Project Description
Washington is a great place to live in the Pacific Northwest and that’s probably why people are flocking to the area from all over the United States. Incomes in the area are higher than the national average, which brings all sorts of workers to live in the area. Increasingly, as tech companies and their employees escape the high real estate prices in California, they are coming to Washington to live and work. With tons of high profile companies like Amazon, Starbucks and Costco being based in the state, all sorts of interesting and unique people are drawn here. There is a deep reserve of tech workers and their support staff in the state already, and it’s only growing.
The population of Washington state is also growing, as people come to work in exciting new positions at these companies. According to the US census bureau, it’s estimated that more than 7.1 million people live in the state, compared with 6.7 million back in 2010. What has brought more than 400,000 people running? One major factor is that the real estate prices are much lower than they are in nearby states like California. The average price for a home is $296,000 according to real estate website Zillow, while the average home price in California is about $463,000. For many people, owning their own home is just not a viable at those California prices, so they move to beautiful Washington state to turn their dreams of homeownership into reality.
Most people who move to the state appreciate that Washington has no tax on income, meaning that the state doesn’t take anything of the money that you make throughout the year. The statewide sales tax is pretty low compared to other states at 6.5% as well, so people in the state enjoy a respite from high taxes on their income and purchases. Meanwhile, other Pacific states like California have higher taxes, with up to 13.3% of your income being taxed when April 15th rolls around, depending on how much you’ve made that year.
The climate of the state is one that can’t be beat. California is in trouble with a big drought right now, which makes the hot climate even more difficult and unpleasant. Washington State is not in a drought right now, in fact, it has plenty of rainfall to make your garden grow, and to create beautiful waterfall backdrops for hikes in the plentiful nature areas of the state. The climate is also not as hot, which makes it easier to enjoy life at the pace you want. Residents typically save money on utilities because they don’t have to use air conditioning all that much.
Washington State has all of the charm of the Pacific Northwest with all of the qualities that make it a sound business decision for any family to come to the state and set down some roots. If you’ve always wanted invest in a property, Washington state could be the perfect place to make it happen. With no income tax and low real estate prices in beautiful areas, you can’t go wrong. Real estate prices are rising, and people keep coming at exponential rates.
