Vancouver (not to be confused with its Canadian counterpart) is less than a two hour drive from every kind of nature most people are looking for: beaches, mountains, deserts, forests and more, with plenty of parks and trails within the city means you can get your outdoor fix any day you’d like. 

**Here's a summary of distinctions between Vancouver and Portland from a transplant:** 
*I live in East Vancouver and travel to Portland at least two times a week. There is a big difference between Portland and Vancouver, from my perspective. Vancouver is more of a young family town, with good schools, and kid oriented activities. Portland is more of a singles' city, with a lot of cultural activities.  You might ask why don't I move into Portland, which is a great question. The reason is taxes. It is much less expensive to live in Vancouver, and there is no state income tax in Washington.*

For more reviews of what living in Vancouver is like from locals check out: [**The Buzz**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/vancouver?page=buzz)


Fresh Air Fever

The Best Thing About Vancouver?

We’re not the only ones who think highly of Vancouver. Housing prices were on the rise heading into 2020 and Covid caused a big spike. Houses go quickly in Vancouver and for a lot more than you’ll likely think is reasonable. A lot of Portlandians (and SF’ers and Seattleites) escaped their city (s) for Vancouver during the heat of the great migration. This resulted in increased demand, higher prices and dragged along some of the other excesses of those places.

**Here's a local on the market in Vancouver area:**
*Clark County continues to see huge increases in population. This in general will lead to higher housing prices. Clark County is still cheaper as an aggregate than across the river in Portland.*

*Do not try to time the market. Buy when you're personally and financially ready, with a fixed rate mortgage on a payment you can pay comfortably and when you plan on living at the house for at least 5 years. Everything else is just guessing to hope you can time the market, which you can't do reliably because no one can.
People have been claiming that the Portland metro was in a housing bubble since at least 2017. If people listened to those voices, they'd be pretty screwed.*

Inflated Housing Market

The Worst Thing About Vancouver?

As noted the lifestyle of Vancouver for most involves getting outside and doing that healthy thing. Everyone’s into some kind of activity in the stunning natural setting (inside and outside the city limits). It is also considered a calm/chill and pretty safe city relative to its immediate neighbor and most of the pacific seaboard majors. While there is a social scene, including farmer’s markets, bars, restaurants and plenty of live music in Vancouver the lifestyle for many involves staying local for quiet nights and heading across the bridge into Portland for bigger nights. 

If you want to see what happens in Vancouver check out the calendar of events: https://www.cityofvancouver.us/calendar/list

Lifestyle of Vancouver 

A substantial percentage of Vancouver residents make the thirty minute commute into Portland for work. Known for its growing tech industry, there are also plenty of job opportunities stemming from manufacturing and athletic/outdoor gear companies. Within the city confines, healthcare and business management dominate hiring.


Worklife of Vancouver

If you’re facing a future in remote work, Vancouver fits the bill for what most are looking for in a hometown: no state income taxes, a beautiful and walkable city, and easy access to both a larger city and outdoor recreation. If that sounds appealing, Vancouver deserves a spot on your short list.


WFH Haven

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Bennington is considered the best neighborhood in the city for young professionals. It has a denser, more urban vibe than the rest of the area and for many it offers a walk to work. The Columbia Tech Park is at the center of the neighborhood so plenty of techsters enjoy the close proximity to work in addition to bars, restaurants and cafes. Downtown in general is a great option as you get a combination of a center for commercial experiences: bars, restaurants etc., plus for some you can then walk to work. You also get waterfront experiences and views which are nice from the many condo/apartment options in the area. 
- Bennington
- Downtown



Young Professionals

Downtown

Vancouver has several neighborhoods that have concentrations of LGBTQ+ residents. Bennington is certainly one of those for anyone who craves living near work. Arnada is another cool neighborhood, with a great variety of older eclectic homes. It’s also filled with artist and boutique shops and cafes. Salmon Creek is also popular. It sits between downtown Vancouver and Portland. It’s also near the Washington State U campus and has stunning outdoor options including 400 acres of green space in a massive park. https://www.gayrealestate.com/news/usa/washington/vancouver/
- Bennington
- Arnada
- Salmon Creek


LGBTQ+

Bennington

In most cities DINKs and SINKs move out of downtown to quieter but still lively neighborhoods so they get a mix of great, somewhat quieter living but also some chiller social spaces. Since Vancouver is pretty chill everywhere there’s a less dramatic shift here. Most of the neighborhoods that appeal to young professionals and LGBTQ+ area also relevant to the single and coupled peeps who are looking for something a bit more sophisticated. Bennington and Salmon Creek are particularly relevant if you’re creating a shortlist for a search. 
- Bennington
- Salmon Creek
- The Village at Fisher’s Landing 


