ISO Mustachian town for FIRE in the PNW...suggestions?

[tag]

We will be relocating as part of our FIRE plan. Here are our basic desires.....

-mountain, trails, river or some kind of natural beauty in town or very close to town
-high walkability/bikability
-8 hours drive max from Seattle, but the closer the better
-low-ish cost of living
-strong community
-kid friendly as ours will be 10, 8, 6, 4 years old
-husband wants to live near decent skiing but that's not essential

Where should we look??

[TrudgingAlong]

Look at Kitsap across the water. The housing market is experiencing a bit of a boom here, but there are still lots of cheaper places to live in the county, especially if you don't have to hunt a school system.

[calimom]

Ashland, OR. Not exactly a LCOL as far as housing, but that would depend on where you were moving from, of course.

[tag]

Thanks. Will be checking out Kistap and Ashland.

TrudgingAlong, we homeschool so yep - don't care about schools. Should've mentioned that.

[Bracken_Joy]

If you check the Mustachian Relocation Guide, I've done writeups on several Oregon towns. https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/mustachian-relocation-guide/ Feel free to follow up with any specific questions.

[trix76]

I'd look at Bellingham and Leavenworth, WA. Both are near skiing, and depending on your frame of reference, somewhat LCOL. I like a bunch of the towns along the Columbia River - Stevenson and White Salmon WA or Hood River or Mosier, OR. You could also look over by Mazama and Winthrop, WA. It's super pretty over there. Good luck - so many great spots in the PNW!


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[HPstache]

Another vote for Bellingham Wa.  I live in the area .  It checks all of your boxes, except I don't know if I would consider it LCOL... I believe a 3 bed 2 bath house is over $350k right now. 

[FireHiker]

I'm interested in following this one. My preferences are almost exactly the same as Spartana's, except I have kids and will be concerned with schools. We really love the PNW and Colorado, and even though those areas are not exactly LCOL, they are L(er)COL than we have here.

My uncle lives in Port Townsend and I love it there! It's a little too far from skiing for me too. We absolutely fell in love with Durango in CO last summer, but it's on the upper edge of what we'll be able to reasonably justify in retirement.

An area we have considered is Vancouver, WA. If you aren't as concerned about schools it can be pretty reasonable, and you have all the bonuses of the proximity to Portland (medical, international airport).

[Scortius]

If you want Skiing, you could look into Bend/Redmond, but they might be too expensive with their current gentrification rate.

Personally, I love Eugene. Great college town, Willamette river, lots of bike paths, but it's growing and becoming more expensive these days. A little bit farther from skiing, but still reasonably close.  Corvallis is a comparable option as well.

Bellingham does seem like a good choice as well.  Ashland too.

You could look into the smaller coastal cities of Oregon: Florence, Newport, and Astoria.  Stay away from Coos Bay!

Spokane and Pullman (and Walla Walla?) are nice college towns, but probably too isolated for what you want.

Anyway, tons of good choices!  It's hard to go wrong with any of them.

[Bracken_Joy]

If you want Skiing, you could look into Bend/Redmond, but they might be too expensive with their current gentrification rate.

Personally, I love Eugene. Great college town, Willamette river, lots of bike paths, but it's growing and becoming more expensive these days. A little bit farther from skiing, but still reasonably close.  Corvallis is a comparable option as well.

Bellingham does seem like a good choice as well.  Ashland too.

You could look into the smaller coastal cities of Oregon: Florence, Newport, and Astoria.  Stay away from Coos Bay!

Spokane and Pullman (and Walla Walla?) are nice college towns, but probably too isolated for what you want.

Anyway, tons of good choices!  It's hard to go wrong with any of them.

OR coast ends up being a minimum of 3 hours from skiing though, and pretty far from airports, since the coastal range is in the way. There is a small airport in Eugene, and then the larger airport in Portland. Redmond also has a small airport (outside of Bend). Redmond is a decent alternative to Bend while still being close. Climate isn't what people think of with a PNW climate though, it's high desert and very dry.

[HPstache]

We will be relocating as part of our FIRE plan. Here are our basic desires.....

-mountain, trails, river or some kind of natural beauty in town or very close to town
-high walkability/bikability
-8 hours drive max from Seattle, but the closer the better
-low-ish cost of living
-strong community
-kid friendly as ours will be 10, 8, 6, 4 years old
-husband wants to live near decent skiing but that's not essential

Where should we look??

