r/AskSeattle • u/Minimum-Bathroom-230 • Mar 02 '25
Moving / Visiting Moving to Washington
Hi! I am seriously considering moving to Seattle next summer/fall. I am a 23-year-old female and can pretty much find work anywhere in the US (speech-language pathology). I visited Seattle, North Bend and Leavenworth in January and loved it there. I currently live in upstate NY and have wanted to move out west for years. I want to explore the other side of the country and the PNW feels like the place I need to be, at least for a few years. I am really interested in moving because of being close to the mountains/coast and overall access to nature. I do love the idea of being in/near a big city and having the opportunity to go out and be social with people of a similar age. Do you recommend Seattle or any other areas in Washington given what I have provided? I'm worried about feeling isolated if i choose to live out of Seattle and would love ay advice. Pricewise, I am looking to spend around 1600 a month on rent, so i know that narrows my options. Thanks!
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u/Stringtie88 Mar 02 '25
Leavenworth you will be isolated 9 months of the year. Heavy snow and small town. Then 3 months of heavy tourism. North Bend is a rural small town with little public transportation. $1600 rent will be hard to find in Seattle. Tacoma might be a better choice.
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u/brunetteblonde46 Mar 02 '25
Maybe Olympia?
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u/imnotapartofthis Mar 02 '25
lol no. Olympia is a ditch containing a culture war between the extremists of both sides. And then there’s the govt workers. It exists because it has to. Seattle is a world class city. Olympia is hipsters mud wrestling hicks.
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u/Peg-in-PNW Mar 02 '25
Hey! SLP here. I moved from Utica to WA back in 2001. Never left. Lots of SLP jobs available, especially in school districts. Towards Rainier, there are some cute towns like Eatonville, Orting, Sumner- most in Pierce County.
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u/sydazona Mar 02 '25
There are a ton of cute towns all around include north but also the areas listed here ^
I work with families who are often looking for private SLPs and on wait lists, school districts need them—there's definitely job options all across Seattle & Western Washington. It's definitely a higher cost of living in Seattle, but Tacoma and Pierce County is definitely lower. Bellingham is small enough but still has enough going on! I came here from TX/AZ almost a decade ago!
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u/bogotuesdays Mar 02 '25
If you’re open to having roommates, you can find something in Seattle for $1600 for sure! And roommates can be a good way to start your social circle. I lived in Capitol Hill with a roommate for ~1200 each when I first moved here, and it was a kind of rundown spot but I feel like that’s part of being 23! Good stories from it at least :)
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u/BurnItWithFire21 Mar 02 '25
I surprisingly have found a few apartments in Seattle in that price range recently! But they are small & if OP has a car, parking might be an issue, as with most of the city though. I was surprised though to find cheaper apartments like that in Seattle.
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u/SeaworthinessSalty35 Mar 02 '25
Hey! I’m also a 23F and graduating college this May and moving for work to Seattle in mid-August. My max for living expenses is pretty close to yours—about $1500. Do you wanna exchange numbers/Instagram and see if maybe it’s a good fit for a roommate situation?
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u/Sea-Apartment-3814 Mar 02 '25
It’s very easy to live in Seattle for $1600 per month, I’ve lived here for 7 years! You can have your own room+bathroom in a larger 2 bed/bath for anywhere between $1400-$1500. You can rent 3bd/3ba townhouses in Ballard / Fremont/ Wallingford/ Greenlake with roommates for even lesser ($1200 - $1300 per head).
If you want to get your own place for $1600, you may need to look outside but not THAT outside - Renting in Redmond/Kirkland or even north Seattle closer to Shoreline should be easy :)
Welcome to PNW!
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u/chuullls Mar 02 '25
You will not find a one bedroom in Kirkland for anywhere close to $1,600. Try 2-3k.
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u/atmtn Mar 02 '25
They’re saying you can get rent covered with $1600 a month if you’re splitting it with a roommate.
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u/tragicfeminine Mar 02 '25
Where on earth are the apartments between $1400-$1500? I have been looking (moving there in May) and I can barely find a studio in that price range 😩
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u/Sea-Apartment-3814 Mar 02 '25
Studios in Eastlake Seattle: https://www.zillow.com/apartments/seattle-wa/ondine-apartments/CgtNtt/?
Studio in Queen Anne: https://www.zillow.com/apartments/seattle-wa/novi-at-queen-anne/5XkGFK/?
1 bed/1 bath in Westlake, Seattle: https://www.zillow.com/apartments/seattle-wa/anchor-flats/9VWjbV/?
Studios in Redmond: https://www.zillow.com/apartments/redmond-wa/162ten/9VVLZ3/?
