This post excerpted from "Retire to Washington" by Rod Sager originally published 3/28/23. This is applicable to the SW Washington Coast which offers so much for retirees including favorable taxes and some of the most reasonably price ocean front on the West Coast.

As a long time veteran real estate agent, I have seen many clients move here or away from here to follow their grand children. In my own personal scenario my wife's parents moved to Vancouver to be close to their grandchildren after growing tired on long travels for visits. It is a powerful force this gravitational tug of baby descendants. I'm feeling it my self as my first grand baby is expected in July. I already want to be closer to my son and daughter-in-law. But Chicago? Not happening.

Washington State has a roaring economy which has been firmly in the top five in the country for more than a decade now. Strong economies produce high paying jobs and lots of opportunity for young people. This in turn draws young families to the region and sometimes draws grandparents as well. 

If you have a child looking at new job opportunities in Portland, OR or Seattle, WA but also looking at other areas, say Illinois, New York, DC, etc. it might not hurt to lean on them a little in favor of the Northwest. Either way you can choose Washington when you follow them and enjoy our top tier retiree situation. Mainly: no state income tax.

I have written ad nauseam about the wonders of Washington State with our diverse geology and climate. The taxes and advantages of Washington laws benefit retirees greatly. Although the west side can be cloudy and drippy it tends to be free of extreme weather. I hate extreme weather. We don't get bitter cold, we don't get super hot, we don't suffer extreme humidity in the summer, we don't get a whole lot of snow in the valleys, and we don't have a lot of natural disasters. These are all great things, and other great things include some of the most spectacular natural scenery in the country, and even a diverse political spectrum with something for everyone left or right. 

So nudge your kids towards the nice job in the Northwest and then pack up and follow them to paradise.