10 Welcoming Towns to Retire in Washington

Have you been looking for a warm, welcoming community in the state of Washington where you can enjoy spending your golden years? With the sprawling beauty of the Pacific Northwest blazing right before your eyes everywhere, its pretty beaches and pine-speckled forests, who said a retiree here cannot live life on the fast lane? The most exciting part is that Washington does not tax retirement income. From Anacortes to Hoquiam, learn more about the most welcoming towns in the state of Washington to retire.

Anacortes

A median age of 48 is one feature of Anacortes that proves its irresistible appeal to retirees. In addition, almost 30% of its population falls into the 65+ category, implying an exceptional social support network. Water is a huge factor here. Anacortes sits at the northern tip of Fidalgo Island and is encircled by the Rosario Strait, Fidalgo Bay, and Similk Bay. It provides access to Cranberry Lake, Heart Lake, Lake Erie, Lake Campbell, Whistle Lake, several trails, including Mount Erie Summit Trail, and numerous white-sand beaches and islands.

Island Hospital, feted with the 2022 Outstanding Patient Experience Award, is at your doorstep and has been serving the region's healthcare needs since 1962. The median listing home price in Anacortes, was $873,000 in July 2024.

Tumwater

Tumwater is a small, clean town with lots of character. Olympia is a next-door neighbor, making Tumwater score big on access to big-city amenities. The town has many mom-and-pop shops, which are excellent shopping venues, as well as big box stores such as Fred Meyer and Walmart Supercenter. Tumwater Timberland Library can be a retiree’s sanctuary, especially for those who love books, while the trout-filled Deschutes River often dabbles up as an excellent whitewater boating venue.

The median listing home price in Tumwater was $560,000 in July 2024. As a comparison, the median listing home price in the state for the same period was $659,925. On healthcare access, Olympia hosts many excellent hospitals, including MultiCare Capital Medical Center, a 2022 recipient of the Patient Safety Excellence Award. Finally, seniors aged 65 and above comprise over 13% of the population.

Gig Harbor

“A quaint town with a beautiful downtown area” is Gig Harbor in a sentence. Yet, that falls short of encapsulating everything a retiree should know about this underrated Washington gem. It is safe, calm, a bit affluent, and conveniently close to the third-largest city in the state — Tacoma. A retiree can lounge on the beach, as long as the weather permits, spend a slow afternoon at the Skansie Brothers Park and Netshed, perhaps just looking at the water, soak up rich history at Harbor History Museum, or wander through the woods at the McCormick Forest Park.

Looking for a good hospital? You don’t have to cross the Narrows Bridge to Tacoma. St. Anthony Hospital, a winner of the 2023 Stroke Care Excellence Award, provides all critical healthcare services. With 26% of the population made up of peers in the same age bracket (65+), the town’s social scene easily meets the needs of seniors. Yet good accommodations sometimes come at a modest cost. In July 2024, the median listing home price in Gig Harbor was $943,000.

Walla Walla

Why rough it out in the middle-of-nowhere when you can spend your golden years sipping red-fruit-loaded Cabernet Sauvignon and moving from Merlots to Syrahs as the tongue beckons? Walla Walla, with its growing reputation for wine culture, is home to several tasty vineyards and tasting rooms, including Foundry Vineyards, The Walls Vineyards, and Seven Hills Winery near downtown Walla Walla. There is the Walla Walla University, which lends the town a vibrant, intellectual climate, and which has been around since 1892. Walla Walla Country Club, with its fast greens, is a superb spot for spending an afternoon with golfing friends.

In addition, the town’s residents aged 65 and above comprise 18% of the population. This means one thing: you will find friends to share experiences with. Finally, Walla Walla is affordable, especially by Washington standards. The median listing home price was just $497,000 in July 2024.

Clarkston

Clarkston is in the easternmost part of Washington, right on the Idaho stateline, and boasts an affordable median listing home price of $386,000 as of July 2024. The Snake River, once home to some of the greatest fish runs on the planet, hugs Clarkston’s eastern boundary and presents several outdoor fun and adventure opportunities. Steep, treeless bluffs also hem the town on either side, curating a look that is austere and breathtaking. A book lover will be a frequent visitor to And Books Too, an excellent bookstore with an impressive selection of good reads. There is also Red Wolf Golf Club, which is in great shape, an awesome aquatic center, and the Rustebakke Veterinary Service, every pet-owner’s wish.

