Five Places You Can Move In WA To Get…And Stay Away From It All!

No matter where we live, there comes a time when all we really need to do is get away from it all.

Sometimes, however, we find ourselves not only wishing we could get away...but stay away for good!

And so I present you with a tidy list of five places you can move to in Washington State where you can not only get away, but stay away from it all and live a happy life :-)

FORKS

Forks is located on Washington's Olympic Peninsula in Clallum County and is sits along the outskirts of the sprawling Olympic National Rainforest's northwestern edge.

It has a modest population of 3,418 residents (2023 census), all of whom are reportedly human, although the town has gained worldwide popularity for its fictional connection to vampires and werewolves over the past 20 years.

Despite the cost of living in Forks being 34% above the national average and housing being 53% higher than national standards, it still checks in as less expensive than all of the Evergreen State's larger cities.

The average price of a home in Forks is $333,000 and median rents are about $1,200 for a studio apartment and nearly double that for anything with even slightly more living space.

Utilities check in as somewhat cheaper than national averages, but groceries are a bit higher at 8% more, while clothing is about 44% higher.

The average household income in Forks is $70,601, and if you plan to do at least a little more than get by while living there, experts say you'll need to make at least $50,000-$60,000 to be comfortable.

Forks is a fantastic place to get and stay away from it all, with the closest city of at least 10,000 people being 57 miles to the northeast in Port Angeles (pop. 20,101), and the nearest major city (Seattle) some 200 miles to the east.

You'll enjoy rugged, snowcapped mountains and moss-covered forests in Forks, and the beach is only 20 minutes away!

METALINE FALLS

Metaline Falls lies in the northeastern corner of Washington State in Northern Pend Oreille County.

The town is very small, with a population of only 284 people and the neighboring community of Metaline boasting only 167 (that's a total of 451 folks in the not-so-metropolitan Metaline area :-)

You won't need to have much money in your 401K or make a very big paycheck every month to live comfortably in Metaline Falls, since the average rent is less than $600 per month and the average home value is just $241,438.

With gas, groceries and utilities all hovering somewhere around Evergreen State medians, experts say you'll only need to pull in about $24,000 per year or $1,900 a month to live a good life in Metaline Falls.

And as for getting away from it all, you probably couldn't do much better in all of Washington State, since the nearest city of at least 10,000 people (Spokane) is about 100 miles to the south, and the state's only major city (Seattle) lies almost 400 miles away!

You won't have many neighbors in Metaline Falls, but you will enjoy the constant echoes of the rushing Pend Oreille River every moment of the day, along with stunning mountain vistas and access to one of the best kept secrets for recreation in the entire state - Sullivan Lake, which is just a few minutes away!

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DAYTON

Unlike the eponymous city in Ohio that's vastly more well known and boasts a population of over 135,000 people, Washington's Dayton has only 2,510 residents (2023 census).

The charming community rests at the leading edge of the Blue Mountains in the Evergreen State's southeast corner and is the county seat of Columbia County.

Living in Dayton definitely has it upsides when it comes to costs, since it ranks below many national and state averages, including home values which are about $280,000.

While gas, groceries and utilities are more expensive than national standards, they are cheaper than most other places in Washington, and Dayton also offers its population the chance to get away from it all every day.

The nearest city with a population of at least 10,000 people is Walla Walla, which is only a half-an-hour to the southwest, but it's about 270 miles away from the state's biggest metropolis of Seattle.

Life in Dayton keeps a healthy pace compared with the rat races of larger towns in the state like Spokane and even the Tri-Cities, and experts say you'll only need to earn about $35,000 a year to make a really good go of living there.

The town also offers its residents plenty of access to excellent recreational opportunities and the crime rate is very low...welcome home!

KETTLE FALLS

With a population of just 1,656 (2023 census), Kettle Falls is a wonderful place to put some roots down where there aren't too many already crowding its confines.

The town is situated along the Columbia River and its Kettle River tributary, and also features the Colville River running through its boundaries in the northwest part of Stevens County.

Kettle Falls is one of the few places on our list which ranks below both the state and national average for all costs of living, including housing - which averages about $215,000, and rent at less than $500 monthly.

Utilities, gas, and groceries are about the same as you'd pay in larger cities like Yakima or Wenatchee, and Kettle Falls is certainly a great place to get away from it all...and stay away!

The town is about 80 miles away from the nearest city of 10,000 people or more (Spokane), and some 319 miles from the unwanted hustle and bustle of Seattle.

Kettle Falls is an anglers paradise and a mecca for anyone looking for superior water recreation opportunities year-round, since it offers easy access to so many rivers and lakes.

REPUBLIC

Located in the north central part of Washington's Ferry County, Republic is another great place to consider moving if you want to get, and stay away from it all.

With a population of barely 1,000 people, a quaint and historic downtown, and its bucolic setting nestled amongst the pines of the Evergreen State's Colville National Forest, Republic exhibits several traits that have long been synonymous with living away from it all in the best ways possible.

And it's also damn cheap to live there! With average costs that are significantly lower than national and state averages, including homes at $228,000 and monthly rents which are about $650.

Groceries, gas, and utilities won't cost you an arm and a leg, or any other body parts for that matter, and you'll be far removed from the daily races being run in the state's bigger cities by all the human rodents who live there.

Republic is about 125 miles away from both Moses Lake and Spokane, which are the nearest places with a population of at least 10,000 people, and it's well removed from the state's largest metropolis of Seattle, which is almost 300 miles to the west.

Experts say that most people, even those of very modest means could easily retire or live comfortable from month to month in Republic and still be away from it all.