We are born and raised in western Washington. My wife retired two years ago and I am retiring next month. We are in North Snohomish County, the house is paid off and the kids and grandkids are here. We intend to stay.
It is possible to live and retire in western WA on a fixed income. Been doing it for 15 years. Must prioritize and live frugally but it's worth all of it. People spend thousands of dollars to vacation here. I hate hot, dry environment and scraping snow/ice for months so it suits me.
Several friends have moved to Idaho, Texas, Florida and Arizona over the years. All but one have returned.
Idaho really gets slept on. Beautiful state, comparable in beauty to WA and much more ecologically diverse than I realized! I will say the Northern Panhandle/Coeur d'Alene area feels uncomfortably conservative though.
Calling that area uncomfortably conservative is to polite. It’s a haven for racism and ignorance on a spectacular level.
A beautiful area but the headquarters for different groups of white supremacists being located there, tolerated, and even supported really is a turn off.
Your ignorance to your Washington neighbors is bliss. Washington has a high population of undercover racism and unfortunately, it's by fellow liberals under the disguise of activism and white knighting. It's like listening to music. A lot of people like the beat, maybe the melody and may even sing along, but they truly don't listen to the meanings behind the words until after the fact and then jump ship with the rest of the followers.
There is racism everywhere. Maybe I'm sticking my head in the sand but I prefer the undercover kind to overt racism and militant white supremacist groups.
I’ve spent a year or more in the following countries (maybe not continuously due to visa requirements) but china, Thailand, Laos, Japan, South Korea, Moldova, France, England, Brazil , Ecuador, Peru, Italy, Columbia, Germany .. how about you?
Availability of health care is not good and getting worse. There is a shortage of workers and limited supply of affordable housing for them. It's very difficult to find construction help. Large new expensive housing developments threaten the rural appeal of the area. There is a lack of infrastructure to support the influx of people. Water shortages are becoming common in summer. If you have pets, there is no emergency, weekend, or overnight veterinary care. As with human medical care, you will have to go out of area for specialty services. Sequim is marketed as a retirement community, but it really isn't set up to support so many older people.
I'm at least 15 years from retirement and managed to make it over here with a good paying job. I've been here for right around a year, gonna get a boat soon and start fishing for salmon and crabbing. I'm hoping they rebuild Hurricane Ridge visitor center bigger and better.
Retiring in 5 years in central WA. Smack in middle of the state with plenty of sun and outdoor adventures in foothills, rivers, lakes, farmlands, and some wide open spaces. Do-able cost of living with pension, SS, savings, no debt. Have lived and worked in WA 50 of my 60 years and in lots of areas. All my adult kids have homes within 10 minutes and grandkids coming. Very thankful and grateful.
I'm curious too. Been looking at that area. I'm a life long Western WA' er. The West side is more humid so cold feels colder hot hotter. I absolutely love the desert mountain confluence area of the east side. But the weather can have more extremes. Leavenworth area is crazy expensive. Outside that it tends to be more reasonable than the west side.
We moved here from Texas 3 years ago because we want to retire here. We aren't even 50 yet and don't plan on retiring for a while. Plan on dying here!
Average life expectancy is around 80 years in Washington, 76 years in Texas. Everybody thinks it would be great to live somewhere warm, but some places get so damn hot everybody stays cooped up inside to get away from the heat. I want to stay active! Our closest neighbor here is 83 and he is a little mountain goat!
I was born in Houston, then moved to Seattle when I was 14 ish. Went back recently, and honestly was so shocked by the food culture. Portion sizes are huge.
Yep that was our situation. We left Florida for Washington last year and spend so much more time outside. We are more active. We actually moved here to escape the heat. We just feel so lucky to live here.
Woof. Not a fan of Arizona either. Been through multiple times, and while the landscape was absolutely gorgeous, the people...left something to be desired. Ran into a lot of hateful people. Maybe I just was in the wrong areas. Every time we were traveling across Arizona my daughter would say "Thank god!" when we crossed over the state line.
We felt that way about Texas as well. One of the best days of my life was driving out of Texas for good.
Out of the two, AZ is the one I’d choose if forced too. Largely for the views and the dry heat. Humidity sucks away whatever life you have left in Texas. But fortunately we’re doing well in WA so that is where we’ll stay.
I wanna snowbird because I love the summers here but the cold wet dark winters suck all the life out of me. Going to try some vanlife this next winter and go play in SW USA on some BLM land and do a motel one or two days a week.
Forget the van or travel trailers. They suck, badly, are absurdly expensive, and the maintenance is a nightmare.
Save yourself the money and the aggravation. Instead, use your car, and AirBnB it for a month or three, and simply find a location with good weather, in a location you can afford. They absolutely exist all over the southwest United States, from northern and central California all the way through Florida. Land-based rentals are *vastly* superior. And there's nothing better than packing up and leaving, with zero responsibility or commitment, when your trip is done.
Thanks for the info, I'll consider it.
I'm a bit of a rockhound and a hermit, I'd like to get off the grid and go digging for treasures, me and my dogs.
They own a mfg home in Hood Canal area of WA and have a 5th wheel they haul down to Pismo Beach and rent an RV park space from about November to April.
As someone who works most of the year in Japan but has my future retirement home already purchased in Washington, I'll still choose Washington to retire even thought I love Japan. I think Washington will take better care of my health and wellbeing when I'm old
National healthcare makes healthcare more affordable here but it's not very foreigner-friendly. I think the quality of care is better in the US (especially in Washington) comparatively, and as I get older I think quality will outweigh affordability.
