Moving TO Washington or Oregon! (Seattle, Tacoma: best cities, sales, 2015)

[wifey2015]

Can anyone let me know the Best Cities or Places to live in Washington. For Housing, Jobs and High School for child! Thanks

[Ruth4Truth]

Olympia, WA.

[Seacove]

Why not Vancouver or Portland? Then you're in the middle and essentially have Oregon and Washington. No income taxes in Washington, no sales taxes in Oregon. And that area is less expensive to live than the Seattle metro.

[StealthRabbit]

Camas, Wa.

Don't waste you time with high school. WA and HI offer free college instead of HS.

Search Running Start... Thus you want a place near a college.

[Ruth4Truth]

"...a place near a college"

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Olympia, WA.

Home of Evergreen State College. Or Bellingham, but the rents/RE are a bit higher.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by wifey2015

Can anyone let me know the Best Cities or Places to live in Washington. For Housing, Jobs and High School for child! Thanks

Hard to hit all three.

Many areas of Seattle have access to jobs and good (or at least higher-scoring) high schools, but housing affordability is a problem. There are pockets, however, but none where compromises won't have to be made.

The mid-Beacon Hill area, which is close to jobs in downtown Seattle, has affordable housing in the New Holly development and elsewhere, and gives you access to higher-scoring schools (including Franklin HS, which although currently a "6", has Mercer MS, an "9" feeding it). It is an area with a lot of diversity (is not a homogeneous "whitebread" area) and, although gentrifying rapidly, still has some crime problems and gangs trying to hold onto turf there.

The Northend of Tacoma can give you affordable housing in walkable neighborhoods with decent to good schools. Stadium HS was previously a "7", I believe, so the current rating ("3") is likely due to poorer students being pushed south, rather than school quality (and Mason MS, an "8", is feeding it). Access to jobs is good, with Sounder commuter rail giving reasonable access to jobs in downtown Seattle (as well as Puyallup, Auburn, Kent, etc.).

The Arlington area is interesting, with relatively affordable housing (larger sf/lots in a suburban/rural area), good schools, and decent access to jobs in the I-5 corridor and south Snohomish County (including Boeing). Arlington HS is an "8", and Sedro-Wooley HS a "7". Access to biking/walking trails, hiking, camping, skiing, etc., is very good.

[sll3454]

Originally Posted by wifey2015

Can anyone let me know the Best Cities or Places to live in Washington. For Housing, Jobs and High School for child! Thanks

There are no "best places." For me, where I am is the best, but I'm not going to recommend it to you. Is the child involved in any particular activities, like band or equestrian club? What kind of jobs do the adults need? Is the main housing concern cost, or size of lots, or proximity to something, or . . . ?

But in general, decide whether you want west (green and wet, little snow) or east (more desert, dry, but cold winters with significant snow). Then, do you want big/medium city, or small city/town?

[j_k_k]

Where is best depends on what you want. Take that from someone who has lived in the PNW for 42 years, with time divided equally between dry and wet sides with seven years smack in the middle, and who has lived in both WA and OR. The best place for some people is Portland's Pearl District. For others, it's Metaline Falls, WA. The two examples (somewhat randomly chosen) are worlds apart, yet most of those in each place wouldn't live in the other on a dare. And having lived in places not radically different from both, I understand why.

[PS90]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

Where is best depends on what you want. Take that from someone who has lived in the PNW for 42 years, with time divided equally between dry and wet sides with seven years smack in the middle, and who has lived in both WA and OR. The best place for some people is Portland's Pearl District. For others, it's Metaline Falls, WA. The two examples (somewhat randomly chosen) are worlds apart, yet most of those in each place wouldn't live in the other on a dare. And having lived in places not radically different from both, I understand why.

Ain't that the truth.

[StealthRabbit]

OP do be advised that WA and OR are like siblings.... VERY different siblings.

What is yout skillset / job / salary requirements?
Are you willing to work nights?
Urban or rural desire?
Do you prefer moderate temps and drizzle in winter; or grey and cold?
Do you want Pacific Coast? Or can you be satisfied with 'inland waters' (minimal waves and much calmer weather)
How do you like traffic?
Do you have a 'follow -the -crowd mentality', or do you prefer to express yourself freely. (A Quite important difference of these states to me, YMMV)