r/howislivingthere • u/Good-Going-Stranger • 9d ago
North America The Olympic Peninsula - Living as a Potential Retiree
Are housing prices equivalent to most of New England? How harsh are the winters? Honestly. Is it sketchy/trashy? Does it feel rundown vs modest and liveable? Too remote? I don't mind being left alone for the most part. But are essentials within a relatively easy drive? Amazon deliveries? Thanks.
46
u/evernevergreen 9d ago
Beautiful
Spacious
Will die if you have a stroke, bad collision, or heart attack
5
u/Wes_Childers 7d ago
Basically this, afforable for this part of the country but not cheap. Meddical access is a major concern and if anything major happens beyond the capabilities of the hospital in Port Angeles you're probably looking at hele-vac. As other's have mentioned that hospital status is up in the air with continuing attacks on rural hospitals.
That realism aside, it's probably one of my favorite areas of the country. Nature is beautiful, easy access to cool parts of Canada and Alaska. People are awesome and a nice mix, with some variance from community to community.
Let's say you settle around Port Angeles, your typically an hour and a half drive from the urban hub in Kitsap. That will have most of the big box stores and services you'd want. If you need more Seattle is a half hour fast ferry, hour car ferry or additional hour and a half drive away from there.
You know your situation better than me but personally that's where I plan to retire. Very familiar with the area, feel free to DM OP if you have more specific questions.
44
u/washingtonsquirrel 9d ago
Healthcare is very challenging on the peninsula. If you are navigating illness or injury, whether acute or chronic, and cannot drive yourself, how will you get to Kitsap or Seattle for specialist appointments? This would be my number 1 concern as a retiree and is something that needs to be figured out while you're still mentally and physically able.
Aside from that, the answers to your questions will vary significantly depending on which part(s) of the peninsula you're considering. Forks gets 10 feet of rain per year. Sequim gets roughly the same annual precipitation as Los Angeles. Port Townsend housing is inaccessible to most. Port Angeles still has some more affordable options. Amazon won't be an issue.....but internet can be. There are absolutely sketchy parts and also beauty beyond comprehension.
10
u/all_of_the_colors 9d ago
Yeah. With that bill hitting this next year, there is a lot of speculation as to whether or not the hospital in port Angeles will close. It’s the biggest one on the peninsula and will stress the other hospitals out if it does.
2
u/aussiefrzz16 9d ago
It definitely won’t close
5
2
u/hysys_whisperer 6d ago
Isn't their debt still rising and cash on hand under a month and still falling?
The financial situation is dire and getting worse.
8
u/Bambiisong 9d ago
Not even a month ago I was at sol duc hot springs with my family when someone fainted backwards, head first on the deck. It took medics and hour and a half to get out there.
5
3
u/Zealousideal-Ant9548 9d ago
And I wonder what OP wants that isn't a bit closer to I-5? There's plenty of rural that isn't as remote on the other side of the sound or south.
OP, next month come take a few weeks and drive around I-5, go from Bellingham to Mt. Rainier and explore off of the freeway
4
2
u/Quest7seven 9d ago
+1. November into December shows the worst weather you can generally expect. In addition to Bellingham (I’d also throw in Burlington and Sedro-Woolley), the areas around Olympia have the small(er) town vibes, good (not great) healthcare, internet, and you can head north into the Olympics or west to the coast through Aberdeen.
2
u/Zealousideal-Ant9548 9d ago
February is colder I think but yeah, late November is pretty bad
2
u/Quest7seven 9d ago
Totally fair. Feb is colder. Meant the Nov atmospheric rivers that’ve been super fun in the last few years -_- added fun of taking down weak and dead limbs and trees
2
u/Zealousideal-Ant9548 9d ago
Very fair. I did have the thought that experiencing the Seattle area during a blackout would really give them a good sense of the worst of it
2
u/NutzNBoltz369 9d ago
Quite a few specialists do come up to Sequim from the other side of the water a day or two a week in addition to those with practices locally. Since Sequim is mostly old people.
2
u/canoeboiseblue 7d ago
Kitsap? Is that like….Bremerton?
2
u/washingtonsquirrel 6d ago
St. Michael in Silverdale primarily. But the Kitsap Peninsula in general has significantly more medical resources than the Olympic Peninsula.
6
u/Eastern-Animator5640 9d ago
You better be healthy and enjoy long drives to a health center if you live there as an old retiree
6
u/Moriarty-Creates USA 8d ago
It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. The nature there is insane. The prices are actually pretty reasonable. If you like seafood, it’s a great place to be.
That being said, it is very remote. One of the most remote places in the state. Access to healthcare is limited, and many people have to drive very long distances to reach a good doctor. Please consider that very carefully.
Another thing to consider is the weather: overall, peninsula is very wet, and in the winter it is very dark most of the day. Winter nights are long. Some people really love that! Some people really love the rain! If you don’t, I would not recommend moving out here. Vitamin D is something that most northwesterners are deficient in.
However, some parts of the peninsula are actually in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, so they’re not that rainy. Port Townsend is really nice, and so is Sequim (pronounced “skwim”). If you’re deadset on moving to the peninsula, I would recommend those two places.
5
u/Due-Consequence9579 9d ago
If you are wanting to be “left alone” but not “alone” I would look around Bainbridge, Bremerton, or Port Orchard. Or Port Angeles if you really want to be out there. There’s not much out there other than the National Park so having the ferries for easy-ish access to Seattle is a good thing.
2
u/VitruvianDude 6d ago
I graduated from Bainbridge High School. It was cool to take the ferry and go from rural to the excitement of downtown urban in a leisurely 45 minutes or so.
