If you think you’re trading one Washington for another just like it, then you need to read further. The state and the district couldn’t be more different. Perhaps the first and most significant difference is in the time zone. Washington, D. C. is in the Eastern Time Zone with Washington State in the Pacific three hours behind D. C. Consult your watch before calling Mom and Dad.

Terrain

As you drive the 2,700 miles between the Washingtons, you’ll drive through mountainous regions, deserts, flatlands, and mega-cities. You should know you’ll see much of the same terrain spread through Washington State. The eastern half of the state is dry and arid, with the western being quite wet.

Tip: Don’t carry an umbrella. Washingtonians consider them unnecessary.

The Outdoors

If you’re not the outdoorsy type, then Washington State isn’t for you. If people here aren’t out hiking or biking stunningly beautiful mountain trails, they’re boating and kayaking, swimming, and fishing, or most definitely making good use of snowy mounts.

Celebrations

Festivals are a great time to meet your new neighbors, eat incredible food, see the art of all types, listen to good music, and watch as the kids enjoy themselves. You’ll want to check out:

•  The Washington Brewers Festival in Redmond
• Seattle Bacon and Beer Classic in Seattle
• Sasquatch! Music Festival at The Gorge Amphitheater in George
• Free Lunar New Year Festival in Seattle’s Chinatown

All festivals offer food, music, kids’ activities, arts and crafts, and more.

Fun Facts

• You won’t be giving up Vidalia sweet onions on the East Coast. You’ll be getting instead Walla Walla sweet onions which everyone loves.
• The Willows Inn on Lummi Island is the home of Chef Blaine Wetzel, whose restaurant is #3 on the Food Lovers’ U. S. Hotels list.
• Washington State grows more apples than any other state.
• Microsoft is in Redmond. Its owner lives in Medina.
• Residents of Washington State pay no personal income tax.

Real Estate

Real estate in Washington state encompasses condos, single-family homes, and single-family homes divided into two apartments. You’ll find architectural styles ranging from mid-century modern to modern, from Craftsman to cottage, and even Mediterranean style homes.

Need five to six bedrooms and five baths? Only need three to four beds and three baths? Washington State has you covered. Homes range from the low $200s and up. If you’d prefer to live in the city, you can do that. Country living is available, as well as mountain and island living.

Best Places To Live in WA State

Washington State is a haven for entrepreneurs (Boeing and Microsoft began here), tech startups, and music. It makes Seattle the first place such people seek out.

1. Seattle

Positioned between Puget Sound and Lake Washington on an isthmus, almost four million people call it home. The founder of Amazon, the singer Ray Charles, and musical acts Nirvana and Pearl Jam lived in Seattle or got started here. Seattle is the home of the NFL’s Seahawks and the Major League Baseball’s Mariners.

The economy is good enough to pay its workers $15 and $16 minimum wages. Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, Starbucks, Nordstrom, Weyerhauser, and Costco are some of Seattle’s largest companies. Other big companies calling Seattle home are biotechnology and research centers, as well as health care companies.

2. Spokane

If you ever wanted to live between two mountain ranges, then Spokane is the place for you. It sits between the Rocky Mountains foothills and the Selkirk Mountains. Located in the eastern portion of the state, Spokane is known for being the home of cartoon animator Chuck Jones and actress Hillary Swank.

Spokane is known for its lakes, rivers, and mountains. There are dozens of things to do and parks to do them in. The local sports teams, for the most part, play in their arenas.

From the Gold Rush to logging and farming, Spokane’s economy has morphed into gold mining, technology and computers, biotech, and the medical field. The leading businesses in Spokane are in the aerospace manufacturing industry, health and medicine, finance, and science and technology information.

3. Vancouver

The Columbia River forms part of the border between Washington and Oregon. Vancouver sits across the river from Portland and is considered a suburb of Portland. What began as an old-growth timber and salmon fishing economy has evolved into high technology and service industry employment. Vancouver is on many lists of the best places to live. Singer Willie Nelson and skater Tonya Harding agree!

Many Vancouver residents shop in Portland, where there’s no sales tax. They live in Vancouver, where they pay no state tax. If you need assistance with moving to this part of Washington, you may want to seek out a Portland-area moving company, since this is the closest major city. You can find low rates from the best local moving companies serving both Portland and Vancouver.

Wherever you choose to live in the beautiful State of Washington, you’ll be glad you moved. There is plenty to enjoy in The Evergreen State!