Olympia a haven for retirees, survey says

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Olympia a haven for retirees, survey says

Scott Wyland

The Olympian, September 9, 2003

With its gray weather, South Sound might defy the stock image of a Sun Belt retirement hub, but Internet service provider MSN has ranked the area as the No. 1 place in the country to, well, gray.

Scenic beauty, reasonably priced homes, a relaxed pace and easy driving distance to Seattle and Portland make Olympia a retirement Mecca, MSN states.

And there's the climate, which some might deem a drawback. Still, the mild weather -- meaning not too hot and sunny -- actually makes Olympia more appealing because older people can engage in outdoor recreation year-round -- unlike Florida and Arizona, where many retirees must take refuge in air-conditioned hangouts much of the year.

"The summers in the Pacific Northwest can't be beaten anywhere," said Bert Sperling, whose Portland-based company rated the cities for MSN.

Portland and Seattle are close enough for Olympia residents to get a dose of big-city entertainment if they choose, but far enough away that people don't have to deal with traffic snarls, Sperling said.

State government keeps the economy stable and the jobless rate fairly steady, Sperling said. Although retirees don't have to find jobs, they depend on social and medical services that are supported by working people, he said. Area housing is still affordable, though prices are creeping up, he said.

One error: the MSN report had the median home price at $162,000, when it is actually about $173,000. Half the area's houses are sold above the median price, and half are sold below.

That's different from the average price. In August, South Sound home prices averaged $200,000.

"It was nice to have a national article pick up the South Puget Sound area," said Wayne Hammer, Northwest project manager for Jenamar Communities. Jenamar has begun building a 1,300-home subdivision in Hawks Prairie geared for active retirees age 55 and older.

Hammer received word of the ranking Monday morning and was pumped up about it. Jenamar plans to use the article in its advertising, he said.

"Hopefully what it'll do for us is attract people to the area," Hammer said.