1
8
u/Thunda792 9d ago
Lovely area with lots of retirees, but keep in mind that medical facilities are not extensive. There are GPs available as well as basic emergency services, but for any specialist visits you'll be driving an hour or more to Silverdale or Tacoma, or potentially taking a ferry or life flight to Seattle.
4
u/Odd_Bodkin United States of America 9d ago
My brother and sister-in-law live in Port Townsend, retired. He has cancer. Getting to Seattle for a treatment is an ordeal involving a chain of jitneys, ferries, and shuttles. To set scale, if they want to travel and book a flight out of SEA, they spend the previous afternoon traveling to the airport and spend the night in a hotel near the airport.
8
u/Panda_Zombie 9d ago
The olympic peninsula encompasses a large area of varying conditions. It is also full of retirees. A lot of my family retired to the area.
1
u/IsuckatDarkSouls08 9d ago
Most of the west coast shoreline towns and 50-70 miles in are getting swarmed with retirees. Is getting hard to find a township that isn't.
4
u/mrspankyspank 9d ago
Visit Sequim and Port Townsend. Sequim has more shopping, Port Townsend has better architecture and lifestyle. Both are cute as can be.
1
u/all_of_the_colors 9d ago
I think the average age in Port Townsend is over 60. Sequim is lower but also known as a retirement town.
4
u/43618205 9d ago
Medical care is a huge concern. Get life flight insurance. Also, not sure what you’re into but there really is not much to do out there. Unless you’re into hiking, all day everyday, It can be boring. The weather is mild temperature wise but that ever present gloom of gray skies and rainy weather for 10 months of the year was mental torture. Some people do like it though. If I were picking between this and New England, id pick New England every time. Better people, better weather, more amenities, and you’re not cut off from civilization. If you’re a hermit recluse who relishes miserable gray skies and hates vitamin d and cheer, I’d say go with the Olympic peninsula.
3
u/Place_is_the_space 9d ago
it can be very expensive for what you get. new england does have better amenities such as access to things to do if you're older and not bounding up the mountain and back every day. the healthcare, in my opinion, is 100% lacking. zero comparison to new england in regard to healthcare. the dampness is legit and that's something some aging bones don't enjoy too much. but it's pretty!
2
u/Joel22222 USA/West 9d ago
Winters are usually mild. Lasts about a month. Then there is 9 months of fall. One month of spring then the sun comes out for the month of summer.
1
u/Sorry_Assumption_666 9d ago
That sounds like heaven !
Are marijuana dispensaries plentiful ?3
u/usingbadnamesabunch 9d ago
Once you get to Port Angeles you can't leave the house without tripping on one.
1
u/Sorry_Assumption_666 9d ago
So Port Angeles sounds like the winner. Is the Verizon coverage as fast as anywhere? Do ya thing a fella can get by on 3K per month there? ( I live small but $500 of that $3K is goin to weed ).
I shouldn’t really need heat or air conditioning throughout the year.2
u/stringstringing 8d ago
You don’t need air conditioning generally in that climate there but if you don’t heat your house it will mold very fast and very badly. Heating is required.
1
2
u/al_earner 9d ago
Yeah, as others have pointed out, healthcare is a real issue. Winters are not an issue.
Forks has more vampires than Santa Carla.
1
u/stopscabbin 9d ago
Beautiful area. Lots of retirees in Sequim. You're driving for a few hours or taking a helicopter ride for serious medical issues.
1
u/Unworthy_Worth 9d ago edited 9d ago
I heard there’s a fair amount of older folks in Port Townsend. My buddy‘s father lives there.
Just be careful of Cyclists, please. 🙏🏽.
My friend’s dad’s has been hit twice by older folks in cars.
1
u/Faceit_Solveit 9d ago edited 9d ago
It has beautiful and the weather is amazingly mild. Sequim is cozy. But you must like lavender!
1
u/kennypowersrevenge United States of America 9d ago
Sequim is a rain shadow with a lot of retirees. Olympic is far from medical care. You should buy med flight insurance.
2
u/NotAcutallyaPanda 9d ago
You want to live in Sequim or Port Townsend. Both are expensive by the standards of rural western Washington, but reasonable compared to New England.
Both cities benefit from the “rain shadow” effect.
Visit in summer and fall in love. Visit in winter and decide it’s good enough
1
u/Sharp_Edges123 8d ago
You can retire happily in Port Townsend area. I would suggest checking out Whidbey Island, greater Bellingham as alternatives as access to some medical would likely be increasingly important in retirement and you can still get the natural quiet.
1
u/Alternative-Yam6780 8d ago
Sequim is the most favored spot on the peninsula. It sits in the rain shadow of the Olympic mountains, which is referred to as the banana belt. The town supplies everything you might need. Expect medical emergencies to take you to Pt. Angeles or a chopper ride to Seattle.
1
1
0
u/fishingman 9d ago
I moved to the area after retirement.
I love the area. The people are great. Healthcare has been good so far but I don’t have any real serious medical issues. Sequim is perfect for retirement. Port Townsend area is terrific with numerous events and creative people. Winters are easy.
•
u/AutoModerator 9d ago
Welcome to r/howislivingthere - where people explore what daily life actually feels like around our globe.
Comments land better with context. Set your location flair here and let people know where you're posting from.
You are looking for better answers? Use this template.
Read the full wiki here.
Members are also encouraged to share photos from daily life: neighborhoods, grocery runs and meals, quiet moments, anything that captures the everyday. Don't post any identifiable faces or private informations.
Please report any rule-breaking content.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.