| SAN JUAN ISLANDS-WASHINGTON | | |
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| What San Juan Islands is like for active adults |
If you are one of those people who has always wanted to live on an island, the San Juan Islands are your chance (actually you have 450 chances, although only 4 of the islands have ferry service). Located off the coasts of Washington and British Columbia, the islands are definitely more of a tourist destination than retirement community, although it is possible to live here. The setting, the tranquility, and the scenery are world class.
Orcas is the largest of the San Juans at about 57 square miles and a little over 4,400 residents. Eastsound is the largest town on this island. Other hamlets there include Orcas, West Sound, Deer Harbor, Rosario, Olga, and Doe Bay. Nearby San Juan Island has slightly more residents (6,800). It has the only incorporated town in the islands, Friday Harbor, a quaint and historic fishing village. Life in the San Juans is quiet and tends to center around outdoor activities like hiking, bird and whale watching, kayaking. There is one golf course that we know of. The wintertime is even quieter once the tourists have left.
There is not a lot of real estate for sale and future development is limited. If you live here it will most likely be in an existing home. Nedian home price in 2007 was $443,000 - although there is a considerable range of type of properties.
For a list of profiles of over 300 cities and towns go to retirement community reviews, or for more information on taxes and what it is like to retire in Washington State. Here are our reviews of Bellingham and Walla Walla |
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| What is special about this community |
| • Live on an island
• Incredible scenery and outdoor activities
• Small town charm
• Mount Constitution (1209’ on Orcas Island
• Moran State Park, Obstruction State Park, Madrona Point Park
• Rosario Resort and Spa (on National Register of Historic Places)
• Outstanding boating
• Whale watching
• Aproximada (the Boat Builder)
• San Juan Island National Historical Park, |
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| What is not special about this community |
| The towns are small and these are islands – you have to want to live in a small world, or have another place to escape to. No one wants to see these islands become too developed |
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| What kinds of people like living here |
San Juan Islands attracts a community who want to live in a very small island community surrounded by world class scenery and recreational opportunities.
Use this link for a page that explains the various types of retirement communities |
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| Local economy is driven by |
| Tourism, boating, summer camps |
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| Physical environment |
| San Juan Islands (there about 450 of them, 4 have ferry service) are located in Puget Sound on the east coast of Vancouver Island and to the west of the state of Washington, north of Seattle. The climate is temperate; it rarely gets above 70 degrees in summer, it occasionally snows in winter. The islands get about half the rain of nearby Seattle. |
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| Cultural environment |
| San Juan Islands has many artists in residence as well as art galleries. Camp Indralaya, founded in 1927 by the Theosophical Society, operates year-round on Orcas Island as an experiment in theosophical living. Its program season goes from April to October. The San Juan Historical Museum, the Whale Museum, and the Island Museum of Art are local cultural resources. There is a movie theater in Friday Harbor |
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| Medical facilities |
| The nearest hospital is in on the mainland in Anacortes (29 miles) |
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| Transportation |
| The Washington State Ferry provides daily service to the mainland at Anacortes (WA), with limited service to Sidney (British Columbia). There are daily commercial flights from Orcas Island Airport (Eastsound). |
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Active Adult Communities in San Juan Islands |
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| San Juan Islands Active Communities |
| Facts about SAN JUAN ISLANDS | | State | : WA | | Environment | : Rural,Coastal,Small Town, | | City Population | : Less than 10,000 | | Median age of Population | : 25-44 | | Avg Jan Temperature | : 21-40 | | Median HH Income | : 41,001-60,000 | | Average Home Price (MLS) | : $300,001-$500,000 | | Annual Property Tax on a $200,000 house | : NA | | Total Crime Index | : <80 (Very low) | | Cost of Living Index | : 111-120 (high) | | Culture Index | : 81-90 (low) | | State Sales Tax | : Yes | | State Income Tax | : No | | Name of the Guide | : |
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Vote on the Ratings for San Juan Islands |
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Update Your Ratings |
Overall Retirement Ratings
1. Rating: 3.3/5 ( 4 votes cast)
Expense:
Inexpensive to Luxury
2. Rating: 3.7/5 ( 3 votes cast)
Taxes:
Inexpensive to Expensive
3. Rating: 2.5/5 ( 2 votes cast)
Culture:
None to Cosmopolitan
4. Rating: 2.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
Recreation:
None to Summer camp
5. Rating: 4.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
Transportation:
Boondocks to World Hub
6. Rating: 1.0/5 ( 1 vote cast)
Security:
Dangerous to Ft. Knox
7. Rating: 4.0/5 ( 2 votes cast)
Medical Facilities:
None to Excellent
8. Rating: 2.3/5 ( 3 votes cast)
Political Situation:
Conservative to Liberal
9. Rating: 3.0/5 ( 2 votes cast)
Environmental:
Oblivious to Ultra-Green
10. Rating: 4.0/5 ( 2 votes cast)
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