Any Ohioans Living in Seattle...? (Pacific, Dayton: apartments, rental, car insurance)

[mrspink]

My husband and I are in our early 20s and are looking to move from Ohio. We are up for anything really but the Pacific Northwest has really caught our attention. We were wondering if there are any Ohio natives out there who could help us with some comparisons.

How does weather differ in the different seasons? What are the differences in cost of living? How are the job opportunities for teachers there and other jobs in general? Is most of the area pet friendly? Do people welcome outsiders? What is the shopping like? What about the bug/mold situation compared to here? And anything else you could think of.

Any help or suggestions is appreciated!

[Rooter48]

The seasons are much milder than what you are used to, not as cold in the winter and not as hot in the summer.

The cost of living will generally be higher than you are used to with the exception of electricity. The COL here has been higher than comparable areas since the 1920s principally because of organized labor and higher wages. Although housing prices have sagged a bit, they have sagged from fairly high levels. So prices are still pretty steep compared to Ohio. We have no income tax here, but there are dozens of taxes buried in utilities, retail sales, and something called the business and occupation tax. Property taxes are high and going higher.

Outsiders are taken for the people they are. This has always been a culture of newcomers. Ignore the comments about people from California being unwelcome. I moved here from California twice and never heard a discouraging word.

Not many bugs, but the wet does encourage mold. I have lived here a total of 28 years since 1966 and never had a mold problem I couldn't solve with Tilex.

You might find that rental properties are picky when it comes to pets. Lots of pet owners here.

I cannot comment on shopping, but the rejuvenation of neighborhoods like Columbia City and Ballard has brought in new retail businesses. We have the usual array of shopping malls.

Other things:

High school basketball is not as big, but college and pro football are pretty popular.

I see lots of University of Michigan sportswear at the gym.

Politics are open to the point of annoyance. "The Seattle process" of allowing everyone to get involved in decision making is a running joke.

Our biggest issue is transportation. We don't have enough mass transportation and the streets and highways are always pretty busy. Wherever you choose to work, live as near to work as you can. If you can telecommute or have a home-based business, even better.

We all hope you make the move. We are proud of our community.

[jinj]

Where in Ohio are you looking to move from, Cleveland, Columbus, Youngstown, Dayton?

Depending on this, it can be anywhere from twice the cost of living to 5 times. I used to live there.

[mrspink]

I am inbetween Toledo and Dayton, but am very aware about the COL in the Cbus area. We currently live in a small town and realize that our rent now will be at least double in a larger city or the surrounding area.

So, in terms of the weather...I have read a lot of negative comments about the weather there. Is the rain MUCH more there than here in Ohio. Obviously the bitter cold winters we have here won't happen there...but there is usually a trade-off.

My other question is...I am one year shy of my degree in Mid. Child. Education and I will be finishing before we move...wherever that may be. But in that area, can you get a good paying job as long as you have your BA (well that is what mine would be)?

Sorry to add another question to the list, but we just wanted to be as prepared as possible! Thank you both for your replies! I appreciate it!

[Rooter48]

Annual precip in Seattle is about 37 inches and at Dayton 39 inches. The big difference is the number of days in the years with no sunshine, the major complaint here.
How Many Sunny Days Do We Get Each Year? | KOMO News - Seattle, Washington | News Archive

[Pittgal]

Research the cost of living change. We came here from Pittsbugh ( not far from you) and did not realize how much more expensive it really was going to be.

2 major examples are....


car insurance....PA $800.00 a year for 2 vehicles WA $1900 a yr for the same 2 vehicle
Mortgage....PA $ 900./month (2400 sq ft house) WA Rent for same house $2000./ month

Make sure your incomes go up substantially out here.

[jinj]

The weather is much nicer here, very little humidity, a little snow, it rains, but that keeps it cooler and a lot greener.

The days are a little longer here in the Summer/Spring. People talk about the dark winters, but I don't notice it at all.

So, you are coming from a cheap place to live, I'd say your rent will be 4 times as much in the city of Seattle, but less in the outer areas.

There are jobs in teaching here, quite a lot. There is no state income tax, but high other taxes, but it all adds up.

[mrspink]

Gosh, it is so difficult to understand the weather b/c there are so many different opinions. I have no clue if there is a steady mist throughout the day or if it is days of steady/light (not heavy) rain consistently. The mixed feelings about the rain and weather are so confusing to "outsiders". I just know that Ohio summers are too hot for me to be comfortable most of the time. I really don't like humidity.

Right now we're stuck between Portland, Maine and Seattle....haha two sides of the country but both beautiful areas. I guess it just depends if we would prefer snow to rain.

[Pittgal]

Originally Posted by mrspink

Gosh, it is so difficult to understand the weather b/c there are so many different opinions. I have no clue if there is a steady mist throughout the day or if it is days of steady/light (not heavy) rain consistently. The mixed feelings about the rain and weather are so confusing to "outsiders". I just know that Ohio summers are too hot for me to be comfortable most of the time. I really don't like humidity.

Right now we're stuck between Portland, Maine and Seattle....haha two sides of the country but both beautiful areas. I guess it just depends if we would prefer snow to rain.

You will get a thousand different answers to weather questions. We have been here 2 years and it does rain 9 months of the year....but it is a drizzle all day long. It rarely ever "downpours" here like it does on the east coast. There is no humidity here so its nothing like it is there, but is does get hot in the summer and air conditioned houses and apartments are hard to find out here. At least there every home has one. The biggest difference for us and the only thing we like about Seattle is the scenery. It is unbelievable! However I will not miss it when we head back to PA in 2 years.

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by mrspink

Gosh, it is so difficult to understand the weather b/c there are so many different opinions. I have no clue if there is a steady mist throughout the day or if it is days of steady/light (not heavy) rain consistently. The mixed feelings about the rain and weather are so confusing to "outsiders". I just know that Ohio summers are too hot for me to be comfortable most of the time. I really don't like humidity.

Right now we're stuck between Portland, Maine and Seattle....haha two sides of the country but both beautiful areas. I guess it just depends if we would prefer snow to rain.

Please don't take pittgal's post to mean that it rains every day for nine months, as that is far from reality.