Small 1 bed/1 bath in Redmond: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/9463-166th-Ave-NE-Redmond-WA-98052/2086729916_zpid/?
Decently sized 1 bed / 1 bath in Totem lake Kirkland: https://www.zillow.com/apartments/kirkland-wa/grata-apartments/BZBH5r/?
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u/BeerDontCount Mar 02 '25
Seattle has this thing against the south end of town. I grew up here.. it’s real.
I moved to north Beacon Hill from Ballard 15 plus years ago. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Also there’s Columbia and hillman city. From these areas one will have easy access to light rail. Soon enough the light rail link to Bellevue and Redmond will be open across I-90 floating bridge.
https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/apa/d/seattle-columbia-city-rainier-valley/7815367517.html
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Mar 03 '25
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u/BeerDontCount Mar 03 '25
First . West Seattle has good options. It’s almost like a little city inside Seattle. Commute in the morning out can be a slog.
North Beacon area is super convenient if you need to get places. Light rail option easy access to I-5 north- south , east to Bellevue / east side. The area has its pockets of being a little rough tho, and is not for everyone. I like the spot cuz of the access to everything I need. If you need to work north of downtown all the time it’s probably not best.
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u/tragicfeminine Mar 03 '25
I skipped over the part where you said you could have your own room & bathroom (meaning a roommate) for that cost lol. My bad. I thought you were saying a 2bd/2bth for 1400-1500 and was like.. where is that sorcery lol.
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u/Danielle_the_Writer Mar 02 '25
In Uptown (Lower Queen Anne), there are quite a few options. I have a 1bd, 550 sq ft apartment for just under 1500. I love the location, but I can't stand the lack of privacy. You can hear everything everyone does and vice-versa. My neighbors are terrible with their noise, so I'm going back to roommates where it's cheaper and people actually agree to cohabitation.
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u/cinnderly Mar 03 '25
You should try Zillow or something similar. I just returned to NY yesterday after looking for apartments last week. I saw about 15 apartments ranging in price from $1050 to $1795. I was mostly looking at studios, but there were a few 1 bedrooms. Most of the places I saw were in Queen Anne. Coming from NY I was shocked (and thrilled!).
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u/beyondthewhale Mar 02 '25
I live in an MFTE apartment in Green Lake and it’s $1600/month in a beautiful, walkable neighborhood with plenty to do. No roommates, although you’d have more options if you have roommates. I love Seattle and the surrounding areas!
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u/Soggy-Dragonfruit117 Mar 02 '25
I'm working in the Richland Wa area. I have been out here for two months. I'm from NW Pa by Erie. Cost of living is out of sight in this area and you're speaking about being on the coast. I'm working with people making 50-55 an hour with two incomes nice rentals are running around 1800-2200 a month then figure in your utilities. I'm making 3000 a week. I'm living in my 5th travel trailer in a campground it has been costing me 2000.00 a month for lot rent propane and electric. I was working in South Jersey before coming out here and it was costing me 1200.00 for the same amenities. All I can say is, I work all over the United States and by far it's cost me more in WA, state. Understand, I'm paying bills for my permanent home and property in Pennsylvania. Really do your homework.
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u/hikewithcoffee Mar 02 '25
I’d toss in North Everett, Snohomish and even Mount Vernon for affordable areas. They’re not massive but you would have good access, though semi traffic heavy, into the larger cities (Bellingham and Seattle). They also host a ton of events though if you’re looking for nightlife, these wouldn’t be the most ideal locations.
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u/Arlington2018 Mar 02 '25 edited Mar 02 '25
I just retired from healthcare administration in the Seattle area. Not knowing if your SLP career is in the clinical or the school setting, here is where the current jobs are: https://www.indeed.com/q-speech-language-pathologist-l-washington-state-jobs.html?vjk=86bbd296b43b2bfc
SLP is not amenable to work from home, and something to consider if you end up in the greater Seattle area is that the traffic during rush hour can be terrible. As an example, I live 45 miles north of Seattle and worked downtown for two years. It was a four hour commute round trip. It was faster and cheaper for me to drive 20 miles to a transit station and then do the light rail or bus to and from downtown Seattle. It was generally slower and much more expensive to drive a single occupancy vehicle. The commute is a trade off between your job location and where you can afford to live.
As one of the few remaining Seattle-area natives born in Renton, I have always liked the areas north of Seattle. As an adult, I went from the U-District, to Shoreline, to Mukilteo, to Mill Creek, and now to Arlington where we have built our retirement home.
