Moving to Washington from Colorado? Help...

[uglymud]

Fair enough haha, we've flown out a few times between visiting family and work, and so far flights have not been an issue. A bit more expensive, but I'll pay that for going through a smaller airport. I've flown out of Atlanta and Raleigh enough that I'd rather not bother with bigger airports.

I can see the appeal though. We spent a week camping around Olympic, and it's definitely on my list to visit again.

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[TheDoublR]

If you plan to move between Seattle and Vancouver to the North be prepared for god awful traffic and steep house prices. Snohomish county used to be reasonable but now the city is so bad that even house there are expensive. As people have to move farther to buy a house the traffic just keeps getting worse and worse. Some great hunting opportunity to hunt on the east side of the state but then you have to drive a couple hours.

 

[DisplacedHusky]

Washington has a very diverse climate. People hear Washington and think of Seattle rain. While we do have temperate rain forest, we also have high desert and everything in between.

I don't know what you do for work and what kind of commute you are looking for, but that would be my main driver of picking a place here. If you need a big city to work in it's not a great place IMO. If I could live anywhere in the State and not have to worry work, I would probably pick southcentral around Goldendale to Klickitat.

Unless you want a nice grocery store.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Live in Idaho and commute to Spokane Airport.

That area of ID east of Spokane is Amazing!

 

[derrick454@]

Anything on the I 5 corridor is NOT recommended. More drugs and other bad stuff travel up that road more than any other
Really in my mind only advantage of western WA is Salmon fishing access and less wild fire smoke than east.
Most important advantage in WA is NO income tax.

I’m a east sider a little past the Oregon state line and Last few years wild fires are the norm and they start early. Some fires start by dumb a$$ and others by lightning. Not saying west side doesn’t get the impact they can and sometimes they have fires to but generally later in the year.

Derrick


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[type2bowhunter]

Keep going north and move to an Anchorage suburb...

 

[benclimbing]

Keep going north and move to an Anchorage suburb...

Ha, if we only needed to fly to Germany, and never to the lower 48, we might actually do that. Love it up there.

 

[justinspicher]

I lived in Washington state for about 14.5 years and really enjoyed it. In fact, it’s the only place I’d move from where I am in Colorado.

Much like Colorado, I don’t pay attention to the political stand the state has, I just don’t let it affect me. I still have several good friends in Washington and wouldn’t hesitate to move back there regardless of the political climate.

Washington is a beautiful state with tons of recreational opportunities, which I exploited every chance I got. I also really liked the weather, particularly in the summer.

 

[BigredRusch]

I have lived in WA all my life. The weather is great, especially in the summer. I live on Whidbey Island, North of Seattle, South of Canada. Its about one hour to Sea Tac airport. It's easier to speak on the negatives because they pop into my mind, but this is the place I want to raise my children if that says anything at all.

Positives: Tons of sea food harvesting opportunities, weather most of the year, beautiful beaches and sunsets, blacktail hunting. Bear hunting.

Negatives: Fish and Game politics. many outdoor rec is overcrowded due to the population to land mass ratio. House prices are hard to digest. No real winter weather.

Send me a PM if you want to talk more, happy to chat over the phone.

 

[derrick454@]

I have lived in WA all my life. The weather is great, especially in the summer. I live on Whidbey Island, North of Seattle, South of Canada. Its about one hour to Sea Tac airport. It's easier to speak on the negatives because they pop into my mind, but this is the place I want to raise my children if that says anything at all.

Positives: Tons of sea food harvesting opportunities, weather most of the year, beautiful beaches and sunsets, blacktail hunting. Bear hunting.

Negatives: Fish and Game politics. many outdoor rec is overcrowded due to the population to land mass ratio. House prices are hard to digest. No real winter weather.

Send me a PM if you want to talk more, happy to chat over the phone.

Good positive post. Yeah you are right about speaking negatives. Tons in my opinion but out of your control.
If a (normal in my mind)person spends any time there you almost have to put blinders on in certain areas. The trash, the rift raft, and open drug use get really old seeing and can effect your well being.
It’s like everywhere near Seattle.
I’m just basing off my experience. Never lived there but I have to occasionally work near the Seattle metro area.
Derrick


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[Snowwolfe]

Try to grasp how expensive the area you want to move to is. My son is a RN and his wife had a great job when they lived around Mt Vernon. They could not afford to buy a decent house and ended up moving to Alaska 2 years ago because the cost of living and the housing prices were lower.
Hunting was OK. In 4 years he managed to shoot one blacktail and a muley in an area east of him.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Make sure you know the firearm laws. Permit to Purchase with live fire training every 5 years starting in late 2026, anything fun is banned for purchase/import, 11+ round mags banned for purchase/import, etc.

