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To person looking for northern relocation: I have lots


Posted: Sep 21, 2014

Didn't want my reply to get buried below.  I have a lifetime of experience with Alaska, western Canada (Alberta, BC), and the Pacific Northwest (WA, OR, ID) - and youth spent in the midwest (MO, KS).

There's one thing you definitely need to consider right off the bat that has to do with climate indirectly, and it affects a lot of people very negatively - which is the more extreme differences in daylight hours between summer and winter as you move further north.  You don't have to go to Alaska to experience this.  Even in northern Oregon and Washington, the daylight hours in winter become noticeably shorter in winter, and by the same token you can find yourself trying to go to sleep while it's still light out even at 10 p.m. in the summer.  In the winter you might find yourself going to work in the dark or early dawn and coming home in the dark or dusk, which for some people is really devastating to their psychological well-being.

Okay - with that aside, here's my thumbnail advice:

1.  Forget Alaska for reasons too numerous to enter into here, but listen to Auntie Mame and forget it.

2.  I would focus on the Pacific Northwest, BUT there are no "blanket" statements about a whole state (or province) with regard to climate, cost of living, amenities, political/educational inclinations, etc. that hold true for that whole region.  For instance, in Washington alone you can find every type of climate in the world and every type of ecosystem - from high desert to mountain to rain forest (yes!) to coastal to flat agricultural regions that would remind you of Kansas.  There are areas where the average summer temperatures easily hit the 90s, and others where they hover in the low 80s.  And no, it does NOT rain all the time in Seattle by a long shot. 

Similarly, you can find places where the cost of living is very high, and others where it is much more moderate.  You can find large cities and you can find places where you have to drive a day and a half to visit your nearest neighbor.

I know this doesn't seem very helpful, but in fact it IS helpful for me to tell you that if you don't want to find yourself relocating to an area that isn't all that different from the midwest, or an area where the cost of living turns out to be much higher than you expected, you will need to get much more granular in your search than looking at a particular state.

I will point you toward the I-5 corridor north of Seattle - especially from around Arlington up to Bellingham.  The climate is very temperate and just about anything you might want is within easy reach.  One of the big bonuses (IMHO) is the proximity of Vancouver, Banff, Whistler, Victoria, etc.   Bellingham is definitely worth a look - it's been named a number of times as one of the top retirement areas because of the temperate climate, the availability of healthcare, the university, etc.

Hope this helps!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

;

That is me. Thanks for the info!! I actually like - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
the cold, etc.

Daylight Savings time - Ruby

[ In Reply To ..]
When you mention going to work in the dark, it brings back the one issue that makes my blood boil. We now have Daylight Savings Time from the first Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. The first year that it changed, my husband and I were sitting in the evening with our feet up in front of our propane fireplace, in nearly broad daylight, while a full-fledged blizzard blew outside. It was 7:30 in the evening. My husband turned to me and said "maybe WE should take up golfing.." Since then I have watched our children get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, get on the bus and arrive at school in pitch dark, just so they can ride home on the bus in daylight, eat supper, do their homework, and play in the house because it's still too cold to be outside. When school starts in the fall, we have to put newspapers in the window so that it's dark enough in their bedroom to convince their little brains that it is indeed bedtime, even though the sun will be shining for another hour or more. Thanks for letting me vent.

The area of Wa State where I live ... - Washingtonian

[ In Reply To ..]
is much more suburbia than the Seattle area. We are on the Kitsap Peninsula, which is across the pond, as they say, from Seattle. We are further west. We hardly get any snow, but still get the full seasons. It does rain a lot in the winter and is cold, but rarely below freezing. Summers are great. A lot of snow birds here between here and Arizona.

Biggest differences over here are traffic is a million times better -- traffic on that side is horrible -- big city type. Not here. Good health care can be an issue, with all the universities being across the water, but you can either drive aoround or take the ferry. Cost of living over here is much less than that area, as well.

If you want more snow, the the Tri-Cities area is a nice area.

No state tax (yet) in Washington. Sales tax is almost 9% however.

Good luck in your search.

WA state sounds good to me for a number of reasons. - New poster to this subject.

[ In Reply To ..]

What are the property taxes there?


Is there talk of implementing a state tax? Not having one right now is one of the things that is attractive to me.

Answers - Washingtonian

[ In Reply To ..]
Taxes are about $10 per $1000 assessed value, depending on what town you live in.

I'm not sure about the state income tax -whether it's on the Nov ballot or not.


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