Thinking of moving to Pacific northwest.
 

I was wondering if people who live there wouldgiving me some information about why they like it there or not. Car insurance and things like that new people need to know to make a good decision.

Thank you
Sally

Well.... I am near Vancouver, BC.... born and bred.... love me my mountains and oceans and trees.... I am sure some of our US members will pipe in soon with reasons for you to relocate. I have no idea about costs/taxes/income taxes/ etc. "but" we were stunned when we started to visit with US RVers that some of them registered in different states to keep the costs down.

I lived in Oregon for 8 years having moved from LA. We arrived in late fall and that first winter was challenging. Going from sunny warm beach life to rain and grey skies created a bit of cabin fever - and then came spring and summer. It was glorious, everything bloomed and sun didn't set until very late. After that first spring and summer, winters weren't bad at all. Living there (I tell people) re-jiuced me. People helped one another without asking, you met and enjoyed your neighbors and even going shopping was pleasant. Then you start to notice the things around you and appreciate everything. When I was there the schools were a bit behind because without sales tax they didn't have kindergarden and other school related items - BUT - they had teachers who wanted to work with kids and help them develop. There were other things they didn't have or do that I was used to in LA, BUT, come to realize, those things were not important! I'm sure some of this has changed, but a couple years ago my youngest did a tour residency at the children's hospital for 2 months and the good parts of their systems are still there. I would move back in a heartbeat! FYI - In Oregon you can't pump your own gas! And, compared to So. Cal, everything was cheaper!!

Another Canadian chiming in.

I live on Vancouver Island, just North of Victoria, the Provincial Capital. Weather, I canno imagine how cold a Michigan winter must be. ⛄️❄️��. Here our winters are mild, with rare snowfalls and lots of rain. You learn to wear a waterproof jacket and continue on. Summers are warm, sometimes hot. You can swim in the ocean, local lakes and rivers. AC is nice, but not absolutely necessary.

Sew Expo is in Pullaup each February and there are some great quilt shops to be found and lovely guilds too.

Keep in mind the marijuana is legal in Washington and soon to be in Canada. You may find that people’s attitudes towards drug use differ from what you are used to, or not.

Traffic around Seattle, the counties to the north, south and east is terrible, but there are communities further from that traffic corridor that are quite lovely.

Waterfront and water view property is generally much more expensive than expected, as is property on an island.

Oh and there are not nearly as many bugs in the summer than I have seen east of the Cascades.

We have a place in NW Montana...a bit further east than I think you are looking for. Mountains, relatively mild winters. Summer days are hot but evenings cool (50’s). No sales tax but state income tax.

It's not the weather or taxes to research it's the town too. My friend lives in Oregon and wants to move away as soon as her DH retires. Never really asked about it but she said the town spurts out more stupid ordinances every year with hefty fines for non compliance.

Born and raised in Victoria, Canada and lived in the southwest corner of British Columbia. Later I moved to Oregon and now just 14 miles north into Washington on horse training acreage.

I could go from Mt Hood and the sea in one day!

Having lived in Australia and Venezuela I dreamed of the smell of fresh fir forests, the smell of the salty oceans and the nice cool climate! So much beauty around and short trips to cities if I need or want to go.

I'm so happy in the pacific north west and never want to move again!

In Washington you do pump your own gas!

North Idaho here. Beautiful year round, cities are close enough, good medical, police, and fire, flat pastured farmland or forested or both, your choice, 4 distinct seasons, fairly mild winters, snow yes, but nothing like the northeast, close enough for ocean trips, less traffic, less governmental interference in our living, lower taxes, lower cost of almost everything, salaries & income are lower, but proportionate to cost of living. We're transplants from California, have been here 14 years and will never go back.

I lived in Seattle for a couple years a lifetime ago. My brother has lived in Eugene for about 30 years. It is true that Oregon is rather progressive and Eugene has a lot of regulations that other towns, other states don't have. Eugene attracts "free spirits" who seem to loiter in the downtown area. If you are open minded, you will love it. Everyone has a dog, lol.

The humidity is very low, and the summers don't normally get very hot. And if they do, it's not like humid Midwest or southern heat. My brother doesn't even have AC, and we were fine there in late June.

There is no sales tax, but I think other taxes are high, and the unemployment rate has been high, although with the economy now, the job market may be better than it has been. Houses are pretty expensive, as a lot of people have moved to Oregon from California, making houses more scarce.

If my and my DH's family didn't live here, I would move to Oregon in a heartbeat. The forests are so beautiful, and the weather more to my liking, the general "vibe" is relaxed and the philosophy is more progressive than the Midwest. If you love being outside, go for it!

We moved to Chehalis, WA about a year ago. We are about 90 min north of Portland, OR and about the same distance south of Seattle and we absolutely love it here! Chehalis is a small town, the seat of Lewis County and it is a very friendly area, low crime. In general, after 20 years in the Bay Area of CA, we love being in an area that has 4 actual seasons. We love the weather (yup--even the rain!)Of course we find the cost of living much better than that of the Bay Area. After selling our home in CA and paying off that loan, we still had enough to buy a home outright in WA---yay no mortgage!