I'm getting out as soon as possible.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I've lived in W. WA, and on the front range of CO, so have some ability to compare. Big downgrade from the Western Slope in terms of big game hunting in the vicinity. Probably an upgrade in terms of waterfowl hunting, at least in places. Fishing can be good, but salmon runs are hit or miss. Driving to the Olympic Peninsula for fishing is usually worth it.

Most people would consider the WA climate a downgrade from the Western Slope, but if you like the grey and rain, and have lived in it before (not just visited for a week or two), then more power to you. I personally like the rain, but even for me the stretch from January to April is rough. It's not the rain, it's the grey. Even May and June can be pretty gloomy, but you will at least get some nice days in there. Hard to beat July/August/September in W. WA, they are perfect.

I lived in WA 04'-12' commuting from S.Everett to Bellevue. When young without kids it was easy enough to put on raingear and go adventure still but the cold/wet/gray definitely was wearing. Add in kids crawling around / playing on wet grass, distance to family (midwest), and the commute becoming painful I had enough. CO was a nice reprieve in terms of sun, adventure, and less traffic (based on how I structured things out here, traffic can suck here too). I still go back periodically for work so I get reminders of it. Traffic is worse, for a while the amount of tent cities was ridiculous (probably not great but seems to have improved some). Their politics have gotten a lot worse but so has CO, their housing has gotten a lot worse but so has CO.

At the end of the day while dry sinus/lips are a thing here I find it nicer than the wet/chill. For me it is closer proximity to family here so that works. I find the hunting opportunity here (and surrounding states) MUCH better. I'd certainly go visit but don't see much draw living a working life along the I5 corridor. Other parts of WA would still have appeal if ignoring the shittier politics and worse hunting.

I'm sure CO will push me out eventually though with its current course of trying to become California. Dunno what would be next, but I got time since the kids are still in school and there would be very low desire to move anywhere before they graduate.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Make sure you know the firearm laws. Permit to Purchase with live fire training every 5 years starting in late 2026, anything fun is banned for purchase/import, 11+ round mags banned for purchase/import, etc.

I'm getting out as soon as possible.

They grandfathering in the fun stuff? If so good luck trying to enforce the live fire training is wild though….

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

the live fire training is wild though….

CO has added live fire training for concealed carry and also for this new semi-auto restriction already. Its fair to assume the current crop of politicians with their majority will try to broaden gun restrictions further since they are adding on numerous things each year.

 

[Danny Hoey]

Anything on the I 5 corridor is NOT recommended. More drugs and other bad stuff travel up that road more than any other
Really in my mind only advantage of western WA is Salmon fishing access and less wild fire smoke than east.
Most important advantage in WA is NO income tax.

I’m a east sider a little past the Oregon state line and Last few years wild fires are the norm and they start early. Some fires start by dumb a$$ and others by lightning. Not saying west side doesn’t get the impact they can and sometimes they have fires to but generally later in the year.

Derrick


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Not so fast my friend......we might not have an income tax but we have State taxes that are directly tied to your gross income. I would call that an Income tax

 

[Bachto]

I live on the eastside of Washington and have for most of my life. You couldn't pay me enough money to live on the I-5 corridor from Bellingham to Tijuana.

As soon as my stepson is 18 we are out of here.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

They grandfathering in the fun stuff? If so good luck trying to enforce the live fire training is wild though….

Yep, grandfathered and not illegal to posses.

 

[derrick454@]

Not so fast my friend......we might not have an income tax but we have State taxes that are directly tied to your gross income. I would call that an Income tax

Yeah I heard Olympia wants to push em up even higher. Property taxes and so on. Also Western Washington gas ️ prices are pretty high too. When I go there I try to use my Albertsons/Safeway/Carrs points to knock it down a Buck!
I’m not sure if their gas carbon tax helped increase our gas but I have noticed an increase in eastern oregon and Sw Idaho. Maybe it’s the travel season excuse


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[NRA4LIFE]

Not so fast my friend......we might not have an income tax but we have State taxes that are directly tied to your gross income. I would call that an Income tax

Which taxes are these?