So here's a little more on Bellingham:

1. mountain, trails, river or some kind of natural beauty in town or very close to town
Absolutely beautiful with 60+parks (about 20 majors and a bunch of smaller ones).  Mount Baker is a 10,778 ft mountain with a great ski area which is about an 1.25-1.5 hours from Bellingham and since it is built in a National Forest, there is no construction allowed so are no resorts or places to stay at the top meaning only local people go there so it is typically has very short lines for world class skiing / boarding.  Tons of snow, in fact it set a world record in the 98-99 season with almost 100ft.  There are a lot of trails which start from the Chuckanut drive trail head area.  Probably the most popular hike is to oyster dome, but there are probably hundreds of trails around when you know where to look.  There are quite a few nice lakes, but the most popular are lake Whatcom (which allows boats) and lake Padden (which does not).  Both of which have public areas and are really popular when it gets warm.

2.high walkability/bikability
Bellingham is extremely bike friendly.  In the past few years they have started to mark bike lanes on the roads which really make people aware of the bikers.  Downtown Bellingham is built on a pretty steep hill so there is some low gear riding required to move perpendicular from the bay, but it is not too bad.  Speaking of bikes, if you are into mountain biking there is a great downhill trail system called Galbraith mountain that has incredible terrain.  Every year there is an event called "ski-to-sea" which is a relay race which includes cross country/down hill skiing, road biking, running, canoeing, mountain biking, and ocean kayaking.  It attracts people from far away for competition, but also has a lot of ammeter teams in for fun (hundreds of total teams).  For walking, I really enjoyed the "railroad trail" which is a nice trail connecting a large section of bellingham.  There is a very strong feeling of being an "outdoorsy" type town filled with "outdoorsy" type people.

3.  hours drive max from Seattle, but the closer the better
About 1:45 to get to Seattle, but you'll find Bellingham has pretty much everything you need.

4.  Strong Community
I would consider Bellingham to be a pretty strong community.  It is an extremely liberal town and people are generally quite friendly, if you want conservative look north to Lynden.  Bellingham is home to Western Washington University, so there are a lot of college students and all of the things that go along with being a college town.  There are a ton of community events, lots of music, art, festivals, etc.  There are a handful of craft breweries (9?) and wineries, lots of amazing restraunts.  Most areas are pretty safe, but like most towns there are places to avoid living... in bellingham that area is South of Alabama street between Woburn and James and the "wood hood" south of I-5 between Benett & Aiport rd.  There have been a lot of homeless people showing up lately and it's something Bellingham is working on; it's pretty noticeable downtown nowadays.  So be on the lookout for some of those communities.

5.  Kid friendly
Yes.  But I don't have a ton of experience with that.  I have a 2 year old but we are no longer in Bellingham proper.  I would not hesitate raising my family in Bellingham though.  There are good schools (check the reviews because there are better and worse ones).

This honestly just begins to scratch the surface of Bellingham.  I would say the biggest drawback is the rainy weather... it does rain a LOT and is very gray from about October to April.  It's a fairly mild climate though, it does not drop below freezing all that often and barely ever cracks 90*.  The summers are so amazing though!

[jacquespluto]

Another vote for Bend/Redmond.  Bend is getting expensive but Redmond is still very affordable compared to the PNW in general.  If you like beer, mountains and the outdoors, this is the place to be.  Very kid friendly.

I've lived all over Oregon and in general it comes down to what type of weather you prefer.  Anywhere along the I-5 between Portland and Eugene you will get a lot of rain.  Bend/Redmond you get much less rain and a lot more sun, however you can also get a large amount of snow in the winter due to the elevation. 

Southern Oregon probably has the best weather in Oregon but can be a little isolated as it's a 4-5 hour drive from Portland.  Grants Pass ("It's The Climate") is an up and coming town right on the beautiful Rogue River with lots of rafting and hiking.  Medford isn't the prettiest of towns but it's the business hub of that region with a small airport. Look to the outskirts of Medford like Jacksonville and Talent for some great smaller communities with good restaurants and wineries.  Ashland is awesome but very expensive for Southern Oregon.

[nickybecky1]

I'd consider Bellingham for all the reasons listed above. Some other good options could be Ellensburg and Yakima. I grew up in Eastern WA and didn't think highly of Yakima at all but I've recently heard really great things about it.

[HPstache]

We will be relocating as part of our FIRE plan. Here are our basic desires.....

