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I am thinking about moving to the Tri-Cities area of Washington by the end of this year. Any advice/information will be greatly appreciated. I am from Los Angeles, Ca and have not yet visited the area yet. What are the schools like? Which city of the Tri-Cities would you think is the nicest/most desirable place to live? Which is the most affordable? I would also like to learn more information about the ethnic diversity in the area. Are there any racial tensions towards individuals who are not Caucasian? What are the schools like? Does anyone experience allergies- do allergies tend to be more severe in this area? What are the winters/summers like? Is it true that there is no traffic in the Tri-Cities area like LA traffic? What are fun things to do? Is it a small town type atmosphere- like nosy neighbors, etc. Also, is this area very dog friendly?
Nicest depends on what you consider "nice." The newest areas are West Richland, south central Kennewick, west Pasco, and southwest Richland. That's where you find houses that are located in the Tri-Cities, but still cost over $300K, and people actually pay that. Pasco probably has the most civic spirit. Richland has the most historic character. Kennewick has the most shopping, probably.
The area has very little ethnic diversity. Most people nowadays don't understand that term: it means a lot of different types of people, not just 'has non-whites.' Richland's Hispanic population is very small. Kennewick, last I looked was around 25%, Pasco hovers around 50% Hispanic. So that's not diverse; that's whites and Hispanics. The very small black population is mostly in Pasco, logically given the history of racism in Richland and Kennewick. I would say it has been growing more diverse, though, with a few Asian groceries and eateries. I wouldn't say there are racial tensions, but the shifts in our national politics have shown me that racial hatred never ebbed; it just let its outward expression be silenced. I would assume that about 25% of the white population would discriminate if they could (and will if it can). But if you're wondering is there an active KKK Klavern, answer is no. There is DWH and DWB, though.
Some people get bad allergies. To what, not sure, unless it's dust. The TC get pretty nasty dust storms, and anyone allergic to dust probably dies of it when those come.
Winters are cold and mostly dry. Summers are hot and completely dry.
Nothing in the TC could be mistaken for LA traffic even at a great distance. Ten cars stacked up at a train crossing, or slow traffic across the blue bridge, amount to Tri-City traffic jams. I live in Portland now, and while there weren't as many options in the TC, all of them were practical to do. Not here.
Depends what you consider fun. If you like church, big rivers, chain restaurants, desert hiking, Mexican food, and scoffing at "junk science Seattle anti-nuke kooks," welcome to paradise.
No, the neighbors are not very nosy at all. This is the Northwest, not fricking South Carolina. Whatever your difference is, if you aren't washing your neighbors' faces in it (thus forcing them to take notice), they're nearly always going to live and let live. Most will not make an effort to get to know you, but will respond to a gradual effort on your part to know them, and can become outstanding neighbors with some investment of time and energy.
For renters, I would say it's not very dog-friendly. I know that at least Pasco has restrictions on pit bulls. Since I hate dogs, I always considered it entirely too dog-friendly, with lots of strays and occasional attacks by strays, plus lots of irresponsible dog owners. So it's more dog-friendly than I would like, but by your standards is probably not very dog-friendly.
Now the answer to the question you didn't ask: will anyone think that I am exotic and cool being from LA? No. The less you talk about it, the better. There is an LA stereotype, and it is hated throughout the NW. You may not embody it, but part of the stereotype involves constant comparisons to LA. Being from LA is like a past conviction for indecent exposure. It's one thing for it to be true, it's another thing to keep reminding people of it. If you want to be as isolated as possible, complain nonstop about how lousy everything local is compared to LA, how few options there are, how white it is, and how bored you are. If your goal is to be left completely alone, that's a good method.
I am thinking about moving to the Tri-Cities area of Washington by the end of this year. Any advice/information will be greatly appreciated. I am from Los Angeles, Ca and have not yet visited the area yet. What are the schools like? Which city of the Tri-Cities would you think is the nicest/most desirable place to live? Which is the most affordable? I would also like to learn more information about the ethnic diversity in the area. Are there any racial tensions towards individuals who are not Caucasian? What are the schools like? Does anyone experience allergies- do allergies tend to be more severe in this area? What are the winters/summers like? Is it true that there is no traffic in the Tri-Cities area like LA traffic? What are fun things to do? Is it a small town type atmosphere- like nosy neighbors, etc. Also, is this area very dog friendly?
Thanks again! Any info is greatly appreciated!
1. Tri-Cities traffic is non-existent compared to LA traffic.
2. "Most Desirable" is in the eye of the beholder, but Richland has the highest home prices and Pasco has the cheapest. If you let us know specific things you want in a neighborhood, we can provide more specific information.
