Anybody familiar with the Centralia area? (Seattle, Tacoma: for sale, real estate, to rent)

[Gypsygurl]

I'm moving to WA within 3 months and still trying to find a starting point. Centralia has been suggested as having a reasonable cost of living as compared to Seattle- maybe there's a reason? What I consider reasonable is being able to find a house under $150K (don't laugh) that's a little more than a shack and still is within a moderate driving distance to family in Tacoma. I really would like to find a small town that has a vibrant community life but doesn't require being a CEO to afford living there.
Anybody?

[Ultrarunner]

Centralia is undergoing a transformation from rural to more of a bedroom community. It seems to me to be just about the halfway point between Portland and Seattle. Property is less definitely less expensive, although increasing in value.

If your planning on commuting to Tacoma, I would have to caution you that I5 traffic is not getting any better for commuters.

Can you expand on "Vibrant Community Life?

[T-TownNicky]

The Kelso / Longview area is very inexpensive, but Centralia isn't too terribly bad. Here is a great real estate site that shows state-wide houses on the market: Tacoma Real Estate, Properties For Sale in Washington State (http://tkrei.com/start.cfm - broken link)

Good luck!

[searpr]

Centralia ain't within driving distance to Tacoma, IMHO....

[kc2sweet4ne1]

Housing is less, but there isn't much for $150K... sorry!!

[pw72]

Originally Posted by searpr

Centralia ain't within driving distance to Tacoma, IMHO....

The mileage between Centralia and downtown Tacoma is 55 miles. However, Olympia can be a bottleneck at times, as can South Tacoma.

I've always liked Longview/Kelso better than Centralia/Chehalis, just seems more modern and less of a hick area. However, as someone mentioned above, Centralia/Chehalis is changing. I would not be surprised to see huge growth in Centralia/Chehalis in the coming decades as it becomes another inexpensive fill-in option between Seattle and Portland. Even though it isn't much bigger than the State Capital, could become Olympia's next suburb! Someone else must be thinking this way, as I-5 has been widened south of Olympia, and more improvements are coming.

[Momof4cuties]

I have lived in Centralia most of my life. It is growing and does offer many cultural events. Centralia College offers a wonderful educational program and the downtown area is now somewhat revitalized itself back to the late 1800's era appearance. It is only about a 50 minute drive to Tacoma....so yes it is within acceptable driving distance, even for a work commute. If you are not commuting for work purposes, it is really nothing to get to Tacoma. My son just graduated from the University of WA in Seattle and it only took me 1 hr and 30 tops to get to his dorm. We are centered 1 hr and 30 minutes from Portland, OR as well. Centralia offers plenty of real estate for sale. You can purchase a very nice home for between 150 and 200 thousand. I would look around to see if the home may be in a flood plane. Of course, that does not mean that it will flood.......they say every 100 years....but you never know!! The "bedroom" communities would be considered Adna, Boistfort, Rochester and other outlying small towns. Adna is a very nice but very small community and if you wanted to shop or do anything cultural you would have to drive into Centralia the 10/15 miles. The homes in this area are usually newer and pricier but usually with land. All in all Centralia is a very nice small town but does have it down side. It is located on the I-5 corridor and the freeway can be very busy at times as it has not been made wider for so long it cannot accommodate the heavy traffic volume. Just a few things to consider. If you are looking for a fairly small town with plenty to do and in your price range....Centralia is a good choice. Olympia is 20 minutes north and is the state capital. It offers many things as well. It is much larger and a bit more pricey. Only a 30 minute commute to Tacoma. Housing is a lot more expensive in Olympia. Well, I hope some of this may help you in your decision.

[C_ferreira]

I have family in the "Twin cities". I am very familiar with the area, and I doubt that 150K will buy you anything decent in pretty much the entire northwest. Centralia has okay shopping, but nothing fantastic. I5 is a mess through the area, mostly because of STP (seattle to portland) traffic. It isn't very diverse, although they probably have the highest latino population of just about anywhere in W. Wa (about 8-9%). And you would NOT want to commute to Tacoma from there.

[kc2sweet4ne1]

I live in Centralia and love it. I have lived here most of my life. Housing isn't too expensive in comparison to other places. My father has commuted from here to Tacoma for over 15 years. There are days that it sucks, but for the most part- no complaints!

[eselpee]

I am considering a job offer in Centralia. I would bring two 40lb quiet, well behaved house dogs. What's the chance of finding a place to rent and a daily place to hike off lead?

Thanks for any and all responses