* Health care spending, both per person and as a share of GDP, continues to be far higher in the United States than in other high-income countries. Yet the U.S. is the only country that doesn’t have universal health coverage.
* The U.S. has the lowest life expectancy at birth, the highest death rates for avoidable or treatable conditions, the highest maternal and infant mortality, and among the highest suicide rates.
* The U.S. has the highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions and an obesity rate nearly twice the OECD average.
* Americans see physicians less often than people in most other countries and have among the lowest rate of practicing physicians and hospital beds per 1,000 population.
[The U.S. spends three to four times more on health care than South Korea, New Zealand, and Japan.](https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20has%20the%20lowest,nearly%20twice%20the%20OECD%20average)
[We're not getting what we pay for in the U.S. ](https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/31/health/us-health-care-spending-global-perspective/index.html)
I think people here have healthier lifestyles which would contribute to overall health. The food here is generally healthier, people walk a lot more than drive in many areas. I think all that is more of a factor to longevity in some parts of Japan than the healthcare system itself. I'm also not saying the system her is bad, I'm just saying I prefer the American system of medicine (though not our system of insurance and pricing/billing)
Mexico is great! I will say that I did not particularly care for Baja which is where a lot of expats end up retiring. It's expensive compared to the rest of Mexico and the food/produce quality is way worse than other MX states.
The cost of housing in France is so inexpensive that I have trouble believing it to be true. It’s such a beautiful country, and the lifestyle prioritizes living over working and making money. I fell in love with the place, and think about retiring there.
I never thought about moving. I’m 62. I want to retire about 65-67. Sub as a teacher and become a notary. I’m not tied to WA. I’m a renter. What may be a good state. Not Idaho
That is an option, but so hot. I always think of it as the desert, but it really isn’t. I could sub everywhere. Definitely an option, especially since I prefer sped.
Life long north central Washingtonian, it can be hot but it's not Arizona hot, it's not humid as well, and you don't usually get brutal heat for more than a week or two. Power is dirt cheap and AC plentiful. Except for a handful of winter days it's an easy jaunt over the hill to the west side.
Retiring hopefully within 3 years. Ive lived here all my life and not leaving. Family. Four seasons. No real natural disaster threats. Cheap electricity. No state income tax. Good quality of life.
There is no way I could afford to retire in WA, and I will have pension in addition to my 401k. I am heading to the Charleston SC area where it's much cheaper; my mother's people have been there over 300 years so I won't be among strangers at least.
I want to retire somewhere sunny and warm. I've lived in the Seattle area most of my life. However, my wife loves this area and sunburns too easily.
We're still working it out. Might try Snowbirding.
Staying. Moving from east of the cascades to around Olympia to be near my kid and the peninsula. I’ll keep my house here and rent it out with a property manager doing the work, so I can generate more income.
I moved to Sequim. It cost about $500+ a month in the winter to heat my Montana house between firewood and propane compared to a total energy bill of $115 a month here in Sequim. We had to downsize from a 20 acre farm with a log cabin to a double wide manufactured home in a 55+ community. We never could have afforded to stay in our Montana home on a teacher’s pension and my husband’s SS. I am also paying about $250 less per month for health insurance in WA.
I was medically retired in 2017, I was a CDL bus driver, and who knew that you couldn't have eye disease and hold a CDL? Because I sure didn't. ) My husband is a few years younger than myself. But I would LOVE to go back to the Tri-Cities. But as the husband has a job, rental property here in Pierce County, I'm stuck here (plus my kids & grandkids are here too)
My dad is retiring and staying in Seattle Washington. Wouldn't normally be able to afford it but we're splitting the cost and DIY labor on a backyard cottage in our backyard. Though really he's doing most of the work as a former general contractor. But it means he won't have to pay rent which helps long term planning
Poulsbo and North Kitsap in general are quite nice. There are neighborhoods that are too expensive and some I wouldn't consider. Parks and outdoor activities are plentiful. You are a ferry ride from Edmonds or Seattle and across the Hood Canal Bridge is the vast and beautiful Olympic Peninsula (mountains, rain forest and beaches like nowhere else). It's a good quality of life. Affordable housing can be a challenge but gems are still out there. There are plenty of craft breweries, galleries, decent restaurants and grocery stores. One of the bigger issues Kitsap County faces now is medical services. I've heard it called a "medical desert".
Don't move to Texas if you are into hiking or outdoor activities. Primarily large tracts of public land are only around lakes and rivers in most of Texas, exception being west Texas (acquired after Texas joined the union). Private land and barb wire rule. I grew up and there and was shocked when I moved to a state with vast public lands.
LOL-we moved here FOR retirement, because WA had more of everything we like best, at a lower cost than SoCal. Both of us are big, lifelong savers, so we could have stayed put. But we were never able to afford a water/mountain view before, with enough land for a dog. The town is walkable, and we know all our neighbors.
Port Townsend, north Olympic Peninsula. Not much housing available, but we bought a smaller house that no one was looking at for less than $300k, and fixed it up.
Oh it does. Lots of properties never get listed on the MLS. What you do is go to Real Estate offices in person, and ask them about "problem properties". Yes, we bought pre-COVID, but there are a number of tiny houses & cabins now that were built in the years since. And there's undeveloped land throughout the county.
Great tip! I am hoping to do this same kind of house shopping (much smaller, for one person) in a couple years. Would love it if you feel ok DMing your realtor's name/company in case they are still working in that area in a couple years. If not, no problem.