-mountain, trails, river or some kind of natural beauty in town or very close to town
-high walkability/bikability
-8 hours drive max from Seattle, but the closer the better
-low-ish cost of living
-strong community
-kid friendly as ours will be 10, 8, 6, 4 years old
-husband wants to live near decent skiing but that's not essential

Where should we look??

So here's a little more on Bellingham:

1. mountain, trails, river or some kind of natural beauty in town or very close to town
Absolutely beautiful with 60+parks (about 20 majors and a bunch of smaller ones).  Mount Baker is a 10,778 ft mountain with a great ski area which is about an 1.25-1.5 hours from Bellingham and since it is built in a National Forest, there is no construction allowed so are no resorts or places to stay at the top meaning only local people go there so it is typically has very short lines for world class skiing / boarding.  Tons of snow, in fact it set a world record in the 98-99 season with almost 100ft.  There are a lot of trails which start from the Chuckanut drive trail head area.  Probably the most popular hike is to oyster dome, but there are probably hundreds of trails around when you know where to look.  There are quite a few nice lakes, but the most popular are lake Whatcom (which allows boats) and lake Padden (which does not).  Both of which have public areas and are really popular when it gets warm.

2.high walkability/bikability
Bellingham is extremely bike friendly.  In the past few years they have started to mark bike lanes on the roads which really make people aware of the bikers.  Downtown Bellingham is built on a pretty steep hill so there is some low gear riding required to move perpendicular from the bay, but it is not too bad.  Speaking of bikes, if you are into mountain biking there is a great downhill trail system called Galbraith mountain that has incredible terrain.  Every year there is an event called "ski-to-sea" which is a relay race which includes cross country/down hill skiing, road biking, canoeing, mountain biking, and ocean kayaking.  It attracts people from far away for competition, but also has a lot of ammeter teams in for fun (hundreds of total teams).  For walking, I really enjoyed the "railroad trail" which is a nice trail connecting a large section of bellingham.  There is a very strong feeling of being an "outdoorsy" type town filled with "outdoorsy" type people.

3.  hours drive max from Seattle, but the closer the better
About 1:45 to get to Seattle, but you'll find Bellingham has pretty much everything you need.

4.  Strong Community
I would consider Bellingham to be a pretty strong community.  It is an extremely liberal town and people are generally quite friendly, if you want conservative look north to Lynden.  Bellingham is home to Western Washington University, so there are a lot of college students and all of the things that go along with being a college town.  There are a ton of community events, lots of music, art, festivals, etc.  There are a handful of craft breweries (9?) and wineries, lots of amazing restraunts.  Most areas are pretty safe, but like most towns there are places to avoid living... in bellingham that area is South of Alabama street between Woburn and James and the "wood hood" south of I-5 between Northwest and Benett.  There have been a lot of homeless people showing up lately and it's something Bellingham is working on; it's pretty noticeable downtown nowadays.  So be on the lookout for some of those communities.

5.  Kid friendly
Yes.  But I don't have a ton of experience with that.  I have a 2 year old but we are no longer in Bellingham proper.  I would not hesitate raising my family in Bellingham though.  There are good schools (check the reviews because there are better and worse ones).

This honestly just begins to scratch the surface of Bellingham.  I would say the biggest drawback is the rainy weather... it does rain a LOT and is very gray from about October to April.  It's a fairly mild climate though, it does not drop below freezing all that often and barely ever cracks 90*.  The summers are so amazing though!

Thanks so much for all the info. Very very helpful. I'm big into sea kayaking too a think Bellingham's easy access to the islands and a nice put in at Larabee State Park (I think that's the place off hwy 11/Chuckanut Drive) was really nice. Fortunately I can get away to drier skiing or other areas in winter but April to mid-Nov seems pretty ideal there. I hate hot dry weather.

Yes, you got it... Larabee is a great park, and it also has a popular rock climbing face.  My favorite parks also include Cornwall for it's free disc golf course and pickleball courts, Boulevard park with it's awesome boardwalk and beach, Whatcom Falls park for it's backwoods water hole with cliff jumping, and Bloedel Donavan park for public access to the incredible lake Whatcom.

[TheFinanciallySavvy]

x2 to the Bellingham suggestions on here. Great area that will check all your boxes. Only downside is the somewhat high cost of housing and rain. You could live out in the county and save a little bit out there. Whatcom County is beautiful. Skagit County, just south of Bellingham, could be considered also.

