Overall
The scenery, setting, and people make it very popular for baby boomers looking for the best Washington State retireement communities in the Evergreen State. Seattle is the capital and Spokane is the largest city in the eastern part of the state. Washington's cost of living can vary a great deal - Seattle tends to be much more expensive than other parts of the state. The Cascade mountains and an extensive waterfront make for a spectacular setting with extraordinary recreational opportunities. Washington has 3 national parks.
The population is estimated at 6.4 million in 2006, up over 8% since the 2000 census. The Wikipedia entry for Washington has more interesting facts.
Port Townsend Lighthouse 
Best retirement communities in Washington state
Active adults looking for retirement information on the exciting city of Seattle, home of the University of Washington, will find vital information to help them assess that community. Want to live on an island? Check out our profile of the idyllic San Juan Islands.
Port Townsend is especially nice, almost all of the town has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Ellensburg, Kennewick, Wenatchee, Issaquah, and Pasco are also great places. For each community - from interesting Bellingham to ihe interesting small town of Centralia, the college town of Olympia to Walla Walla- you will find community reviews written by active adults, not marketers. Plus you will get a photo, Google Map, and detailed facts about each retirement community in Washington. That includes data about real estate prices, what makes each state community special (or not so special), along with important facts about the cultural, economic, medical, and transportation available in Washington.
Climate
The Washington climate is characterized as Marine West Coast - moist air from the Pacific controls the climate. Year round temperatures are in a fairly narrow band. Washington is known for a lot precipitation, particularly in winter. The Olympic Peninsula has some of the only temperate rain forests in North America.
Economy in Washington
Washington's per capita income at $35,300 is near the top of all U.S. states. Agriculture, hi-tech, and aviation are important to the economy. The median home in the Seattle area sells for $340,000 vs. the national median of $220,000; the cost of living index there is 120 (national index is 100). In Spokane the median home goes for $179,000 and the cost of living index is 94. In Olympia median home price is $199,900 and cost of living index at 99.
Washington Taxes
Washington is tax-friendly for retirees and has no income tax. State sales tax is 6.5%. Total tax burden in Seattle is below average, 7.1%, compared to the median rate for largest U.S. cities.
Certified Retirement Communities
Washington does not have a certified retirement community program.
At Topretirements.com our reason for being is to provide the practical facts and peer-reviewed profiles to help you choose the right retirement community. So if you are considering an
Washington retirement, check out the more than 200 listings on this site. Here is more inside information on retirement living communities in the neighboring states to help you retire in California, Utah, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Hawaii retirement and Wyoming. These links provide insight and data into economic conditions, climate, top communities, and taxes.
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Seattle's Modernistic Congregational Church 
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