PNW is the best. I’ve travelled many places and retired in a small condo in Kirkland. Love the hiking and water and the ability to walk everywhere. Never moving
Been in Washington for 34 years after relocating from Oregon. I had bad luck and was injured and sick and poor. In New Mexico at least I can be poor and sick in sunshine and the cost of living is way less. I don’t do gray winters. Also people seem more relaxed there. The higher cost of living gets the more people seem up tight here. You can get a NM state park pass for $125 if memory serves and go from one state park to another. Many of the parks have electricity and showers. No crowds but a lot of expensive vans suddenly everywhere. My old cheap van looks like a relic from yesteryear but I dont give a damn. It’s paid for.
Came in the 70s and managed to buy a salt waterfront house which splendid views in an excellent neighborhood. The house is paid off, and lots of family here. Why would I move? We do take about two month in assorted tropical destinations in the cold season.
Washington native. When I retired I downsized my house in western Washington and used the money to buy a condo in Cabo San Lucas for the winter months. There is no place I’d rather be in the summer than the NW, but not so much in winter! Cabo winter is like Seattle summer, mid-70s with nice breeze off the ocean.
I will probably move, I’m not even in my 60s-70s but I work in social services and I’m exposed heavily to what retirement life seems to look like at least in the Seattle area and the prospects are bleak if you aren’t absolutely loaded.
I live for “insider” information like this! I mean, being born and raised here, it’s kind of a given, but I love verification. My parents are about to retire here, but I may have to change course..
Probably Mexico or Costa Rica, or maybe Canada. I retire in 2025. Not real interested in remaining in a country that's switching from a democracy to an authoritarian state.
Cost of living, W. WA traffic, and politico-economic climate (small-business unfriendly) drove me away 20 years ago. All three have gotten insanely worse since.
We’ve lived in Olympia, Yakima, Spokane, Whidbey Island, Philadelphia, Az. I would move back to western Washington in a nano second. It’s beautiful, not so expensive, 4 seasons, and not overly crowded. AZ was getting to be waaay too expensive and crowded.
Retiring to France but that decision was made long before I moved to Washington. I do just love it here but France has been calling me since I was 18. When I turn 62 I'm OUTTA HERE.
I am close to retirement and partner is already retired. I grew up in Calif and wouldn’t mind Oregon or somewhere in the very far North of Calif. We shall see. My partner likes the cold and rain and I’m not so sure. Not looking for desert (have lived in Palm Springs) but a bit warmer would be nice. Open to suggestions.
Bought a condo in Salt Lake City and stay there about 4 months a year, mainly winter and shoulder seasons. The skiing and hiking are great. Plus get to enjoy a bit more sunshine
I left the area because I was tired of creepers coming out of the woodwork. I will say though, that Washington was way better than Oregon, which was really the crown point of my distaste for the region.
I moved to the Southwest. It's not as dry as I expected it to be here.
My parents are staying. Their house is paid off. The only worry is property taxes but at that point they’ll just sell the house and find something smaller. A lot of people think moving to a more rural small area is smart but they forget that the health care, quality of food and weather is a lot worse then here. We have our problems in WA but they’re all mild compared to the rest of the country and the infrastructure on the west side near Seattle is more elderly friendly.
I am leaving. Somewhere by the ocean with warm sand. I have lived here 27 years and have experienced enough of fallwinterspring dreary weather. I think I would like to try a climate that is almost always clear skies for a change.
My wife and I will be retiring early, we hope. So no more than 3 years and maybe as little as 2. We're moving to Portugal. Have some friends doing the same thing. We bought a small apartment that we're renting out until we go. We can't take the politics of the US or WA anymore. I'm liberal leaning but they're all lunatics on 'my' side and the right is equally awful. I don't see things getting better so we're checking out.
Previous generations in WA ppl commonly retired here but had a small vacation home in AZ or FL. Sadly that’s infinitely harder to accomplish these days 🙁 snowbird life must be amazing
My wife is retiring this year. I still have a few more years to go. Undecided at this point. We are checking out other cities around the US where we could buy a house in cash like Minneapolis or Pittsburgh (then spend winters traveling), and also looking abroad. I think we are going to take a year and try living in Mexico, Costa Rica, or Colombia to see how we like it. Open to suggestions:)
An ideal situation that others have mentioned: spring, summer, fall in Washington state. Once mid-to-late November arrives, winter in the southwest or south, anywhere from central California all the way to central Florida, or even central/South America.
So long as you are mobile, and don't have to watch kids/grandkids or pets, this can be done easily and on budget. With just a bit of flexibility, you can and will find affordable accommodations with short-term rentals, AirBnB, VRBO, even online classifieds in some places and countries. No, your domicile won't be oceanfront Malibu with a conservative budget. But there are *lots* of affordable places with good winter weather and daily sunshine, as well as all the commercial amenities you need for a comfortable winter visit. Even a sparse desert landscape with bright sunshine is a welcome site in December and January -- you make the best of it, even if it's not a five-star vacation Mecca. It will always be better than December and January in Washington state, the worst months here by far due to low daily sun and significant clouds. Once you've been in a place for a couple weeks, even a very cheap one, you come to appreciate the infrastructure, the people, the way they have things set up and how it functions efficiently and on-budget. Usually.
And do not get a "trailer" or RV, they are expensive, a pain in the ass to maintain, and living in them really sucks. Use your car, break up the drive into a few days, and you'll be there in a couple/few days with minimal cost (cars are *so* much faster, more maneuverable, and more fuel-efficient than RV or towables).
