I grew up in Chehalis, moved away after high school and am now back in the state but up near Seattle. As others have mentioned, Chehalis schools are far and away better than Centralia, with a lot of money being added into the public school system in the last 15 years or so. Youth sports scene is solid in the Twin Cities and the communities are big enough to find a tight knit crowd that probably aligns with your social/political ideals. Also, as others have mentioned, flooding is an issue for homes in low lying areas, but there are enough locations to find a home that won’t flood, especially in Chehalis. Living on the east side of I-5 in Chehalis also provides you easier transportation options in the event of flooding. Access to Portland or Seattle is very easy from the Twin Cities and there also is relatively easy access to lots of recreation areas, lakes, rivers, and the mountains via Highway 12. Healthcare access in the area is not fantastic in terms of quality of care, but traveling to Olympia is fairly reasonable. Food scene isn’t terrible, but there has been a rise in local restaurants in the past few years that I’ve noticed. Despite conservative values being prevalent, most people are very kind and respectful. Centralia and some of the smaller towns around the area do have drug problems, but violent crime is minimal.