New graduate looking to move to WA or OR from CA (Seattle: transplants, sales)

[captdecoy]

I just graduated with a BA in Business Management and I'm looking to move out of Southern California to the Northwest. No, I'm not the typical California nutcase looking to ruin your state, I own a rifle

Cost of living is so outrageous here that It makes no sense for somebody just starting out to live here unless they have a law degree. So I'm looking to move to Washington or Oregon.

Can anyone give me some suggestions on places that is at least 40% sunny and where the job market and cost of living is good? Trees and outdoor activities are nice too.

[WazzuCoop21]

I think even Seattle and Portland are 40% sunny. If you want a very sunny, more desert-like climate, you'd want to go to the east side of the cascades (Tri-Cities, Yakima). Spokane, also on the east side of WA, gets a decent amount of sun, but since it's in the mountains, it gets a little tougher winters, but is a fun town and is the biggest city east of the cascades. The east side of the state tends to be the conservative, red part of the states. Bend, an outdoor lover's mecca, is also a booming city on the east side of the cascades in OR, but this has caused housing costs to soar through the roof and the sprawl is getting bad.

The west side tends to have more trees and cool mountains are very close by. It's overcast frequently, and rains (more of a drizzle) often. It's really a pretty dramatic difference between the east and west sides of OR & WA. The west side is more urban with the large cities of Portland and Seattle, but is also wet and overcast a lot. The east side tends to be sunny and dry, but not very urban unless you go to Spokane. If you think you can live with the rain and clouds and you want an urban lifestyle, I'd suggest the Portland or Seattle metro areas. If you want a more laid back, smaller town lifestyle, check out some of the cities east of the cascades. It's all about personal preference.

[WazzuCoop21]

Oops, I guess I left out that it's usually about 1/2 as much to buy a house on the east side versus the west side, with a few minor exceptions (like Bend). My hometown, Kennewick (metro:160,000), you can get a nice house for $140K+. Cost of living on the west side is generally much cheaper, even in Spokane.

Seattle area is typically upwards of $350K, and Portland is not far behind. Seattle tends to be a little more expensive for most things, but there is no state income tax in WA so you will save a lot of money if you live in WA in the long run versus the 9% income tax in OR. Just my 2 cents.

[captdecoy]

How would you compare the Tri-cities to Spokane? I've been zeroing in on Spokane recently.

9% vs. 0%.....WOW! That does make a big difference.

I've also heard that Bend is nice, but has recently become a upperclass retirement city like St. George,UT. That means expensive houses and poor job market.

[washinton native]

Originally Posted by captdecoy

How would you compare the Tri-cities to Spokane? I've been zeroing in on Spokane recently.

9% vs. 0%.....WOW! That does make a big difference.

I've also heard that Bend is nice, but has recently become a upperclass retirement city like St. George,UT. That means expensive houses and poor job market.

The TC does NOT have an income tax if that's what you're referring to.

[StealthRabbit]

Try Ellensburg or Wenatchee, WA, - Portland and Seattle = 285 days of rain, not 40% sun...Border towns work well for living / working in income tax free WA and shopping in sales tax free OR (tho that is not legal...)
White Salmon would be a WA choice, tho jobs may be scarce, it is growing in employment. and is drier than Portland / Vancouver, WA
Walla Walla is pretty nice, but you have to drive to a forest ~ 30 min.

or Sutherlin, Roseburg, Grants Pass, OR
Bend is a bit too trendy (expensive, and clicky), but you might like Madras or Prineville

just my opinion, good luck

[WazzuCoop21]

Originally Posted by captdecoy

How would you compare the Tri-cities to Spokane? I've been zeroing in on Spokane recently.

9% vs. 0%.....WOW! That does make a big difference.

I've also heard that Bend is nice, but has recently become a upperclass retirement city like St. George,UT. That means expensive houses and poor job market.

Yeah, pretty dramatic difference in tax burden when you have to pay an income tax. Sales tax in WA is around 8% though and OR has none, but IMO the income tax is a bigger pain than a sales tax because you have to pay a large amount all at once. Yes, Bend has become exactly what you have heard--mostly retirees, tourists, or well-off, young outdoors enthusiasts. Lots of CA transplants though.

The Spokane area has more of a big-city feel to it, but yet keeps a smaller town atmosphere, and you have the mountains nearby. It's a cool city. The Tri-Cities is about 1/3 the size of Spokane (160,000). It's very affordable and it is located along the confluence of 3 rivers (Columbia, Snake, & Yakima), and a lot of people enjoy spending time on/near the river. It has the only decent sized mall within about 70 miles, but doesn't have as many activities as Spokane. Unlike Spokane, it's a desert climate and there isn't that big-city feel. Although, I'd think it's a much better place to raise a family, if that's something you're looking at. My advice is when you narrow it down to a few towns, do some research in the forum on the towns you're interested in to get a better idea. Good luck.

[RobertC]

I'm no expert on state taxes, but I understand that despite the fact that Washington has no state income tax, the higher property taxes than those found in Oregon more than make up for the difference if you own a home. Any input that might validate that claim? Does it depend on the city? It would make a difference in my long run decision on destination.

[StealthRabbit]

yes property taxes can be high (mine are $8000 for tax yr 2006, and $11,000 for 2007) I built my own for a cost basis below $100,000, but assessor feels it worth $800k now... I will have to move as I have no income (downsized)

Average prop tax will be $15 per thousand of Fair Market Value... What the assessor perceives... local Mill rates vary a lot. Assessors vary a lot, some are more reasonable and will wait to see sustained high values before jacking yours up. My taxes would be cut in half if I was 1 mile up the road. You can mitigate the sales tax by shopping in OR, tho this is not legal, nor helpful to your WA merchants who pay dearly in B&O tax to WA State. WA has a pretty high tax burden (#5 I think) depends on your situation... If you rent, and are not a business owner, live in southern WA, work in WA, and shop in OR it could be pretty cheap. You could also buy a duplex or commercial building with apartment and charge your tenants enough to cover your prop taxes.

Probably the worse thing about OR and WA, is there is ZERO representation by vote. Political Ads target population centers (heavy in renters and employees, not farmers, and employers) Thus you can be seriously hindered by unjust legislation. 2 -3 counties rule the whole majority of vote, and they are not too representative of the overall state economic contribution. This is not only a problem in PNW, but a national issue highly leveraged by the press and information activists.

[madicarus2000]

captdecoy, simple answer is unless you've been coming up here for many years or have family/friends connections that know what you truly like or need, you're going to have to take the big step of just finding a city in the Northwest and work and look around before you actually settle down. I've been coming up here to WA since I was a teen to visit family and later my wife and I would come up every other year for vacations. We knew the areas well and what we liked. But once we moved up here it took us 5 months to find the right place.

The one thing you'll miss, I came from SoCal also, is that there are no good mexican restaurants of excellent quality. You can find good but nothing compared to SoCal. But the seafood is excellent and the people are friendlier. Seems the balance of stopping to smell the roses still exists up here. Just a tip, dont tell people you came from Cali, even I've grown to hate the SoCal immigrants.