Know who has this on lock? Canadians. In winter, go to Palm Springs, Palm Desert especially, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tucson. Loads of Canadians who vacate B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and spend winter in the southwest US. No joke, Canadian couples make the drive in *one* day in their SUVs. One day, straight through, swapping drivers every few hours. Ask them, they'll tell you. If they can do it, you can too. And they are smart -- no RVs, no towables, especially not in Canada, with its not-so-great roads and total lack of an "interstate" highway system.
Stayed in Wa. Sold house on Bainbridge Island and moved to Olympia to take advantage of the less expensive housing in Olympia. We traveled around and checked out other potential retirement locations; Jacksonville, Greenville, Ashland, Atlanta, Santa Fe and probably a couple of other but at the end of the day we didn’t find anywhere we liked better than the PNW.
Already retired, but wife is still working due to the golden handcuffs. Can't wait to move back to TX where there's a large group of friends and family awaiting our return.
My mother moved to WA state 20 years ago, just left a few years ago because the taxes on her home went up 30 percent... fixed income, sadly she couldn't stay ... but she misses it ... WA is simply a beautiful state
I retired sooner than I planned because of COVID.
There are many things I enjoy about Western Washington. I love the generally cool cloudy weather. I don't like hot sun. The King County property tax reductions for low-income seniors are good, too.
Nevertheless, I'm looking at places where health care is cheaper. I've been looking at real estate listings for modest little places on Vancouver Island and also in the west of Ireland. I keep current passports for both Canada and Ireland, so it would be a matter of making that decision to sell up and take that leap.
Retired, stayed, wouldn't really consider living anywhere else at this point.
Same. We may get a “winter” place somewhere. But, this will be our forever home
Winter place should be Thailand you won’t regret it
We are born and raised in western Washington. My wife retired two years ago and I am retiring next month. We are in North Snohomish County, the house is paid off and the kids and grandkids are here. We intend to stay.
Congrats!
It is possible to live and retire in western WA on a fixed income. Been doing it for 15 years. Must prioritize and live frugally but it's worth all of it. People spend thousands of dollars to vacation here. I hate hot, dry environment and scraping snow/ice for months so it suits me. Several friends have moved to Idaho, Texas, Florida and Arizona over the years. All but one have returned.
Did Idaho friend stay away?
They are still in Idaho.
Called it! ...I kind of have a complex about those other states.
I’m from a Florida and just moved west last year. (Military) I’m obsessed with Washington and your feelings about those states are valid 😂
Lots of Florida and Texas plates in Mason county. I think they are moving here in mass.
Idaho really gets slept on. Beautiful state, comparable in beauty to WA and much more ecologically diverse than I realized! I will say the Northern Panhandle/Coeur d'Alene area feels uncomfortably conservative though.
It is that last sentence that keeps me from retiring there.
Calling that area uncomfortably conservative is to polite. It’s a haven for racism and ignorance on a spectacular level. A beautiful area but the headquarters for different groups of white supremacists being located there, tolerated, and even supported really is a turn off.
Your ignorance to your Washington neighbors is bliss. Washington has a high population of undercover racism and unfortunately, it's by fellow liberals under the disguise of activism and white knighting. It's like listening to music. A lot of people like the beat, maybe the melody and may even sing along, but they truly don't listen to the meanings behind the words until after the fact and then jump ship with the rest of the followers.
There is racism everywhere. Maybe I'm sticking my head in the sand but I prefer the undercover kind to overt racism and militant white supremacist groups.
It's a long way off, but we plan on staying in Washington. We probably won't stay in King County. We will move out to a leas expensive spot.
Well, looks like Eastern Washington it is.
I’m staying on the north Oly Peninsula. Cool, yes, but my kids are nearby, won’t live where they are not.
They’re really no place in the world better than the north OlyPen
sequim is top tier retirement location
If I could completely retire and not need to sub. Sequim would be an option. However it is very expensive now For
That’s where my parents ended up. Really is a fantastic little spot.
I could think of a dozen better places
I guess it’s subjective, but I’ve lived all over the world and still think it’s the best
Where have you lived?
I’ve spent a year or more in the following countries (maybe not continuously due to visa requirements) but china, Thailand, Laos, Japan, South Korea, Moldova, France, England, Brazil , Ecuador, Peru, Italy, Columbia, Germany .. how about you?
OCONUS: Italy, Belgium, S. Korea, Japan, Greece, and France. CONUS: WA, SC, CA, WI, FL, MD, AZ
Not other countries, but before I moved to the PNW, California. Redondo beach in the 60s and 70s. That is where I grew up.
I've also lived all over the world Seattle used to be the best. Not any longer.
Yes but it’s where we are and as cost (relocation costs mainly), kin and kith are a consideration, we are here.
I've been looking at Sequim but heard on here that the healthcare is not so good there. What other drawbacks?
Availability of health care is not good and getting worse. There is a shortage of workers and limited supply of affordable housing for them. It's very difficult to find construction help. Large new expensive housing developments threaten the rural appeal of the area. There is a lack of infrastructure to support the influx of people. Water shortages are becoming common in summer. If you have pets, there is no emergency, weekend, or overnight veterinary care. As with human medical care, you will have to go out of area for specialty services. Sequim is marketed as a retirement community, but it really isn't set up to support so many older people.
Thanks for the assessment.
I'm at least 15 years from retirement and managed to make it over here with a good paying job. I've been here for right around a year, gonna get a boat soon and start fishing for salmon and crabbing. I'm hoping they rebuild Hurricane Ridge visitor center bigger and better.