3. You are on City Data, so you can lookup the specific numbers yourself, but Pasco is majority Hispanic (primarily Mexican in origin), Richland is predominately white and Kennewick is maybe 20 - 30% Hispanic. African-Americans and Asian-Americans are present, but are a fairly low percentage of the total population.
4. There are undoubtedly racists here, but there are racists everywhere. Hispanics are a sizable minority in the Tricities (maybe 30% of the total population) and are integrated into local economy/social life of the community. I don't think that significant racial tensions here - but that is just my view as a middle-aged white guy. A 20 year old second generation Mexican could tell a completely different story.
5. The schools are okay. They won't be near as good as wealthy public schools in the LA metro area. Due to size of the districts and population distribution in the Tri-Cities, all the high schools have to serve a fairly wide variety of needs, from the ESL students who moves to a new high school every year to the Harvard-bound Advanced Placement student, and I think that all the high schools are pretty good at that.
6. My allergies are horrible here. Six months out of the year I feel like I am drugged. However, I grew up an 1.25 hours west of here; I think that if you are moving from a different region, your allergies will be okay (at least for a few years).
7. Winters are mild (probably not by LA standards though). Snow is rare and if it does snow it usually melts quickly. But man, we get these week long inversions during the winter. The sky is a monotone, texture-less grey. It sucks the color out of everything. I am getting depressed just thinking about it.
Summers are nice. It is very sunny and hot, but not Phoenix or Baghdad hot, it great pool weather. Summer doesn't really start until the beginning of July though.
Hope that helps. I probably respond to some of your other questions later; if you want to know anything else, just let us know.
If you like church, big rivers, chain restaurants, desert hiking, Mexican food, and scoffing at "junk science Seattle anti-nuke kooks," welcome to paradise.
Ha! That is the most accurate single-sentence description of life in the Tri-Cities that I have ever read.
Thanks so much for your information! I was thinking about moving to the Pasco area because I do know some people who live in that area, do you know any nice areas around there? I have dogs so I am looking for a place with a small yard. Preferably in decently priced area- probably no more than $1,000 rent a month.
Are most people in this area well educated?
I am from Los Angeles and my allergies get pretty bad here too. I am allergic to pollen & grass. I looked up the "allergy forecast" online and the allergy forecasts seemed pretty similar in LA and the Tri-Cities area.
What are other fun things to do? I heard from others there are activities such as wine tastings, hikes, and going to the river, but what else is there to do?
In your opinion, how do you feel about your safety in this area? Is there alot of crime/violence around here?
Are you far away from places such as grocery stores, shopping areas, etc?
Does the Tr-Cities area have alot of trees/forests type thing? Coming from the LA area where EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING has buildings or is developed, it would be a nice change to see some more nature!
Oh, and if you are in your 20s- How is it like looking for people to date around here?
I know this is alot of questions but thanks so much!!
Thanks so much for your information! I was thinking about moving to the Pasco area because I do know some people who live in that area, do you know any nice areas around there? I have dogs so I am looking for a place with a small yard. Preferably in decently priced area- probably no more than $1,000 rent a month.
Are most people in this area well educated?
I am from Los Angeles and my allergies get pretty bad here too. I am allergic to pollen & grass. I looked up the "allergy forecast" online and the allergy forecasts seemed pretty similar in LA and the Tri-Cities area.
What are other fun things to do? I heard from others there are activities such as wine tastings, hikes, and going to the river, but what else is there to do?
In your opinion, how do you feel about your safety in this area? Is there alot of crime/violence around here?
Are you far away from places such as grocery stores, shopping areas, etc?
Does the Tr-Cities area have alot of trees/forests type thing? Coming from the LA area where EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING has buildings or is developed, it would be a nice change to see some more nature!
Oh, and if you are in your 20s- How is it like looking for people to date around here?
I know this is alot of questions but thanks so much!!
Lots of questions, I'll answer a couple. $1K/mo rent in Pasco will get you in a nice area...West Pasco is the most preferred area of Pasco. Tri Cities is an educated area but Pasco would be the least of the 3 cities. If you're looking for big city type fun, not much is available in Tri Cities...boating, bikes, hikes, wine tasting.
All of tri cities is low crime overall but some areas of Pasco and kennewick you need to be careful in. There's plenty of decent shopping. Tri Cities is a desert but with greenery due to rivers going through allowing irrigation. Forests are a couple hours drive away.
About allergies, I think you have to come here to see if you are allergic to anything in the area. About dating, I think it's like everywhere...you're dating desirability doesn't change unless you change.
