Wanting to move to WA from Texas with special needs kids (Seattle: apartments, rentals)

[kamacho]

HI,

My family and I want to move from Dallas Texas area to Olympia Peninsula area.

We do have 3 special needs kids so we need to find schools for them, also we would be looking to rent ( please not to much $$$)
My husband has been looking at work up around seattle but I don't want to live in the city.
Does anyone know of a great place for us to settle down?
Are there good Hospitals near by?
thanks so much

[Hemlock140]

Typically the best schools are in expensive suburban areas near big city job centers. The Olympic Penninsula is one of the nicest areas of the state to live in, and rents are low. On the other hand, the schools are not up to the same standards as the areas east of Seattle, and there are few good hospitals. In fact, Harrison in Bremerton is about the only real full service hopsital. If you really do want to be on the penninsula I'd suggest the Silverdale/Poulsbo area.

[jenlion]

It's not very practical to live on the Olympic Peninsula and work in Seattle. He COULD take the ferry to work and back (half an hour from expensive Bainbridge, an hour from more-affordable, less-good-for-your-kids Bremerton), but more likely you'll want him close enough for a drive home when you need him rather than waiting on a ferry schedule, I'd guess??

If the long-commute option is available, Bremerton is an affordable navy town. No idea about the schools. I'd second Silverdale/Poulsbo, too, if your kids are young and you like the feel of it. (Though I have friends that grew up there that absolutely hate it, having been bored/rebellious as teens, and still have no love for the place!). Your husband would have one heck of a commute to Seattle proper, and you would be further from a full-on hospital there.

We moved here from Dallas three years ago. The cost of living change IS going to shock you. Food costs much more, and housing a LOT more. At least double, and often triple, the price of a similar neighborhood/home in the Dallas area, to Seattle's Eastside.

The Eastside is typically recommended for families with kids and a commuter to Seattle. Bellevue, for the most part, is comparable to North Dallas/West Plano. (There's a section of Bellevue more comparable to East Plano, too). But further out... say, Duvall? ... comparable to Wylie. Renton compares to Garland, for a lot of reasons. And you'll see I-405 on maps. Consider that comparable to 635 in north Dallas at rush hour, only rush hour is most of the day. Commuting possible yes, but not fun and not fast.

There are many services for special-needs kids around here. There's a lot of autism and sensory-type stuff out here, and a lot of help for it. I'm not sure if there's as much for other kinds of needs, but the whole area is pretty sensitive in general, and schools in particular handle it routinely. And Seattle Children's Hospital enjoys an excellent reputation.

Seattle apartments, houses, and condos for rent | NWhomes -- you can search here on available rentals in different areas.

If you must be near good hospitals, I'm pretty sure you need to stay close to Seattle and the Eastside. (Others will correct me if there's good ones elsewhere!). Closest in would be Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Woodinville, Bothel. These are also most expensive. (Bothel cheapest from that list).

If an hour's drive from good hospital and Seattle work is OK, then from what I've heard, you might find decent schools with more affordable housing in places like Snoqualmie or Renton, too. You might also look as far north as Lynnwood (not sure about schools there, and commute at rush hour a PITA, but boy is housing cheap).

Get a handle on housing prices vs what income you'll have, and a radius around the big hospitals you can live with, the commute he can live with and where he'd work, and the size of the town you want to live in, and that will help narrow it down a lot!

[kamacho]

Thank you so much for the info.

[nevaeh2morrow]

Jenlion has a very good post of information for you and I would agree with it all. Depending on just how close to hospitals you need to be - Jenlion mentioned North (Lynnwood). I would recommend just a little further north of that area - Mill Creek, Everett, Marysville, Lake Stevens, Snohomish are all much more affordable than in the King County area. Those cities are in Snohomish County and you will get much more for your money in those areas and offer good school districts also.

[StealthRabbit]

I'd second Silverdale/Poulsbo, too, if your kids are young and you like the feel of it. (Though I have friends that grew up there that absolutely hate it, having been bored/rebellious as teens, and still have no love for the place!).

I'll vote for this too (If you must be close to Peninsula). I too, know many kids (now adults) from the area that had very unhappy experiences and would not consider returning. Lots of drug and other serious issues.

I would offer the alternative of Vancouver / Camas, as Portland services (and jobs) are 10 - 20 minutes away. The cost of living is quite cheap there. (I feed two and often 4, on less than $100/month). Schools and communities in Camas and Hockinson are good.

Of course this is 3 hrs south of Peninsula (2 hrs from Olympia), but we have the Columbia Gorge (10 minutes away) and I have plenty of Pacific Northwest Rainforest in my backyard. Mt St. Helens, the beautiful OR coast, or Mt Hood are all within 1 hr.