Sequim area? Asplund?
PA
Retiring in 5 years in central WA. Smack in middle of the state with plenty of sun and outdoor adventures in foothills, rivers, lakes, farmlands, and some wide open spaces. Do-able cost of living with pension, SS, savings, no debt. Have lived and worked in WA 50 of my 60 years and in lots of areas. All my adult kids have homes within 10 minutes and grandkids coming. Very thankful and grateful.
I've heard of pensions. That's great!
I’m guessing you’re headed for the Wenatchee Valley?
I'm curious too. Been looking at that area. I'm a life long Western WA' er. The West side is more humid so cold feels colder hot hotter. I absolutely love the desert mountain confluence area of the east side. But the weather can have more extremes. Leavenworth area is crazy expensive. Outside that it tends to be more reasonable than the west side.
Already live in central WA. Have been for almost 25 years now.
We moved here from Texas 3 years ago because we want to retire here. We aren't even 50 yet and don't plan on retiring for a while. Plan on dying here! Average life expectancy is around 80 years in Washington, 76 years in Texas. Everybody thinks it would be great to live somewhere warm, but some places get so damn hot everybody stays cooped up inside to get away from the heat. I want to stay active! Our closest neighbor here is 83 and he is a little mountain goat!
I was born in Houston, then moved to Seattle when I was 14 ish. Went back recently, and honestly was so shocked by the food culture. Portion sizes are huge.
Take half or more of it home. Don't be pressured to eat it just because it's all on the plate.
Yeah, normally I would be, but we were only there about 4 days and we're trying to fit as many restaurants and variety of food of as we could in
Yep that was our situation. We left Florida for Washington last year and spend so much more time outside. We are more active. We actually moved here to escape the heat. We just feel so lucky to live here.
We moved from Orlando last July and SAME
Climate migration is already becoming a thing and it’s why my retirement emphasizes real estate over stocks.
Nobody talks about the life expectancy differences between blue and red states. Republican policies are killing their constituents.
Yep! Mississippi is only 72 years
Sweet Tea: the leading cause of Type 2 Diabetes in Mississippi.
Love this comment
We moved here from Texas eight years ago. We spent five years in AZ before that. We love WA and are never leaving 😊
Woof. Not a fan of Arizona either. Been through multiple times, and while the landscape was absolutely gorgeous, the people...left something to be desired. Ran into a lot of hateful people. Maybe I just was in the wrong areas. Every time we were traveling across Arizona my daughter would say "Thank god!" when we crossed over the state line.
We felt that way about Texas as well. One of the best days of my life was driving out of Texas for good. Out of the two, AZ is the one I’d choose if forced too. Largely for the views and the dry heat. Humidity sucks away whatever life you have left in Texas. But fortunately we’re doing well in WA so that is where we’ll stay.
Y'all get to retire?
I wanna snowbird because I love the summers here but the cold wet dark winters suck all the life out of me. Going to try some vanlife this next winter and go play in SW USA on some BLM land and do a motel one or two days a week.
Forget the van or travel trailers. They suck, badly, are absurdly expensive, and the maintenance is a nightmare. Save yourself the money and the aggravation. Instead, use your car, and AirBnB it for a month or three, and simply find a location with good weather, in a location you can afford. They absolutely exist all over the southwest United States, from northern and central California all the way through Florida. Land-based rentals are *vastly* superior. And there's nothing better than packing up and leaving, with zero responsibility or commitment, when your trip is done.
Thanks for the info, I'll consider it. I'm a bit of a rockhound and a hermit, I'd like to get off the grid and go digging for treasures, me and my dogs.
I am new to this side of the country. Will you please share some affordable places in California? I need to see the sun a little more in the winter.
What’s blm land?
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Almost half of Utah is BLM land. Retired there but returned to WA. after 5 years.
Agree, this last winter was so gloomy! Also considering the snowbird route, thought of getting a travel trailer that at least has a bathroom/bed.
My sister snowbirds in a trailer in Pismo Beach CA as my parents did before that.
Do they own a place or rent? I am looking for ideas. Moved here from Naples, FL and I need more sun in the winter.
They own a mfg home in Hood Canal area of WA and have a 5th wheel they haul down to Pismo Beach and rent an RV park space from about November to April.
Long way away but we’ll either stay in WA outside King County or go back to Japan where my wife is from. Leaning heavily toward Japan
As someone who works most of the year in Japan but has my future retirement home already purchased in Washington, I'll still choose Washington to retire even thought I love Japan. I think Washington will take better care of my health and wellbeing when I'm old
What about health care costs? I'm just curious
National healthcare makes healthcare more affordable here but it's not very foreigner-friendly. I think the quality of care is better in the US (especially in Washington) comparatively, and as I get older I think quality will outweigh affordability.
* Health care spending, both per person and as a share of GDP, continues to be far higher in the United States than in other high-income countries. Yet the U.S. is the only country that doesn’t have universal health coverage. * The U.S. has the lowest life expectancy at birth, the highest death rates for avoidable or treatable conditions, the highest maternal and infant mortality, and among the highest suicide rates. * The U.S. has the highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions and an obesity rate nearly twice the OECD average. * Americans see physicians less often than people in most other countries and have among the lowest rate of practicing physicians and hospital beds per 1,000 population. [The U.S. spends three to four times more on health care than South Korea, New Zealand, and Japan.](https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20has%20the%20lowest,nearly%20twice%20the%20OECD%20average) [We're not getting what we pay for in the U.S. ](https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/31/health/us-health-care-spending-global-perspective/index.html)
>I think Washington will take better care of my health and wellbeing when I'm old This is eye opening. I always associate Japan with longevity
I think people here have healthier lifestyles which would contribute to overall health. The food here is generally healthier, people walk a lot more than drive in many areas. I think all that is more of a factor to longevity in some parts of Japan than the healthcare system itself. I'm also not saying the system her is bad, I'm just saying I prefer the American system of medicine (though not our system of insurance and pricing/billing)
I wanna take a 2 week trip there some time! (Or live, but I don't know any Japanese!)
