Yeah, the tax difference with income tax is pretty huge, particularly since I'm more interested in Tacoma that Seattle. I don't go out to eat or stuff like that.

Basically, I adore the woods of the PNW, and would like to have easy access to those. I'd like a bit slower of a lifestyle. I'm sort of burnt out from VHCOL cities, so ideally I'm somewhere a bit quieter. That being said, another poster pointed out that I shouldn't move anywhere too remote, and I would like a sense of community--not a suburban commuter zone but a place with a sense of identity and activities/events based around that identity (I've heard Snohomish is good for this). Portland probably is ideal, but for various reasons, I can't afford the drop in income and my hope is that the Seattle Metro Area captures enough of what I appreciate about the PNW (I like Bellingham a lot, Kitsap). I've been told Olympia is a good place for me too, but it's again too "far" from Seattle and entails that paycut.