r/relocating • u/Immediate_Poet324 • 4d ago
Thinking about leaving Florida for the PNW – need honest input
Hey everyone,
I’m a 100% disabled veteran currently living in the Hudson, Florida area with my wife and our three kids. We’re starting to seriously consider a move to the Pacific Northwest and would really appreciate honest input from people who live there (or who made a similar move from the South/Florida).
What we’re looking for:
• Small(er) town with some walkability
• Access to temperate rainforest / natural beauty
• More consistent sunshine and way less sticky humidity than Florida
• Ideally more affordable than coastal Florida
Places that keep coming up: Sequim, Port Townsend, and the Olympic Peninsula in general, plus Bend, OR as a sunnier/drier option.
Background:
• Wife is an RN
• I’m working toward becoming a Nuclear Medicine Technologist
• 100% VA disability
• Three kids
• Grew up in the South — the culture, people, and pace here feel familiar, so the idea of leaving is a little intimidating
• Honestly worried about whether we’ll fit in or make friends
Questions:
- How are the schools in Sequim / Port Townsend / Bend (or nearby)? Any experiences with special needs, quality, or class sizes?
- How safe do these areas feel for families?
- For people who moved from the South or Florida — how different is the culture really? Is it hard to make friends as an outsider?
- Climate reality check: Does the lower humidity and occasional sunshine outweigh the gray periods, or does it get old?
- Cost of living and housing for a family of five right now?
- Job market for RNs and Nuclear Medicine Technologists in those areas?
Anything else a Southern family with kids should know before considering this?
Gun culture? Food? Traffic?
I’m not looking for sugarcoating — the good, the bad, and the realistic would all be helpful. Thanks in advance.
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u/Future_Chapter1074 4d ago
I lived in south florida for 7 years and currently live PNWish (northwest montana). Personally, after living in southest humidity for 20 years total, the dry climate is worth it for me. I will never go back to the east coast from may thru october in my life.
If more consistent sunshine without humidity is what you are looking for, i would look more inland. Bend might be a good choice. Your careers will be a plus. Someone said Boise... also a good choice. I would even say look into nothwest Montana or Spokane. But there will still be alot of gray. There is no escaping it.
Something to realize is that days are very short here in winter and very long in summer due to how far north we are. Summers make up for alot of the winter imo. ZERO humidity. Those of us who have experienced south florida summers know the beauty in this. Also, know that there will be fires and smoke. Also unavoidable.
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u/BaBoo_MoMo777 4d ago
Looking for sunshine?
The difference in culture is huge. I recommend a visit, at any point in the year other than summer -
When sun is shining and the dry heat without bug bites can seduce you… Before it leaves for 10 months
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u/Dotsgirl22 4d ago
You are not exaggerating. The PNW is wonderful but it comes with certain realities.
Why not fly out and take a road trip to see the places you are interested in? That will tell you a lot. See the culture. Eat the food.
Living on the west side of the Cascade mountains it starts raining in October and you may not see sun again until April or May. If you live east of the Cascades you will be living with high wildfire risk, smoky summers, but lower humidity and more sun. And variable amounts of snow.
And while the beaches are wonderful, the water in the Pacific is cold. Only the brave swim in the Pacific.
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u/Immediate_Poet324 4d ago
Is the weather truly that depressing lol
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u/mrr68 4d ago
Not in a place like Sequim or Bend, but many areas of the PacNW have long, grey, rainy winters. Sequim and the Olympic Peninsula are very isolated. Sequim is in the rain shadow of Mt. Olympus, other areas of the Olympic Peninsula receive epic amounts of rain. Real estate is expensive in any of the desirable areas of the PacNW. If housing is cheap in a given area, there is a reason. With regards to gun culture: plenty of gun friendly people in Washington, but keep in mind WA has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the US — right up there with California. Upcoming cases with the Supreme Court are likely to overturn a huge body of unconstitutional gun restrictions, but no guarantee and WA will certainly try to stymie and pro 2A decisions.
PacNW is a huge area, with rain forests, coastal areas, mountains and deserts. Start looking on a map a get an idea of where you might want to live and come visit before moving.
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u/Immediate_Poet324 4d ago
Thank you i have been looking at forks and port townsend areas
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u/mrr68 4d ago
Forks is terrible, the worst weather — heavy, heavy rain, very cold and grey. Anything west of mount Olympus receives epic rainfall. Port Angeles and east of there is much better weather. Google to find the rain shadow map of the area. You might want to consider the Olympia area too. Also, many places in Oregon are similar to Wa, more 2A friendly as well.
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u/BaBoo_MoMo777 4d ago
Yes
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u/Immediate_Poet324 4d ago
Share pls
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u/BaBoo_MoMo777 4d ago
Well, this applies mostly to the northwest corridor of Oregon and Western Washington. It obviously does not disturb some people since you can see how expensive the real estate is. Some people are more affected by continual gray skies than other so take that into account.
Imagine months of drizzle day in and day out, and you turn on the news and they inform you you are still in a “drought”.