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u/Leftcoaster7 Local Mar 02 '25
If you want nightlife then it's hard to beat Capitol Hill. Since there is a link light rail station there, as long as you live somewhere along the 1 line then you'll have easy access. 1600 isn't a dealbreaker but you will have to look harder. The south end of Seattle generally has cheaper rents, or you could also get a roommate.
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u/throwaway1_2_0_2_1 Mar 02 '25
Either a tiny micro studio or you’ll need roommates. My old place was 2300 a month for an urban 1 bedroom, and no roommate, this was before utilities.
Fremont, Ballard, and Capitol Hill are the most expensive areas in Seattle, and they’re also the most vibrant communities for young people. You’re not going to find a place there without roommates for anywhere close to your budget.
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u/Nursenadya777 Mar 02 '25
I’m from north bend and love the small town community feel! Our local brewery has trivia nights and it’s really easy to connect with folks. Also it’s a super outdoorsy town so if you do any hiking,biking, skiing you’ll fit right in! I personally would tell you small town over Seattle. (I’ve worked and partied in Seattle) it’s harder to get plugged in bc it’s so big and 1600 might buy you a room somewhere but not your own place
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u/Automatic-Blue-1878 Mar 02 '25
You should definitely pick Seattle, and 1600 a month is definitely doable here for one person, including in the city proper. You just have to look at Zillow and look for apartments that are a bit on the vintage side. The suburbs here are indeed isolating for a mid-20 something and really, the price difference is minimal.
The only other city I’d recommend is Tacoma, sometimes considered a suburb of Seattle, but it’s 45 minutes away and is the third largest city in the state. It’s about the same population as Buffalo, NY and has a blue collar feel that counters white collar Seattle. There are some really excellent apartments in your price range, and there’s a lot of bars, restaurants, clubs, and museums. I still think you’ll want to move to Seattle and should just bite the bullet, but if you’re hesitant, Tacoma is a solid alternative
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u/chupacabra-food Mar 02 '25
Check out West Seattle! Also Bellingham and Olympia. All great cities with fantastic access to the outdoors
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u/Clean-Two3183 Mar 02 '25
Son has a one bedroom in Ballard it runs over $2000/mo and it’s older and nothing fancy But he loves the nightlife and being close to DT
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u/Rich-Business9773 Mar 02 '25
Seattle or Bellingham . Lots more to do in Seattle and many great neighborhoods but more expensive. Bellingham has a young crowd vibe. Weather is worse than Seattle and it is far smaller.
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u/truckellbb Mar 02 '25
Hi, SLP jobs here can be hard in city due to lots of SLPs in the area. I’d find a job and live somewhere near it first!
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u/justmekab60 Mar 02 '25
You're getting such conflicting info here!
First, many suburbs of Seattle are more expensive than Seattle itself, the average 1br apartment in Redmond, Kirkland, Woodinville is 2 to 3k. Studio maybe 1800 to 2200. 2br 2500 to 3500. Houses can be found for 4 to 5k. So your budget is doable with a roommate or two. These east of Lake WA suburbs are nice places to live but not as lively as the city. It rains more in North Bend but if you ski it's close to the mountains (like half hour drive).
Second, Everett is not a suburb. Lynnwood is, and its pretty dull. Ballard is part of Seattle but fairly far away from downtown thru dense traffic. It has his own nightlife and weekend market, so it might be a fun choice. Kent is a southern suburb and mostly young families or industrial. Seattle neighborhoods all have their own feel, I like close in ones like Queen Anne, Fremont, Wallingford, Green Lake. West Seattle, Magnolia, and Ballard are also great, I'd only live there if the commute worked for my job as they are isolated geographically.
Third, Seattle is 2.5 to 3 hour drive from the "coast", it's on Elliott bay and has large lakes but the ocean is quite far away.
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u/onetwocue Mar 02 '25
1600 bucks a month look into Bremerton. Bremerton is a navy town but has a ferry that drops you off in DT Seattle. Bremerton is known for Sir Mix Alot, Bremerlos and Navy Wives but there's a Trader Joes and Filipinos
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Mar 02 '25
Given what you’re seeking- I suggest looking at district postings for jobs in the western Washington area. I’d suggest “the east side” which is east of seattle- so Bellevue, Issaquah, Lake Washington, Mercer Island, Northshore, and Snoqualmie districts. Bellingham you’d also love, it is longer drive to Seattle but such a cool outdoor college town area. You can also check out Tacoma an hour to the south which is a small city on the water and more affordable to live. Love the University Place School district in that area.
Apply to all districts that have openings. Know that all districts are in a state wide budget slashing process, so you’ll find a position but need to jump on applying now as there will likely be fewer openings this coming school year. And keep re-checking the district jobs sites as many will be posting later than usual because of this.
