Relocation

Seattle may have come a long way since Arthur Denny and his group of less than two dozen settlers landed at Alki Point in 1851, but its pioneering spirit and stubborn insistence on doing things a little differently are definitely still with us. Despite the overly gray and soggy winters, people of all backgrounds and from all over the world have chosen to live here, in droves. The modern relocation boom started in the 1980s, a period that saw the population double. By July 2007, Seattle had seen more population growth in the preceding year than at any time in the previous four decades.

This huge influx of people has impacted the city in many ways—some good, some not so good. Property taxes have risen drastically, as have housing costs. Though this puts a strain on many residents and invites suburban sprawl as people move outward in search of affordable homes, these spiraling housing costs must also be looked at from all angles. Because Washington has no state income tax, higher property taxes, in effect, compensate for that (along with higher sales tax). And although the average cost of a home or condominium has indeed risen over the past decade, the Seattle real estate market also held pretty steady during the recent economic downturn and housing bust, and remained one of the healthiest real estate markets in the nation. Local housing prices did take a hit, but as the area has started to come out the other side of the downturn more Seattle neighborhoods have been deemed affordable (in comparison with the county’s median household income), according to a Seattle Times analysis.

Decreased market values for homes also significantly depended on location—suburban properties definitely were hit harder, whereas urban homes in inner Seattle did not lose nearly the value. City living also means better access to public transportation, and in some ways a more active lifestyle, as residents tend to walk much more than those in suburban neighborhoods. The Web site www.WalkScore.com, which ranks cities across the country for their “walkability” and allows individuals to receive the walkable score for their own neighborhoods, puts Seattle as the sixth-most-walkable city in the country.

Seattle came in as the seventh-healthiest housing market in a 2009 report by Builder magazine, in which real estate markets that had outperformed the norm were evaluated. “The healthiest markets have many things in common,” the report stated. “Most of them are great places to live, either close to the ocean, mountains, or major universities”—a description that fits Seattle to a T. The bottom line, according to economists, is that a growing city means a better economy.

In Seattle’s case the growing city has led to another problem: traffic. The traffic situation in the city has reached epic proportions—depending on where you are moving from. To someone from Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., or Houston, Seattle traffic may seem like nothing. But trust me; it’s much worse than it was a decade ago and is maddening to its residents. Good thing we have that walkability thing going for us.

Of course, despite the high cost of housing and the increased traffic, there are a million reasons people want to move to Seattle. There is the fact that it’s a great place to do business; there is no state income tax, the healthy Washington economy outperforms the national economy, and Seattle has been ranked as one of the best places in the country to locate a business. The schools are good and the populace is one of the most educated in the country. There is a wealth of cultural institutions and attractions, as well as a decidedly international influence. Despite the appreciation for culture and the arts, it is a completely unpretentious place. There is the progressive mind-set, coupled with just plain friendliness, that embraces all lifestyles with open arms. And certainly not least, there is all that astounding natural beauty that fills and surrounds the Emerald City at every turn, and which in fact led to the nickname.