattle - alongside a more compact setting is more appealing to us. But we will cross that bridge if and when we get to it.
Thank you! We will definitely look Seattle closely, though the location of Bellingham - with easy train access to Vancouver and Seattle - alongside a more compact setting is more appealing to us. But we will cross that bridge if and when we get to it.
Seattle and environs may be better if one if your criteria is good health care providers/facilities. Bellingham is expensive even for those in the medical field. My doctor told me last spring that there were 7 open positions for surgical assistants that went unfilled. The wages just weren’t attractive enough to appeal to those workers.
Also, Bellingham has only one hospital which has a monopoly including other facilities that house specialists. Appointments are weeks out and if you are new, good luck finding a family care doctor. Many people elect to go to Seattle for specialists who aren’t here. We live under the flight path for the helicopter that travels to Seattle hospitals for emergencies that are too severe for our hospital. There are at least one or two flights a week.
Thank you! Indeed - if decided to relocate to Western WA for retirement, our choices will come down to something like Bellingham - with medical needs in Seattle or greater Seattle itself. Bellingham would suite better for our desire to be closer to outdoors, camping (we have a camper), and convenient (train) access to Seattle and Vancouver BC - but with some question marks on health care access. As retired people on medicare, we could simply use Seattle for medical needs. Greater Seattle would, on the other hand, offer far superior access to medical care and options, big city offerings (cultural events, etc.) but further away from daily and easy access to nature, something we value highly.
But, as I said - we aren’t there yet. We first want to be sure that PNW suites us enough to relocate for retirement. If that is an affirmative, then we will try to finalize between (greater) Seattle, Bellingham and other alternatives.
Thank you! Indeed - if decided to relocate to Western WA for retirement, our choices will come down to something like Bellingham - with medical needs in Seattle or greater Seattle itself. Bellingham would suite better for our desire to be closer to outdoors, camping (we have a camper), and convenient (train) access to Seattle and Vancouver BC - but with some question marks on health care access. As retired people on medicare, we could simply use Seattle for medical needs. Greater Seattle would, on the other hand, offer far superior access to medical care and options, big city offerings (cultural events, etc.) but further away from daily and easy access to nature, something we value highly.
But, as I said - we aren’t there yet. We first want to be sure that PNW suites us enough to relocate for retirement. If that is an affirmative, then we will try to finalize between (greater) Seattle, Bellingham and other alternatives.
Kavn, somehow my response to this disappeared. I'd line up a doctor's office first if you decide to come to WA, no matter where you choose. Not just a verbal agreement, but get them your info/insurance and get accepted and signed up and get paper confirmation. Availability of practices accepting new patients is a state-wide issue and there have been those that lost an opening because they dragged their feet a few days!
The Vancouver BC-Bellingham leg of Amtrak seasonally and regularly gets scrapped for low ridership. It just came back since being closed in 2020 for the covid outbreak. Their website doesn't typically show this, just a * next to the fare that says you'll go to Mt. Vernon by bus in fine print, a less than wonderful experience(ask why if you must).
Honestly, the Anacortes area would get my vote if I was in your situation. It's out of the majority of the cold NE outflow. Skagit seems to have a bit more healthcare capacity, Bellingham overage was being transferred there during peak covid. Our hospital in Bellingham is getting another wing, but not expected to be complete until 2025ish. Prior to this, we have less than half the hospital beds per 1000 of population than New York does, less than 200 beds for ~250,000 people. Anacortes/Skagit county is also at the crossroads as a starting off point for practically anything and anywhere you want to go...Seattle, Vancouver, Ferries to the islands, Hwy 20 into the Cascades, and this area is dealing with their homeless issues much better than the enablers in Bellingham. My grandparents had a truck/camper and spent all their time camping at Fort Casey, Anacortes-WA Park, Port Townsend, and similar areas. If I had the $,$$$,$$$ and wanted to be in WA, it's where I'd be tomorrow.
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The only people it really pans out for financially are those who buy a smaller/cheaper home in cash and basically squat at home. 