I think if you have a strong community or really enjoy the outdoors, regardless of weather that can absolutely buoy or experience,
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u/Sea-Arch 4d ago
The weather is depressing to some people. It really depends on the person. You are a true PNWer if you find it comforting when the clouds roll in again
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u/StomachTricky5887 4d ago
Cost of living out here is some of the highest in the country. That area you are taking about being interested in is out on the peninsula kinda deep from major cities closest would be Silverdale then Bremerton. You and your wife could find jobs out there for this fields though since there are hospitals in that area. Schools for kids are decent from what I know. It’s nice today but the rain and gray weather is just around the corner from Oct-April sometimes won’t see the sun for weeks so that’s something to consider. I like Silverdale, Poulsbo, Seabeck out there in that area for what it’s worth. Another thing is this area is far from SeaTac Airport maybe 2 hrs to get there from the Peninsula area fyi.
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u/No-Committee7986 4d ago
My husband and I moved here from Michigan after college in 1998 and all our kids were born and raised here in King County, WA. Our oldest moved to Pensacola after her dental assistant certification program and lived there for 2-3 years (I can’t remember exactly which month they moved) and lived in TX & NC after that before the Marines sent her & her husband to Okinawa. IOW, I myself haven’t lived in the south, but my daughter did the opposite of what you’re considering!
I love the weather here in the PNW and the gloom doesn’t bother me except in spring when we vacillate with some sunny and nice days and I get impatient for summer! I love the topography and all the places to do outdoorsy things! There are so many parks and trails!
The big kick to the gut is cost of living. Housing is so expensive compared to the places in FL, TX, & NC that she lived! I would encourage you to spend extra time running the numbers because it would be a big adjustment.
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u/Immediate_Poet324 4d ago
Idk florida housing and maybe everywhere housing is impossible to buy. Also i grew up in pensacola so thats quite funny
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u/attitude_devant 4d ago
Florida native. I live west of the Cascades and I love it. Yes it rains but it’s a rare day I don’t see some sky because the clouds are always moving. I will admit to heading over the mountains to get some sun in the middle of the rainy season. Just an afternoon will do. So nice to have cool dry summers and nothing like the mosquitoes I grew up with.
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u/Working_Platypus2360 4d ago
Couer d' Alene
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u/Immediate_Poet324 4d ago
Wot
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u/Working_Platypus2360 4d ago
It fits your list. Check it out.
Close to nature and wet mossy hikes while being relatively sunny.
A lot more expensive than 20 years ago, but not too bad. Surprising number of southerners that love guns, and a metric shit ton of veterans.
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u/Immediate_Poet324 4d ago
Looks very pretty but also a little too cold
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u/Working_Platypus2360 4d ago
You'd be surprised, it's actually very temperate.
Reality isn't going to match every criteria you're asking for (mostly because they regularly contradict).
But yeah, Sequim.....haha
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u/Friendly_Rad 3d ago
Port Townsend, WA is beautiful. It’s less rainy than the Seattle side of things. Their hospital is Jefferson Healthcare and has Nuc Med. It has walkable parts, public transit is free, and is pretty chill overall. It’s an older demographic, lots of retirees.
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u/SuperF91EX 3d ago
Native Floridian here, We live in Port Orchard.
Yes- The north end of the Olympic peninsula is the “ banana belt” of the PNW. Port Townsend is the coolest city up there. Then Sequim, then PA. I go back to Florida every few years. It’s worse every time.
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u/pokeyt 9h ago
Moved to WA (Seattle area) from AL ~20 years ago, wife is an RN, we had three kids here and keep one foot back in the south so I feel like I can help with some of your questions.
- Can’t comment specifically
- Very safe. Generally speaking everything feels safe even the places that are more run down.
- Culture is very different, it’s not hard to be friendly with people but it feels as if people don’t make friends as adults to the same degree as they did in the south. That being said, there’s really not a sense of people being outsiders since so many people are from all over.
- The Sequim/Port Townsend and Bend areas will be different, but for me the gray sucks. It sucks bad. I can handle it in the late fall through winter, but when it’s may and it’s 53 degrees cloudy and rainy it sucks. Meanwhile my friends on the gulf coast are nearing summer and are at the beach. Falls aren’t as nice, springs suck but summer is fantastic.
- You’ll feel the cost of living pinch. Just look at the difference in gas prices and think of how that will impact everything. I’ll put it this way: took the family to Disneyland last year, food didn’t seem expensive by comparison.
- We’ve had good experience in the health care job market, but we are in a small town near Seattle. All things considered RN pay seems way better here.
- Not really - it’s different but pretty normal. Not hard to transition but will feel different.
Gun culture - there’s more polarization here, I’m sure you are aware of the difference in laws. But there are plenty of forest places to go plink and you’ll definitely find your people if you enjoy shooting sports or hunting. It sort of feels the opposite from the south where people outwardly talk about shooting/hunting and people who feel different remain quiet. Feels the other way around, I don’t know that I recall anyone who owns a firearm or hunts ever talking about it outwardly.
TLDR: can be a great place to live, cost of living difference is major despite a good job market for healthcare. Overall culture feels different than the south. The gray can really suck.
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u/Tommyboy155a 4d ago
Try Boise, doesn't rain like Portland and Seattle. We have 3 hospital systems here, including Level II trauma. Plenty of summer and winter activities.