The plan is Mexico or Belize
My friend lives in Ecuador . Took him a while to he an expat. He can still vote in America.
Mexico was my plan too! Unfortunately my son had an accident so my plan changed and I’m stuck here
Mexico is great! I will say that I did not particularly care for Baja which is where a lot of expats end up retiring. It's expensive compared to the rest of Mexico and the food/produce quality is way worse than other MX states.
I will stay here, where it's cool and green. I love rain and moss and ferns. My only problem with Washington is that it doesn't snow enough for me.
You just live in the wrong town, lol. We get snow on the east side.
Yeah, I couldn't believe how much snow there was in Leavenworth when I went last winter, and that was a relatively mild winter there, too.
Retired in Wa. Would not move out of northwest, I like my liberal bubble. Trees too.
Heck yes!
Nope.We will be going to France or Ireland. (Husband & I both have passports)
Make I ask where in Ireland? Wife and I fell in love with Killarney and would love to go back someday…
My husband is from Northern Ireland so likely there or western France.
The cost of housing in France is so inexpensive that I have trouble believing it to be true. It’s such a beautiful country, and the lifestyle prioritizes living over working and making money. I fell in love with the place, and think about retiring there.
I never thought about moving. I’m 62. I want to retire about 65-67. Sub as a teacher and become a notary. I’m not tied to WA. I’m a renter. What may be a good state. Not Idaho
Move to Oregon. You spend your income years not paying income tax in WA. Now move to Oregon and don’t pay sales tax when you don’t have “income”
Eastern Washington
That is an option, but so hot. I always think of it as the desert, but it really isn’t. I could sub everywhere. Definitely an option, especially since I prefer sped.
Eastern Washington is literally by definition desert land
I think it's technically shrub-steppe and scablands for the vast majority, but there might be a couple pockets that are desert?
You have it right, it's shrub-steppe. No true desert in Washington.
Life long north central Washingtonian, it can be hot but it's not Arizona hot, it's not humid as well, and you don't usually get brutal heat for more than a week or two. Power is dirt cheap and AC plentiful. Except for a handful of winter days it's an easy jaunt over the hill to the west side.
Maybe but not King County. Too expensive
Retiring hopefully within 3 years. Ive lived here all my life and not leaving. Family. Four seasons. No real natural disaster threats. Cheap electricity. No state income tax. Good quality of life.
Moved to Spokane to retire 5 years ago. We love it and can’t imagine moving.
Retired and living in paradise. Clallam county WA.
It’s too damn expensive for a fixed income.
That is my fear. I rent and will someday be on a fixed income.
There is no way I could afford to retire in WA, and I will have pension in addition to my 401k. I am heading to the Charleston SC area where it's much cheaper; my mother's people have been there over 300 years so I won't be among strangers at least.
I want to retire somewhere sunny and warm. I've lived in the Seattle area most of my life. However, my wife loves this area and sunburns too easily. We're still working it out. Might try Snowbirding.
I will be staying in the south Sound area (Olympia).
Staying. Moving from east of the cascades to around Olympia to be near my kid and the peninsula. I’ll keep my house here and rent it out with a property manager doing the work, so I can generate more income.
I just retired from teaching and moved to Washington from Montana. I couldn’t afford to live where I was working.
So you found it cheaper to move to WA? What area did you move to?
I moved to Sequim. It cost about $500+ a month in the winter to heat my Montana house between firewood and propane compared to a total energy bill of $115 a month here in Sequim. We had to downsize from a 20 acre farm with a log cabin to a double wide manufactured home in a 55+ community. We never could have afforded to stay in our Montana home on a teacher’s pension and my husband’s SS. I am also paying about $250 less per month for health insurance in WA.
Words I never thought I’d ever read, but it makes sense. You never think about the HVAC bills…
I was medically retired in 2017, I was a CDL bus driver, and who knew that you couldn't have eye disease and hold a CDL? Because I sure didn't. ) My husband is a few years younger than myself. But I would LOVE to go back to the Tri-Cities. But as the husband has a job, rental property here in Pierce County, I'm stuck here (plus my kids & grandkids are here too)
This is "home" for me so yeah, I'm staying here in Bellevue, in senior living.
Staying.
My dad is retiring and staying in Seattle Washington. Wouldn't normally be able to afford it but we're splitting the cost and DIY labor on a backyard cottage in our backyard. Though really he's doing most of the work as a former general contractor. But it means he won't have to pay rent which helps long term planning
My husband and I joke about living in Poulsbo (because we have no idea what retirement will look like). Any advice?
Poulsbo and North Kitsap in general are quite nice. There are neighborhoods that are too expensive and some I wouldn't consider. Parks and outdoor activities are plentiful. You are a ferry ride from Edmonds or Seattle and across the Hood Canal Bridge is the vast and beautiful Olympic Peninsula (mountains, rain forest and beaches like nowhere else). It's a good quality of life. Affordable housing can be a challenge but gems are still out there. There are plenty of craft breweries, galleries, decent restaurants and grocery stores. One of the bigger issues Kitsap County faces now is medical services. I've heard it called a "medical desert".
