Differences between WA and OR (Seattle, Tacoma: real estate, property taxes, housing)

[movin'on]

I am trying to narrow things down to pick either WA or OR to move to. It's very hard. I lived in Portland for a couple of months back in 1985. It was kind of cool, but I didn't spend much time there. I know the OR coast quite well and love it.

I've only been to Seattle once and then only for a few days. I remember Pike's Market (?) and walking around the streets, but not much more. I did go to Port Angeles and met the nicest local motel owner -- very decent guy.

I lived in San Francisco and the East Bay for six years. I have thought about returning, but I know I'll never have the kind of lifestyle I want if I do (which is to say a house that's paid for and being able to not make much). I loved the diversity and all of the really cool and distinct neighborhoods in SF. I loved the beauty of the area. I loved the contrasts in weather. Just by going through one tunnel you'd go from 55 and overcast to 80 and sunny.

So, I am looking for a place that is affordable, interesting, and kind of like SF, without the huge price tag. WA to me seems more progressive and more like SF would be. When I think of OR I think of maybe a bit more depressed economically. I dunno. Which state do you recommend? What are the major differences between the two states? Thanks!

[the dufferz]

Seattle has been called the San Francisco of the north. Home prices will be less than SF, more active socially active than Portland. Economy is typically much better than Portland.

The biggest difference between Seattle and Portland? In Seattle, they trust you to be able to pump your own gas. Well, that and the tax system between the two states, the economy, Population, housing prices, Professional sports teams, the space needle, pike place market, Espresso stands every 60 feet....

[movin'on]

Originally Posted by the dufferz

Seattle has been called the San Francisco of the north. Home prices will be less than SF, more active socially active than Portland. Economy is typically much better than Portland.

The biggest difference between Seattle and Portland? In Seattle, they trust you to be able to pump your own gas. Well, that and the tax system between the two states, the economy, Population, housing prices, Professional sports teams, the space needle, pike place market, Espresso stands every 60 feet....

Well, unless Seattle area has much worse weather than Portland, it's looking like Seattle. Thanks! But, what are the taxes like? Right now, I pay pretty low property taxes.

[the dufferz]

Seattle has traditionally better weather than Portland, better being sunnier (not by much) Washington has a sales tax, no income tax. The sales tax is around 8.8% Property taxes differ from city to city so I can't answer that question very well.

If you happen to be a Quarterback, the Seahawks could use one, seeing we lost ours today.

[silverfox]

Property taxes .......Approx. $16 per 1000 Depending on exactly where you choose to live in the Seattle Area. Close enough for an estimate.

We have the Salt water access. Big Plus over Portland.

Both places are Traffic Jam City.

Silverfox

[WazzuCoop21]

I was actually just looking at a city comparison of tax burdens (state, local, sales) per % of income and Portland was rated at 12% of a 75,000 income, where the national average was 9%, and surprisingly Seattle was rated around 6-7%. Economically, WA is a better choice, even if property taxes may be higher, there is no state income tax.

[Woodc]

If you look on this website it has weather statistics for virtually all US cities. It shows that Portland is warmer and sunnier, particullarly in the summer months; and that winter months are relatively the same except Seattle receives more snowfall. It appears that Portland has more winter rainfall, I assume that is because Seattle gets some protection from the Olympic Mountain Range and/or more of it's precipitation falls in the form of snow. Having lived in both places, and I would agree with the web-sites information.

Seattle feels more like SF, being on a bay and having marine activity downtown; but the city of Portland is known for being more liberal. The job market has historically been better in Seattle and higher paying jobs, but the real estate market is also more expensive. Sales taxes tend to favor people with high incomes and investors (those that save a lot compared to spending), income tax tend to favor lower incomes and families that can write off deductions. Both have bad traffic, but with Seattle being bigger, you tend to have to drive through it much further. Seattle also being bigger of the two does offer more "city" things to do. I found outdoor activites not being better than one over the other, with both cities offering a huge amount of things to do outside the city limits.

[LordScorpius]

I would like to get clarification on this speculation. Didn't Portland (Oregon) ratify civil unions recently? Where is the movement on that issue for WA State? If it's not on the board, then it is obvious which is the "more progressive" in my mind. I really would like to know being that one of these two city will become home for me in less than a year.
Thank you for any reply!
Merréll Scorpius

[KidBlue]

I've spent some time in SF and have done lots of research on WA and OR. I would say that Seattle would be more like SF than Portland (or anywhere else in OR for that matter). The pictures I've seen of Seattle look a lot like a small version of SF. SF is just as cool weather wise as Seattle, but with less rain and more fog. You'll hear about the traffic, which is bad, but you probably will think Seattle traffic isn't so bad if you're used to SF traffic. Like 8 hours to drive from the south bay to Sacramento on any given Friday.

It's sad that SF and the whole CA coast has become SO expensive. Eureka used to be affordable, but now it's not that affordable and there are no jobs. Seattle is almost the same size as Sacramento (almost the same cost of living too in general, but I think housing in Sac is still higher than Seattle), so Seattle will seem much smaller and more affordable than cities in the bay area.

Good luck with your search. I vote for Seattle.....

[PNW-type-gal]

Seattle's traffic is far worse than Portland's, plus Portland has a reasonable light rail system. The tax system is, frankly, a wash unless you are in the higher income brackets and then Seattle's wins out. Because Seattle and its many suburbs are a larger place, the job market is better than Portland's. The state of Oregon has some financing problems with schools, state-wide.

I used to race cars out in Bremerton, and we'd be headed out of town to Tacoma and then south of I-5, and in the summers on a Sunday night, the backup on I-5 north for cars returning to Seattle from a weekend elsewhere was MILES.