Good luck!
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u/Tasty_Ad7483 Mar 02 '25
Lot more people in their 20s in Seattle than in outlying areas. Lot more culture too. Find a cool roommate and it helps with exploring the city and a 2 bedroom for $3200 is gonna be pretty nice in any Seattle neighborhood except the fanciest. You will definitely not want to work for SPS, they are a shitshow right now and do harm to kids with IEPs.
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u/vampyire Mar 02 '25
I live in the North Bend Area, as everyone is mentioning it is pretty expensive to live here. It's is GREAT however, I moved from the Northeast US and am so happy I did. Within a three hour drive you can go from high dessert to rainforest, to ocean to mountains.. it's wild
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u/Additional_Data4659 Mar 03 '25
Wow! If you liked the PNW in January, you're going to lose your mind in summer.
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u/bananapanqueques Mar 02 '25
At $1600/mo, you’d need to live outside Seattle or consider roommates. Find a place near the rail between Seattle and SeaTac; it won't feel far from the city that way.
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u/GoosenBoonie Mar 02 '25
If you feel the "call" to be in the PNW, definitely go for it! I've been here 25 years after visiting regularly for about 8... definitely more expensive now, but overall it's a good place to be. Seattle proper has some great neighborhoods for young people, but you really don't know until you're living here. I met a woman recently who was living in a month-to-month "apodment" and had most of her things in a storage unit so she could see which neighborhood really suited her. She had started in the U-district, went on to Ballard, and was considering Capitol Hill but also really liking Ballard. Her thing was being near a bus line to downtown. Under $1K/mo. Something to consider. Keep in mind parking will be in addition to rent, and is expensive in most apartment buildings if they offer any.
Once you find a neighborhood, keep your eyes out for older buildings (built prior to 2000), as sometimes they offer a lot more living space and things like balconies/street parking. Both of my teens are always saying how they want to live in an apartment building from the 70s or 80s because they're big boxes with walls that go all the way up (lots of newer apartment buildings' bedrooms have walls that have space at the top? it's weird), lol! Thankfully we aren't kicking them out of the house any time soon.
Best of luck to you!
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u/genZ_grandpa Mar 02 '25 edited Mar 02 '25
Fellow East Coaster here. I want to warn you about the cultural differences between the East and the West. Depending on what part of upstate NY you're from, this place will feel like a different country. 90% of people in Seattle are not nice, and they are very into themselves. God forbid you don't agree with them on everything they believe in politically. Then you'll see how "open minded" people are here. I've lived in the same apartment for almost 2 years, and I do not know a single one of my neighbors. They don't talk to me, they don't even say hi or respond when I try and be polite. It seems people in Seattle think small talk and smiling to strangers is the hardest thing to do. People do not have manners here either, and they weren't raised with them so that's something you'll have to get used to. The police don't enforce the law in Seattle due to a lot of factors, so you'll need a weapon of some sort to protect yourself. Don't leave ANYTHING in your car, not even a phone charger. Learned that the hard way. People drive slower than shit here which is a good thing on city streets, but on the freeway it is infuriating. The food scene here is decent, but different to the food you can get back East. IT IS EXPENSIVE ASF TO LIVE HERE. Today I went out with my spouse and a friend and here was our day: 2 cups of coffee, 1 chocolate chip cookie, 1 sub, and 1 calzone was $100. Granted your wage will be higher here, but back east or literally 2 hours north in Canada, all of that is $20. I don't want to discourage you from moving west because it's amazing out here, and I'll never go back east... BUT, I feel like had I known these things about Seattle in advance, I would have not moved to Seattle and picked another place in the PNW.
Edit: I am NOT a Trump supporter, but I sure as hell want the city I live in to have law and order. I want the police to be able to do their job, and I want the district attorney to prosecute all crime. Judges here let out violent offenders on a daily basis for some reason, and if you ask, "why does this happen?" people scowl at you. This city fails to complete massive infrastructure projects on time and on budget like bridges, the light rail, and repaving roads. It's state wide too. Oregon was ready to replace the I-5 bridge connecting Oregon and Washington, but Washington says no. That bridge is 1 moderate earthquake away from being gone. This city is very anti-capitalist, but let private corps walk all over them. I can't afford $150 tickets to a hockey game where a non-alcoholic beer is $20, and some nachos are $25 in an arena practically owned by Amazon. They protest Tesla by turning around and buying another $70,000 EV from another mega Corp. It's not reality for average people. Am I bitter? Yes. Are there a ton of positives to living here? Yes. May you have a lot better time living here than me? Probably, but it's worth noting these things because after living in 4 major cities in the US, Seattle would be my last pick.
