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GreatPlacesToRetire |
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Your comparison of popular Washington retirement cities is provided below. Use the drop down box to make another state comparison.

| Washington Cities | ||||||
| blank | Bellingham | Olympia | Vancouver | Port Townsend | Wenatchee | 99-City Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Type | ||||||
| City Type | West Coast, Mountains, National Parks | Lakes & Rivers, Mountains, State Capital | Mountains, Lakes & Rivers | West Coast, Mountains, National Parks | Lakes & Rivers, Mountains, Wine Country | na |
| Population (2007) | ||||||
| Population (Current) | 77,503 | 44,925 | 161,436 | 9,069 | 29,810 | 64,621 |
| Population (1990) | 52,179 | 33,840 | 46,380 | 7,001 | 21,756 | 45,518 |
| Land Area (sq mi) | 26 | 17 | 43 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Persons Per Square Mile | 2,981 | 2,643 | 3,754 | 1,296 | 4,259 | 2,035 |
| Home Prices | ||||||
| 2009 | $308,138 | $269,483 | $221,462 | $423,000 | $223,389 | $322,000 |
| Total Appreciation ('01 to '09) | 97.7% | 70.6% | 23.6% | 31.9% | 42.2% | 18.0% |
| Annual Appreciation ('08 to '09) | -2.9% | -7.9% | -19.2% | 0.0% | -8.6% | -12.0% |
| Avg Annual Appreciation ('01 to '09) | 8.9% | 6.9% | 2.7% | 7.2% | 7.3% | 2.1% |
| Big City Prices ('09) | $322,000 | $322,000 | $245,000 | $322,000 | $158,000 | $220,000 |
| Affordability Index | 96% | 84% | 90% | 131% | 141% | 145% |
| Big City | Seattle | Seattle | Portland | Seattle | Yakima | na |
| Cost of Living (2009) | ||||||
| Cost of Living | 116% | 107% | 96% | 142% | 96% | 121% |
| Air Quality - Annual Avg (2001-2007) | ||||||
| Good Days | 96% | 86% | 79% | 93% | 85% | 79% |
| Moderate Days | 4% | 14% | 20% | 7% | 14% | 19% |
| Unhealthy for Sensitive Persons Days | 0% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 2% |
| Unhealthy Days | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% |
| Water Quality (2002-2006) | ||||||
| Good | na | na | 18% | na | na | 40% |
| Threatened | na | na | 0% | na | na | 4% |
| Impaired | na | na | 82% | na | na | 56% |
| Nearest Large City | ||||||
| Distance to Nearest City | 89 miles | 60 miles | 9 miles | 55 miles | 148 miles | 97 miles |
| City | Seattle | Seattle | Portland | Seattle | Seattle | na |
| Recreation | ||||||
| National Parks | 7 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 7 |
| National Campgrounds | 30 | 29 | 52 | 41 | 59 | 26 |
| State Parks | 7 | 9 | 25 | 18 | 9 | 11 |
| Medical Care (2009) | ||||||
| Accredited Hospitals | 1 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Building Permits (single family homes) | ||||||
| 2008 | 71 | 55 | 181 | 105 | 44 | 185 |
| 2007 | 192 | 97 | 420 | 212 | 91 | 319 |
| Gain ('00 to '08) | -65.5% | -53.4% | -78.1% | -46.2% | -2.2% | -55.5% |
| blank | Bellingham | Olympia | Vancouver | Port Townsend | Wenatchee | 99-City Avg |
| Population Distribution (2006) | ||||||
| Median Age (yrs) | 35 | 36 | 35 | 47 | 34 | 36 |
| White | 88.4% | 85.3% | 83.4% | 93.3% | 80.9% | 83.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.9% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 6.9% |
| Native American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Asian | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.0% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 3.2% |
| Native Hawaiian | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Other Race | 0.9% | 1.7% | 4.3% | 0.9% | 14.0% | 3.3% |
| Multiple Races | 2.4% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.1% | 4.4% | 9.3% | 2.3% | 21.5% | 8.7% |
| Income and Housing (2005) | ||||||
| Family Income | $47,196 | $54,136 | $47,277 | $47,027 | $45,982 | $55,423 |
| Occupied Housing | 95% | 95% | 96% | 92% | 94% | 86% |
| Vacant Housing | 5% | 5% | 4% | 8% | 6% | 14% |
| Home Ownership | 48% | 50% | 53% | na | 58% | 54% |
| Persons Per Family | 2.83 | 2.88 | 3.10 | 2.70 | 3.20 | 2.91 |
| Taxes (2008) | ||||||
| Local and State | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 9.3% |
| Local, State and Federal | 119 days | 119 days | 119 days | 119 days | 119 days | 112 days |
| Climate - Average Temperatures (1971-2000) | ||||||
| Climate Type | Temperate & Humid | Temperate & Humid | Temperate & Humid | Temperate & Dry | Cool & Dry | Temperate & Humid |
| January Low Temp | 35 F | 32 F | 32 F | 38 F | 23 F | 27 F |
| July High Temp | 73 F | 76 F | 77 F | 70 F | 88 F | 86 F |
| Annual Precipitation | 35 in | 51 in | 42 in | 19 in | 9 in | 35 in |
| Elevation | 15 ft | 206 ft | 210 ft | 100 ft | 640 ft | 1,660 ft |
| Natural Hazard Risk | ||||||
| Total Hazard Risk | Higher | Higher | Higher | Higher | Higher | Moderate |
| Earthquake | 30% | 50% | 15% | 45% | 10% | .6% |
| Tsunami | No Risk | No Risk | Risk | Risk | No Risk | No Risk |
| Hurricane | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Flood | Very High | Very High | Very High | Very High | Low | Very High |
| Tornado | Very Low | Very Low | Very Low | Very Low | Very Low | Low |
| Volcano | High Ash Fall | High Ash Fall | High Volcanic | Low Ash Fall | High Ash Fall | No Risk |
| Wildfire | Low | Low | Low | Low | High | Low |
| Crimes per 10,000 Population - Annual Avg (2001-2008) | ||||||
| Violent Crimes | 24 | 31 | 40 | 19 | 36 | 42 |
| Property Crimes | 702 | 550 | 478 | 447 | 594 | 454 |
| Home Energy Use - Annual Avg (1971-2000) | ||||||
| Heating Degree Days | 4,980 | 5,531 | 4,990 | 5,124 | 5,533 | 4,677 |
| Cooling Degree Days | 68 | 97 | 197 | 40 | 832 | 1,249 |
| blank | Bellingham | Olympia | Vancouver | Port Townsend | Wenatchee | 99-City Avg |
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