Why do so many retirees love Sequim? There must be a hundred reasons. It’s almost surprising how many people around the country know about Sequim. Sequim has been written about in retirement and travel magazines for several decades. People even sit in coffee shops in San Diego, Denver, Dallas, Naples, Phoenix, Anchorage, and Seattle talking about Sequim, only to be interrupted by someone at the next table who knows about Sequim, too.
Sequim a Wonderful Place to Retire
Sequim is a wonderful place to live. I moved to Sequim 20 years ago, finished raising my children here. I’ve also talked to hundreds of people who moved to Sequim and bought a home. Here’s why Sequim is so popular.
I guess there’s no such thing as perfect, but Sequim certainly comes close. Sequim really has a blue hole or a rain shadow, and it rains only one-third as much as nearby Seattle. Sequim is nestled between the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. With plenty of sunshine, a panorama of nature’s glory on all sides, and pristine air coming gently off the ocean, Sequim is a piece of Heaven.
Sequim is two hours off the I-5 corridor and far from the metropolitan traffic that so many hope to escape in their retirement years. Our crime rate is extremely low by any comparison. Our recreational activities are phenomenal, and that alone is a long list of activities. The stress level in Sequim is many levels below the hustle and bustle of most of America.
Sequim a Rural Community
Sequim is a rural community with an agricultural history going back over 100 years, but we also have our little subdivisions. Some communities have clubhouses and walking trails, and some have golf courses, like Sunland. Some communities are on hillsides with almost every home having a water view, and some communities specialize in mountain views. Of course, there Sequim has beachfront communities, too.
Some of my clients have dreamed of having a home in the country with acreage for a horse or two. Others want an organic vegetable garden where there’s plenty of sunshine and just the right amount of rain. And then there’s the woman who already knows exactly what her quilt room will look like while her husband is intent on having a large shop. We have those too.
The Sequim school system is one of the best in the country, and while your children may be all grown up, isn’t it nice to know that the kids are actually polite and considerate, and drugs and adolescent crimes are almost non-existent. School plays, musicals, and trips to Mexico to help build homes for the needy are common. Sometimes I feel like living in Sequim is like going back in time 20 or 30 years in terms of traditional values.
Then there’s the fishing, the hiking in the Olympic National Park, the old growth forests, kayaking, running and bicycling, many active clubs in Sequim, the Lavender Festival, and the Irrigation Parade. But I think maybe the best way for you to discover one of the “Best Places to Retire” is simply to come and visit Sequim. If you’re considering retiring here and buying a home.
