Possible Move to Washington State

[SciFiNerd1]

Originally Posted by nadnerb

I live in Olympia, and it’s the smallest town I’ve ever lived in.

It’s large enough in that you don’t need to leave Olympia/Tumwater/Lacey to fulfill nearly all of your daily needs. There are some specific things, like good quality bubble tea or a large Asian market like H-Mart, that I’ll need to drive to Lakewood for. Otherwise, I have found things like health care, shopping, food, etc… pretty easy to access.

There are some infrequent things that pop up where Olympia’s size is inconvenient. For example, a few days ago, my iPhone was completely unresponsive and I was very annoyed at having to drive all the way to Tacoma for the nearest Apple store. I had to renew my passport earlier this year and had to burn a few hours of PTO to drive up to Seattle in the middle of a week day for an appointment. It’s things like that don’t happen often but can inconvenience you. Also, if you travel frequently, being 45 mins to an hour away from SeaTac can be a total pain. That’s probably my biggest complaint.

It is a really nice area though. I like the proximity to the Seattle-Tacoma metro area without the hecticness and congestion. The access to the Olympic Peninsula is amazing.

Thank you for your post along with other helpful posts. I don't plan on visiting Seattle frequently. Maybe once every two months.

I agree that Olympia/Tumwater/Lacey will have everything I need. For rentals (1 bedroom/1 bath apartment for now), where would be easier to find them in the area.

I read posts that Tumwater is mostly residential while Lacey has most rentals outside Olympia. Some suggested surrounding smaller towns if I would like to save more. I wouldn't mind commuting to work from smaller towns if they have nice downtowns and people are not too closed-minded.

[Diana Holbrook]

Rentals are a little hard to find so don't limit yourself to one area if you can be flexible... I would just search the whole area for rentals and look at what comes up.

[StealthRabbit]

I would look for a smaller apartment in a good part of town, as close to work as possible.

https://www.redfin.com/city/18589/WA...ments-for-rent
https://www.zumper.com/apartments-fo...water-wa/cheap

If single (for the next poster).... I would look for a rental room / MIL apartment / Daylight basement / Apartment above garage... preferably in a home of retirees / people who travel a lot (as in all winter). My SIL did that in Seatlle, so did my son for 5 yrs (all well under $800 / month). They had beautiful, quiet and affordable places to live. (All had water views of Puget Sound or large Lakes). - all were referral ONLY, none were advertised. (and NO this is NOT impossible, you just need to 'plug-in!' to the people who offer these.) over (10) of my current rural neighbors have ADU's (Accessory Dwelling Units), as do we. (we have rented to couples, who have had kids and more kids...before saving up enough to buy their own homes)

Or... an enhanced house sitting gig. Another SIL has done that for over 40 yrs in Hawaii. Got to know some wealthy people and been house / plant / pet sitting ever since (even gets paid!), no home required.

[wooistme]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Olympia sounds like a good fit, and have some space and access to both quiet / beauty+ metro.

What are your top 5 priorities in your new location? (including recreation, urban desires)

How long do you daily want to sit in traffic?
Are you bike commuters?
Any kids / schools / medical access needs?
What are your tastes in the arts / entertainment venues?

Are you more inclined to beer, or coffee, or wine? (There are regions favoring each)

(I have homes in WA, TX, CO)

Hey there,


I'm in Austin and wanting to move out of Texas. I love Colorado, but don't love the snow so I'm looking at Washington state. Which towns or cities would you say are closest to Austin in similarity? How would you compare Washington state vs. Colorado vs. Texas?


I'd really value your input. I'm 62, no kids, and work from home so commuting is not a problem.

[StealthRabbit]

What do you value about TX and CO?
'Austin' is too vague - Could be politics, climate, culture, activities, music, proximity, colleges, Capital city....

What are your top 5 priorities in your new location? (including recreation, urban desires)

How long do you daily want to sit in traffic?
Are you bike commuters?
Any kids / schools / medical access needs?
What are your tastes in the arts / entertainment venues?

Are you more inclined to beer, or coffee, or wine? (There are regions favoring each)

WA and CO have a LOT of variety (in climate, people, politics, recreation)

Bellingham, Olympia, Walla Walla are most like Austin (in very different ways).

The biggest question will be your desire or ability to live in Western WA (dreary but green, including moss, on your roof, walks, car...) or Eastern WA. Drier (but not sunny in winter) colder (sometimes MUCH), no direct access to ocean, less populated.

Do you travel / fly? That is tough from the east-side, and makes a big difference to me during my Go-Go retirement years (~100 flights / yr to ESCAPE wet_WA). My No-Go retirement yrs will probably be spent in WY (a previous home). Colorado is no longer Colorado (mix of Texas North and California East and Chicago West)) +/-

Washington was settled by pioneers seeking individual independence (and they still are). I.e.... 'warm' friendships are few and far between, but possible.

Are you happy being single? (that's fine, and that's good!) If looking to hitch (permanently), I would grab a (rugged and lasting) spouse BEFORE you arrive in PNW. Probably from ND or KS They're 'keepers'.

Colorado is SUNNY (usually). Go Visit Pagosa Springs or similar areas close to TX. (If you like Austin... NM might be just for you, and a LOT closer to TX and CO.) Several great places in Northern NM are still very nice quality of life. Plenty of sun, but no ocean.

yes, as per below... taxes including broad taxes MIGHT be part of your decision. That would be important to know, as it limits choices, but there still are options. and... as mentioned... Portland, OR is the Austin of the PNW (in many ways), but... since my homes are near Austin and Portland, I don't see much of a resemblance in what interests me. I will always choose San Antonio rather than Austin for what I want in a city (to visit). I avoid Austin, as I do Seattle. Occasionally tolerable, seldom desirable. For a big city in the PNW, I will go to Vancouver BC, tho I am in Portland often for what cities offer. (Classical Music (free) and spectacular summer gardens (free) and good Happy Hour dining (cheap) was reason enough for today)

[jabogitlu]

We don't really have an analog to Austin here... If you want to live in a big, built-up environment, then your options are basically Seattle, Tacoma, or Bellevue/Eastside. (There are smaller cities, too, like Everett or Olympia, but those are even less comparable to Austin.) Out of those three, Tacoma is most like Austin, but doesn't have as much of a popping economy.

In my mind, Portland is a lot more similar to Austin than anything in Washington state. If the income tax thing is important, you could live in Vancouver (WA), which is a Portland suburb.

[SusVelo]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

We don't really have an analog to Austin here... If you want to live in a big, built-up environment, then your options are basically Seattle, Tacoma, or Bellevue/Eastside. (There are smaller cities, too, like Everett or Olympia, but those are even less comparable to Austin.) Out of those three, Tacoma is most like Austin, but doesn't have as much of a popping economy.

In my mind, Portland is a lot more similar to Austin than anything in Washington state. If the income tax thing is important, you could live in Vancouver (WA), which is a Portland suburb.

Clark county (Vancouver) has almost half a million people, and a solid downtown and waterfront. Not exactly a suburb.

[Pomelo]

Originally Posted by SusVelo

Clark county (Vancouver) has almost half a million people, and a solid downtown and waterfront. Not exactly a suburb.

It is both a suburb and a small city. The value proposition of Vancouver is a lot less without Portland next door.

[texasdiver]

Vancouver would arguably be a much larger city without Portland nearby. And Vancouver is actually older than Portland (and older than Vancouver BC) so it has its own history and isn't some new suburb.

But yes, if you are comparing to Austin then:

Vancouver is roughly the equivalent of Round Rock
Clark County is the equivalent of Williamson County.