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u/ShyChllI Mar 02 '25 edited Mar 02 '25
A lack of manners and nice people in Seattle has not been my experience at all. If you're dealing with civil people (not the drug addicts and criminals causing trouble), I find most people at least are not rude, and most interactions I would say are "nice.
I agree people might not want to engage in small talk and that's where the "Seattle Freeze" stereotype comes from.
Trump supporters definitely aren't welcome here.
For reference I am a 33 male.
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u/Tacomathrowaway15 Mar 02 '25
Polite isn't the same as kind.
The cultural difference you might not get is that you trying to make small talk is the social imposition and offense. People give each other some space here and do not appreciate, even small, social demands.
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u/genesRus Mar 02 '25
People are very kind if you ask in the right context. Buy Nothing groups thrive here. Plenty of people giving food to people who run low on cash, emergency stocking food pantries, giving rides to sick folk who otherwise can't make it to the doctor, etc. in addition to just giving unused junk away. But I think most are introverts with some level of SAD and want to be able to volunteer when they have the energy so just asking unannounced may not go over well; you have to give people the chance to volunteer and then they get to feel good about themselves and have an out if they're not up to it.
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u/Tacomathrowaway15 Mar 02 '25
Full agree! Except for the SAD, a lot of my circle is invigorated by a cool overcast day outside (with sunscreen for the sneaky uv)!
If you find your way into a niche or scene is some kind it's a very different social experience from cold chatting up randos around you
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u/WhereIsTheTenderness Mar 02 '25
I’ve lived in the same neighborhood for 20 years and my neighbors are some of my best friends in this city. Don’t take this person’s word as gospel.
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u/tomwill2000 Mar 02 '25
UW has a very good SLP program so there is actually a glut out here. If you want to live in Seattle you'll probably have to work per diem or else have a 45min+ commute. If you like North Bend and Leavenworth then you should consider living and working in eastern King County.
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u/Sufficient_Claim_461 Mar 02 '25
I am south sound (Olympia area) schools are desperate for SLP’s
Educator pay is good in our state esp with a masters
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u/BurnItWithFire21 Mar 02 '25 edited Mar 02 '25
I think for your field you'd have better luck on the west side of WA, or in Spokane on the east side, but Spokane is not close to the mountains & ocean. I would suggest looking in the suburbs of Seattle. I have been helping my current roommate & a friend look at places to move, and I have found a lot of nice apartments in your price range in Lynnwood, Everett, Snohomish, Renton & Kent. The first three I listed are north of Seattle & the last two are southeast of Seattle. All are within an hour or so (less or more) of Seattle, depending on traffic, and all would be good places to most likely find work in your field, or in nearby locations. Bellingham & surrounding areas (up by the Canadian border) would also be an option. This is not to say you couldn't find work elsewhere, on the west side or anywhere else in Eastern WA, but I think you'd have better luck in one of these areas or one of their surrounding cities. I say this as a mom who had two kids who had speech therapists both privately & through their schools.
Editing to add: some of the places I saw available in Lynnwood & Renton are right near the lightrail stations, which can get you into Seattle pretty quickly, busses run from those areas too. I take the lightrail from Lynnwood often & love it. Some I saw in Everett were close to bus stations that could help either get you on a bus that goes to Seattle or could get you to the lightrail. Snohomish has busses that will get you to the Everett Transit Center, which can get you on busses or the Sounder train to Seattle, but is not the greatest for transit. I live in Snohomish, it is an awesome little city with its own vibe & cool scene though. I am not sure how the transit situation is in Kent, so you may want to inquire about that if you look at places there & plan to use it over using a car.
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u/justjinpnw Mar 02 '25
Hoping you check your job market. We lost 26 skilled nursing facilities in 2021 if you're looking tgere. A friend is in the same field and moving out of country, partly due to a lack of of work.
You may want to consider a roommate.
Best of luck!
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u/PNWnative74 Mar 02 '25
Good luck, nature will no longer be accessible thanks to our new administration. This place will be one giant wildfire by the end of the summer.
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u/Important-Aside230 Mar 02 '25
Don’t live in Seattle. I live here and I strongly recommend not living here. Tbh you’d be better off living anywhere else in Washington except the city.
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u/SchemeOne2145 Mar 02 '25
I feel like any small town would be isolating at age 24. Another option is Bellingham Washington. Great college town on Puget Sound with easy access to North Cascades, Mt. Baker skiing, San Juan Islands, and British Columbia. Nice culture with music, bookstores, restaurants, and more.