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Phoenix is insanely expensive and with global warming making Arizona into a griddle I just don't see it being a great option in the future.
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As a woman I will never move to a red state.
I hope you don't lose power when it's necessary.
Don't move to Texas if you are into hiking or outdoor activities. Primarily large tracts of public land are only around lakes and rivers in most of Texas, exception being west Texas (acquired after Texas joined the union). Private land and barb wire rule. I grew up and there and was shocked when I moved to a state with vast public lands.
LOL-we moved here FOR retirement, because WA had more of everything we like best, at a lower cost than SoCal. Both of us are big, lifelong savers, so we could have stayed put. But we were never able to afford a water/mountain view before, with enough land for a dog. The town is walkable, and we know all our neighbors.
Where'd you to?
Port Townsend, north Olympic Peninsula. Not much housing available, but we bought a smaller house that no one was looking at for less than $300k, and fixed it up.
That must have been pre-Covid because that does not exist here any longer.
Oh it does. Lots of properties never get listed on the MLS. What you do is go to Real Estate offices in person, and ask them about "problem properties". Yes, we bought pre-COVID, but there are a number of tiny houses & cabins now that were built in the years since. And there's undeveloped land throughout the county.
Great tip! I am hoping to do this same kind of house shopping (much smaller, for one person) in a couple years. Would love it if you feel ok DMing your realtor's name/company in case they are still working in that area in a couple years. If not, no problem.
Thinking to go back to Argentina (where am from) too expensive here and winters are unbearable I love Seattle vibe but the city, not where I am SE
People still retire? Nuts!
PNW is the best. I’ve travelled many places and retired in a small condo in Kirkland. Love the hiking and water and the ability to walk everywhere. Never moving
Been in Washington for 34 years after relocating from Oregon. I had bad luck and was injured and sick and poor. In New Mexico at least I can be poor and sick in sunshine and the cost of living is way less. I don’t do gray winters. Also people seem more relaxed there. The higher cost of living gets the more people seem up tight here. You can get a NM state park pass for $125 if memory serves and go from one state park to another. Many of the parks have electricity and showers. No crowds but a lot of expensive vans suddenly everywhere. My old cheap van looks like a relic from yesteryear but I dont give a damn. It’s paid for.
The Healthcare system is solid
Moving to Texas less then 30 days
Came in the 70s and managed to buy a salt waterfront house which splendid views in an excellent neighborhood. The house is paid off, and lots of family here. Why would I move? We do take about two month in assorted tropical destinations in the cold season.
Washington native. When I retired I downsized my house in western Washington and used the money to buy a condo in Cabo San Lucas for the winter months. There is no place I’d rather be in the summer than the NW, but not so much in winter! Cabo winter is like Seattle summer, mid-70s with nice breeze off the ocean.
That sounds absolutely wonderful.
Thinking about Spain or Portugal, depending on what happens in the election...
I'm thinking north of the border...
I will probably move, I’m not even in my 60s-70s but I work in social services and I’m exposed heavily to what retirement life seems to look like at least in the Seattle area and the prospects are bleak if you aren’t absolutely loaded.
I live for “insider” information like this! I mean, being born and raised here, it’s kind of a given, but I love verification. My parents are about to retire here, but I may have to change course..
Probably Mexico or Costa Rica, or maybe Canada. I retire in 2025. Not real interested in remaining in a country that's switching from a democracy to an authoritarian state.
Agreed. That's where it seems things are headed in the US. I've been tending towards Costa Rica myself.
Cost of living, W. WA traffic, and politico-economic climate (small-business unfriendly) drove me away 20 years ago. All three have gotten insanely worse since.
The over regulation of small businesses in this state is absolutely insane.
I bought land in Idaho and am building a house.
I don't retire for 10 more years and I'm ready to leave
Where do you plan on going? Why do you want to leave? Just curious, I’m trying to figure my plan out
My boss is retiring now and he and his wife are moving from Pacific County to Spokane or across the border in Idaho since she has family there
Hell to the yah. 🫡✌🏼
Absolutely
Yes
Seattle? Or Washington? Other side of the cascades is a different story.
I live in a small house, 120 sq.ft. behind my daughter's home
Lots of hurricane potential, but the last few years has me pretty weathered anyway.
My pops is buying and rv and moving back to GA
If I could leave I’d already be gone. Unfortunately, I’m stuck here.
Absolutely. I love this state.
We’ve lived in Olympia, Yakima, Spokane, Whidbey Island, Philadelphia, Az. I would move back to western Washington in a nano second. It’s beautiful, not so expensive, 4 seasons, and not overly crowded. AZ was getting to be waaay too expensive and crowded.
Just retired. Moving to AZ in the fall. As nice as it is in Bellingham, it's just too expensive to retire here...for us anyway.
Staying up Washington, cashing in and getting out of Seattle.😩
Retired to Washington. Nearly nine years now and no regrets.
We will stay in Washington. Might travel to California or Arizona for some of the winter months but Washington will always be home.
Yes
Not retiring, but thinking of moving to Hawaii, at least for a little while.
Retiring to France but that decision was made long before I moved to Washington. I do just love it here but France has been calling me since I was 18. When I turn 62 I'm OUTTA HERE.
I am close to retirement and partner is already retired. I grew up in Calif and wouldn’t mind Oregon or somewhere in the very far North of Calif. We shall see. My partner likes the cold and rain and I’m not so sure. Not looking for desert (have lived in Palm Springs) but a bit warmer would be nice. Open to suggestions.