Feeling a bit under the weather? Tri-State Memorial Hospital is right in town and has been serving residents since 1955. On the social side, Clarkston residents aged 65 and above comprise 14% of its population.

Sequim

Small, quiet (for the most part), and sweet, Sequim is ideal for the retiree who likes laid-back settings, not high-tempo scenes. A retiree has access to nice, white-sand beaches, the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, with its beautiful lighthouse — the Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course, whose fairways and greens are in excellent shape — and the Olympic National Park, the area’s cream of the crop. Although one will be close to the Olympic Medical Center, the award-winning Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend is also a short drive away.

In July 2024, the median listing home price in Sequim was $727,500. Residents have a median age of 57, with those aged 65 and above comprising 37% of the population.

Port Orchard

With the Sinclair Inlet, and the sandy beaches that fringe it, Blackjack Creek, the numerous marinas in the area, and the Veterans Living History Museum, the site — not so much of artifacts — but of many heartwarming stories, Port Orchard has a lot going in its favor.

Also, there is the Port Orchard Waterfront Park, with its boardwalk and beach and the many hiking opportunities on the Olympic Peninsula. Moreover, the Emerald City, with its cultural attractions, is just over an hour away. However, Harrison Medical Center-Bremerton is near, so seniors do not have to dash over to Seattle. On the social side, Port Orchard residents aged 65 and above comprise 14% of the town’s population. Finally, in July 2024, the median listing home price in Port Orchard was $600,000, which is a good bargain, considering what the town offers.

Lynnwood

Picture a retirement destination that is just about 20 minutes from downtown Seattle, with its award-winning hospitals and cultural attractions; where one has doorstep access to Alderwood Mall, a 1.3 million square foot shopping center with almost everything a retire will need; where many pretty beaches are at one’s beck and call, and where there is a lake with a boardwalk and nicely maintained trails. That is Lynnwood, a northern suburb of Seattle nestled about 4 miles from Puget Sound. Moreover, there is a small but cozy public library, a veteran museum, and Lynnwood Recreation Centre. You are sure to find like-minded individuals, as Lynnwood residents aged 65 and above comprise 17% of the population.

On healthcare access, the Swedish Edmonds Campus, twice feted with the Patient Safety Excellence Award, is at close quarters. One may not even need to travel over to Seattle. In July 2024, the median listing home price in Lynnwood was $800,000.

Snohomish

You can get lost in all the small businesses in downtown Snohomish, enjoy outdoor action at the Centennial Trail, which meanders through the ancestral lands of the Indigenous Tulalip tribes, float down the Snohomish River, sit down with Charles Dickens at the cozy and spacious Snohomish Library, swim in Blackmans Lake, and paddleboard the Pilchuck River.

For health needs, Providence Regional Medical Center is down the road in Everett, a short, 10-mile drive. Finally, Snohomish residents aged 65 and above comprise almost 20% of the town’s population. Even if one is not a social butterfly, it will be easy to find companions in the same age bracket. For those looking to buy, the median listing home price in Snohomish was $1M in July 2024.

Hoquiam

Once known for its wood and lumber industry, Hoquiam — the earliest permanent white settlement in the Grays Harbor region — is today a small, beautiful town close to the ocean and harbor, and with streams, rivers, and clean parks. There is the Hoquiam River, where one can enjoy floating adventures, and the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, which offers first-class birdwatching experiences. Expect sandy beaches, tasty restaurants, and numerous trails for hiking.

Hoquiam residents aged 65 and above comprise 22% of the population, which means that you can be part of an active social circle. On healthcare access, Harbor Regional Health Community Hospital is right next door in Aberdeen. One of the most welcoming sides to retiring in Hoquiam is that homes fetch a median listing price of just $295,000. By Washington standards, this is a steal.

If retirement means picking up new interests, the Pacific Northwest — with its outdoor adventure opportunities — provides an experience that is hard to beat. However, a retiree still needs a warm and welcoming community, a safe and peaceful neighborhood, and access to desirable amenities, including hospitals. If you are seeking retirement destinations in the state of Washington, especially locations filled with warmth and zest, check out top picks like Walla Walla, Anacortes, and Gig Harbor.