Other options could be central WA. Depending on the size of the town you'd want, you could look at Wenatchee, Ellensburg, Tri-Cities, or up north to Chelan/Brewster/Winthrop (all 3 are smaller towns). Better weather than the westside, and mountains, rivers and lakes are still in your backyard. Cheaper cost of living as well.

[Poeirenta]

I can chime in about north central WA. Wenatchee is the "big" city, has an airport with flights to Seattle and maybe soon to San Francisco. Plenty of smaller towns around it if you want a more rural feel. Mission Ridge is a popular ski area nearby. Steven's Pass, about an hour west is bigger and gets more westside people than MR. Lots of good rock climbing and river rafting in the area. Housing market has low inventory so prices have been rising.

Chelan and Winthrop are tourist towns. Cost of living is NOT lower, at least for housing, groceries, and gasoline. Anything in the upper Methow is going to be higher COL. Brewster and Pateros are on the Columbia and more affordable, but less of the awesome natural features than the Methow or Okanogan valleys, IMO. Brewster is a company town, more or less. The company is Gebbers Farms which does a lot of fruit, plus cattle, and timber. Oh, and a big fancy golf course, for some reason.

Omak is the big city of Okanogan County at 5000 people, Walmart, Safeway, and Home Depot, along with all the fast food. Also a bowling alley and two movie theatres. It's about 5 hours from Seattle in good weather (or if you're one of those people who refuse to slow down when it's snowy/icy). Okanogan is right next door. Both are smack in the middle of almost every ecosystem you'd like to explore from grassland to high mountain forest. Great farmers markets, and a huge rodeo in August if you like that sort of thing. COL is lower here than the Methow, and we don't get overrun with tourists like they do.

We are currently in the midst of a housing crisis in Okanogan County, partly because of the record breaking wildfires in 2014 and 2015. A lot of homes burned, and haven't been replaced. Anywhere east of the Cascades, WA or OR, you need to be prepared for fires.

Bikability is a mixed bag. It's a huge part of the Methow ethos, but the roads are not really set up for it, lots of narrow shoulders and big trucks. My coworker is a dedicated bike commuter (between Omak and Okanogan), but not in the middle of winter! Walkability is low unless you live right in town. Wenatchee will score higher on both walking and biking than the more rural towns.

Lots of peope homeschool here, so most districts have a program for homeschoolers who want some sociaization time with other kids.

[HPstache]

One more thing about Bellingham that my wife reminded me about.  The airport was expanded recently and it's actually pretty nice now.  It is an Allegiant and Alaska Airlines hub so there are direct flights to Maui and Oahu that leave regularly for around $300 round trip.   They also service all sorts of interesting destinations such as Alaska and Mexico.  So if you're a big traveler this is a great bonus!

[Lanthiriel]

I grew up in Kitsap County. I can absolutely see why people with kids would live there. North Kitsap probably has the best school district. I went to Central Kitsap and went to a top 2% elementary and high school, but I've heard the high school has gone a little downhill. Avoid South Kitsap like the plague. Poulsbo or Silverdale are your best bet.

That said, I loooooove Wenatchee. Such a cute town and a better climate, but I don't think east of the Cascades is what most people are looking for when they say Pacific Northwest.

[Glenstache]

Oregon: Hood River, Bend/Redmond are both nice.
WA:
Leavenworth is good, but the downtown core is pretty touristy. The area has some amazing trails and outdoor access. There are a lot of towns in the immediate area too. The surrounding area is largely agricultural.
Bellingham is awesome, but still not quite LCOL. Great mountain biking, sea kayaking, and access to Mt Baker for skiing. The immediate-area climbing is not as good, but is within day-trip striking distance of some world-class granite.
Olympia and Tacoma are worth considering also. Enumclaw could fit the bill too. Access to Crystal Mountain ski area and local trails.

[Bracken_Joy]

Oregon: Hood River, Bend/Redmond are both nice.
WA:
Leavenworth is good, but the downtown core is pretty touristy. The area has some amazing trails and outdoor access. There are a lot of towns in the immediate area too. The surrounding area is largely agricultural.
Bellingham is awesome, but still not quite LCOL. Great mountain biking, sea kayaking, and access to Mt Baker for skiing. The immediate-area climbing is not as good, but is within day-trip striking distance of some world-class granite.
Olympia and Tacoma are worth considering also. Enumclaw could fit the bill too. Access to Crystal Mountain ski area and local trails.

Ooooh yeah Hood River is awesome.

[iluvzbeach]

Checkout Jacksonville, Oregon. It's amazing.