DINKS/SINKS

Salmon Creek

Vancouver has stunning neighborhoods for families. The most popular, particularly among young families is Fisher’s Landing East. There are plenty of housing options, including homes, townhomes and apartments/condos to suit any family size or socio-economic situation. Some of the bigger employers are nearby also so the commutes are short. There’s also a local social scene including bars, restaurants and cafes so you don’t have to give up going out in your neighborhood entirely just because you have the kiddos milling about. Fisher’s Creek is another great option with the particular benefit of having amazing outdoor spaces for the kids to run around and enjoy. Biking, hiking and just general recreating happens throughout the neighborhood but even better it also has a commercial area for getting a beer or meal when the mood strikes you. 
- Fisher’s Landing East
- Fisher’s Creek
- Cascade Highlands
- The Village at Fisher’s Landing
- South Cliff


Families

Fisher's Landing East

Vancouver

**What is it like to live in Vancouver, WA?**

Originally Answered: What is Vancouver, Washington like?
Vancouver, WA is the country cousin of Portland, OR, located just across the river. Vancouver is more conservative than Portland and Portlanders stereotype Vancouver residents as monster truck driving rednecks with mullets. Most Vancouver residents are just normal people who live here for a lower cost of living and more house for the dollar.

Downtown Vancouver is very nice and up and coming (and houses and apartments are much more expensive than the rest of Vancouver). It has older buildings, many restaurants and breweries. A recently developed waterfront area was specifically built to attract more people to Vancouver than Portland on the weekends.

East Vancouver is very new. It has many apartments and single family homes. Its characterized by strip malls and chain restaurants.

**What do I need to know before I move from Portland, OR to Vancouver, WA?**

You will likely never drive to Portland again unless absolutely necessary or on Sunday at 6am. Why? Traffic. Both the 5 and 205 bridges are nightmares one direction or the other virtually all the time. Then, there’s parking in Portland which you already know about.

You will LOVE that there is no state income tax after OR’s high taxes, of course, you’ll now pay 9% sales tax and pump your own gas.

The housing costs are significantly lower. Rents for apartments are a nice 2 bedroom under $1600, 3 - bedrooms under $2000. Houses a little higher. To buy is significantly less - you can buy nice houses in the $400K price range. You get more space for your dollar as well.

You may have a negative preconceived notion of the Vancouver downtown, but it’s really happening lately. Lots of bars, restaurants and shops. Lots of new building for housing and retail, especially at the waterfront where a huge development of both is underway. It’s not Portland yet, but you’ll be able to chill and hang out at lots of cool places.

It’s not as weird, though still liberal. Vancouver went 90% for Bernie.

The crime and homeless problem is nothing like Portland. I feel very safe here and am rarely hassled by homeless folks.

We also have the Columbia River, and a nice river walk with stunning views of Portland. You can also drive the Gorge on the WA side which is more forest-y and curvy roads. Cross over on 5 or 6 bridges, including Bridge of the Gods, to OR.

All in all, I’m glad I live here. It’s nice. :)

**What is it like to live in Vancouver, WA?**

I live in East Vancouver and travel to Portland at least two times a week. There is a big difference between Portland and Vancouver, from my perspective. Vancouver is more of a young family town, with good schools, and kid oriented activities. Portland is more of a singles' city, with a lot of cultural activities. In addition there is a feeling of community in Portland that I don't feel in Vancouver. Each little sub section of Portland has its own unique personality. There are plenty of independently-owned businesses, and great food. Where as in Vancouver, there are numerous strip malls with national franchises. Public transportation in Portland is great, where as in Vancouver, it takes a long time to go from one side of the city to the other. Vancouver people don't want Portland people coming across the river to disrupt their suburban lifestyle. Most Vancouver people don't venture across the Columbia River into Portland. Politically, Vancouver is much more conservative than Portland. You might ask why don't I move into Portland, which is a great question. The reason is taxes. It is much less expensive to live in Vancouver, and there is no state income tax in Washington.

**As someone considering a move to the Vancouver area, how concerned should I be about what's going on in Portland or in other parts of WA?**

You have to understand that 'what's going on in Portland' is vastly blown out of proportion by right wing assholes, Fox News and opportunistic vloggers.

While bad and growing, Portland's (and Vancouver's via spillover/proximity) homeless and crime problems are minimal compared to other major US cities (Oakland, SF, Chicago, etc.).

I know enough to not take what either side has to say as the gospel truth and that both sides are either overblowing or downplaying how things are depending on which side they're on.

I moved to Salmon Creek (Vancouver) from Los Angeles last year. It's nice, and relatively quiet/boring. It's definitely cheaper than LA, but not mind-blowingly cheaper. I have several friends that moved from Los Angeles to Portland last year and love it. I honestly don't think crime should be a factor in your decision as it doesn't seem, to me anyways, to be that prevalent here. However, I do think the cost of living here should be something you need to look into. It's not the worst I've seen, but it's not exactly cheap either.


As someone also from LA, although 8 years ago now, I laugh when people are paranoid about crime. Vancouver is a safe place to live. If you're a victim of a crime it's probably just going to be someone digging through your car or stealing the cat convertor. I've lived in the "worst" part of Vancouver and it was so much better than living in Inglewood.

Vancouver, Washington

The Couve

Looklyloo Score: 90

We're on it!