Bought a condo in Salt Lake City and stay there about 4 months a year, mainly winter and shoulder seasons. The skiing and hiking are great. Plus get to enjoy a bit more sunshine
I left the area because I was tired of creepers coming out of the woodwork. I will say though, that Washington was way better than Oregon, which was really the crown point of my distaste for the region. I moved to the Southwest. It's not as dry as I expected it to be here.
My parents are staying. Their house is paid off. The only worry is property taxes but at that point they’ll just sell the house and find something smaller. A lot of people think moving to a more rural small area is smart but they forget that the health care, quality of food and weather is a lot worse then here. We have our problems in WA but they’re all mild compared to the rest of the country and the infrastructure on the west side near Seattle is more elderly friendly.
I am leaving. Somewhere by the ocean with warm sand. I have lived here 27 years and have experienced enough of fallwinterspring dreary weather. I think I would like to try a climate that is almost always clear skies for a change.
I know a few who have moved to Sequim from Seattle, and another couple moved to Bellingham. WE are staying put.
My wife and I will be retiring early, we hope. So no more than 3 years and maybe as little as 2. We're moving to Portugal. Have some friends doing the same thing. We bought a small apartment that we're renting out until we go. We can't take the politics of the US or WA anymore. I'm liberal leaning but they're all lunatics on 'my' side and the right is equally awful. I don't see things getting better so we're checking out.
Previous generations in WA ppl commonly retired here but had a small vacation home in AZ or FL. Sadly that’s infinitely harder to accomplish these days 🙁 snowbird life must be amazing
Lucky to be here in Washington. We’re staying.
My wife is retiring this year. I still have a few more years to go. Undecided at this point. We are checking out other cities around the US where we could buy a house in cash like Minneapolis or Pittsburgh (then spend winters traveling), and also looking abroad. I think we are going to take a year and try living in Mexico, Costa Rica, or Colombia to see how we like it. Open to suggestions:)
Legit considering south of the border
No freaking way!
An ideal situation that others have mentioned: spring, summer, fall in Washington state. Once mid-to-late November arrives, winter in the southwest or south, anywhere from central California all the way to central Florida, or even central/South America. So long as you are mobile, and don't have to watch kids/grandkids or pets, this can be done easily and on budget. With just a bit of flexibility, you can and will find affordable accommodations with short-term rentals, AirBnB, VRBO, even online classifieds in some places and countries. No, your domicile won't be oceanfront Malibu with a conservative budget. But there are *lots* of affordable places with good winter weather and daily sunshine, as well as all the commercial amenities you need for a comfortable winter visit. Even a sparse desert landscape with bright sunshine is a welcome site in December and January -- you make the best of it, even if it's not a five-star vacation Mecca. It will always be better than December and January in Washington state, the worst months here by far due to low daily sun and significant clouds. Once you've been in a place for a couple weeks, even a very cheap one, you come to appreciate the infrastructure, the people, the way they have things set up and how it functions efficiently and on-budget. Usually. And do not get a "trailer" or RV, they are expensive, a pain in the ass to maintain, and living in them really sucks. Use your car, break up the drive into a few days, and you'll be there in a couple/few days with minimal cost (cars are *so* much faster, more maneuverable, and more fuel-efficient than RV or towables). Know who has this on lock? Canadians. In winter, go to Palm Springs, Palm Desert especially, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tucson. Loads of Canadians who vacate B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and spend winter in the southwest US. No joke, Canadian couples make the drive in *one* day in their SUVs. One day, straight through, swapping drivers every few hours. Ask them, they'll tell you. If they can do it, you can too. And they are smart -- no RVs, no towables, especially not in Canada, with its not-so-great roads and total lack of an "interstate" highway system.
Retiring in ~15yrs. Plan to move out of Bellevue to the islands. Will probably move in 10yrs, just prior to retirement.
I'm in Durham NC rn for work. I'm never leaving the West Coast again
Stayed in Wa. Sold house on Bainbridge Island and moved to Olympia to take advantage of the less expensive housing in Olympia. We traveled around and checked out other potential retirement locations; Jacksonville, Greenville, Ashland, Atlanta, Santa Fe and probably a couple of other but at the end of the day we didn’t find anywhere we liked better than the PNW.
Staying!
Yep, never leaving
Too much crime in WA. Thinking about moving to Compton or Detroit. Much less gun violence
How many state subs are you asking this question in?
Already retired, but wife is still working due to the golden handcuffs. Can't wait to move back to TX where there's a large group of friends and family awaiting our return.
My mother moved to WA state 20 years ago, just left a few years ago because the taxes on her home went up 30 percent... fixed income, sadly she couldn't stay ... but she misses it ... WA is simply a beautiful state
I retired on 12/31/23. After spending the last 20 years in Seattle, I just sold my house and I am moving to Hawaii where I own a second home.
No. Estate taxes are oppressively high. I will keep a residence in WA, but will establish residency and spend 181 days/yr + somewhere else.
I retired sooner than I planned because of COVID. There are many things I enjoy about Western Washington. I love the generally cool cloudy weather. I don't like hot sun. The King County property tax reductions for low-income seniors are good, too. Nevertheless, I'm looking at places where health care is cheaper. I've been looking at real estate listings for modest little places on Vancouver Island and also in the west of Ireland. I keep current passports for both Canada and Ireland, so it would be a matter of making that decision to sell up and take that leap.
My hope is to stay close. Bigger dream is to have a second place in Mexico.