Again, depends what you mean by nice. I don't think $1K/month buys you much these days, but I last rented in the TC in 2001, so I'd say my info is out of date. Hell, I think you can own your own home for $1K a month, unless you want a McMansion.
No, most people in this area are not well educated. However, there is a high concentration of physics Ph.Ds, chemical engineers, and nuclear engineers; those are well educated about their specific areas, even if often as ignorant of other subjects as the rest of the TC. So if you're dealing with them, and you're great with handling Aspies, and that's who you mostly encounter, you'd say it was well educated. Outside the Hanford/PNNL bubbles, though, nah, it's pretty backward.
There are a number of events, trade shows, antique show, fair, ethnic shows, concerts and such. Nothing like the big-city smorgasbord, but they exist. The baseball and hockey teams are well supported.
It's very safe. One of the favorite local sports is to exaggerate dangers, such as the person who referred to east Kennewick as "Beirut." I found that hilarious, living in southeast Kennewick for fifteen years and experiencing almost no crime. You are probably familiar with Compton, so let's compare that: there is nothing in the entire TC that bears the remotest comparison to such a place. Such comparisons could only be made by someone who has no concept of a real inner-city danger zone.
It is very difficult to live far from shopping. It is very difficult to live far from anything. There are only about 225,000 people in the whole area and it's just not that big.
Forests, not many, because they are not natural to the area except along rivers or on floodplains. However, a lot of people have planted trees, so in fact the TC have a lot of greenery in season. But when you leave the cities' limits, it's all sagebrush and sand except where it's farmland or vineyards or orchards. Even browner than the hills surrounding LA.
I was never in my 20s in the TC, or even single, but I'm told the dating scene is fairly lame.
Protip: if you move here, discontinue (if necessary) the LA habit of using the definite article for highway names. The first time you try to ask where "the" 182 goes, it's almost like you spent a lot of time discussing pedicures--it screams "LA."
Again, depends what you mean by nice. I don't think $1K/month buys you much these days, but I last rented in the TC in 2001, so I'd say my info is out of date. Hell, I think you can own your own home for $1K a month, unless you want a McMansion.
No, most people in this area are not well educated. However, there is a high concentration of physics Ph.Ds, chemical engineers, and nuclear engineers; those are well educated about their specific areas, even if often as ignorant of other subjects as the rest of the TC. So if you're dealing with them, and you're great with handling Aspies, and that's who you mostly encounter, you'd say it was well educated. Outside the Hanford/PNNL bubbles, though, nah, it's pretty backward.
There are a number of events, trade shows, antique show, fair, ethnic shows, concerts and such. Nothing like the big-city smorgasbord, but they exist. The baseball and hockey teams are well supported.
It's very safe. One of the favorite local sports is to exaggerate dangers, such as the person who referred to east Kennewick as "Beirut." I found that hilarious, living in southeast Kennewick for fifteen years and experiencing almost no crime. You are probably familiar with Compton, so let's compare that: there is nothing in the entire TC that bears the remotest comparison to such a place. Such comparisons could only be made by someone who has no concept of a real inner-city danger zone.
It is very difficult to live far from shopping. It is very difficult to live far from anything. There are only about 225,000 people in the whole area and it's just not that big.
Forests, not many, because they are not natural to the area except along rivers or on floodplains. However, a lot of people have planted trees, so in fact the TC have a lot of greenery in season. But when you leave the cities' limits, it's all sagebrush and sand except where it's farmland or vineyards or orchards. Even browner than the hills surrounding LA.
I was never in my 20s in the TC, or even single, but I'm told the dating scene is fairly lame.
Protip: if you move here, discontinue (if necessary) the LA habit of using the definite article for highway names. The first time you try to ask where "the" 182 goes, it's almost like you spent a lot of time discussing pedicures--it screams "LA."
That is funny JKK, but the truth is these SoCal truisms eventually get up here, despite our effort to block them. So I just go along with them, it is futile!
That is funny JKK, but the truth is these SoCal truisms eventually get up here, despite our effort to block them. So I just go along with them, it is futile!
It might be, but surely we can develop a vaccine against that usage. The CDC should have something to say about it.
It might be, but surely we can develop a vaccine against that usage. The CDC should have something to say about it.
Haha...
I was over in my home area, (Seattle), this past week, and they are already using the "The" term. I don't agree with it but once it is here it will likely be infested.
I think we are in a new space and time, and it doesn't look we can go back.
Bellevue, WA is now an extreme suburb with more development than downtown Portland.
But back to the TC, (sorry)...
This area will continue to grow and as many more W. WA residents move in the price of real estate will go nowhere but up. For those who own real estate right now, hang on...
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