Population: 52,555
Cost of living: 106
Median home price: $345,000
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
College perk: Evergreen College offers free classes for retirees 60 and older.
Olympia, the state capital, is only about an hour away from Seattle but significantly more affordable. The median single-family home price is roughly $330,000, compared with more than $700,000 for Seattle, says Jim Greene, the designated broker and owner of Greene Realty Group. If renting is more your speed, you can get a three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom house for about $1,750 a month.
At Evergreen State College, older adults can register as “special students,” which allows them to take courses without going through admission. Residents 60 and older can have tuition waived for up to eight credits per quarter.
Active retirees will find plenty to do. The Olympia Film Society showcases independent and classic films at the historic Capitol Theater, a city landmark. Art collectors won’t want to miss the semiannual Arts Walk, featuring paintings, sculptures, photography and more.
The South Sound Wine Trail and the South Sound Coffee Trail run through Olympia. It’s also home to the South Sound Craft Crawl, which highlights locally made beer and cider. If you’re looking for an actual trail, the 14.5-mile Yelm-Tenino bike trail lies 40 minutes southeast of Olympia. Kennydell Park, seven miles from downtown, is home to 40 acres and 1,000 feet of freshwater beach.
Washington has no state income tax, so income from pensions, Social Security and withdrawals from retirement accounts is tax-free.
For population figures, we used the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data. Cost-of-living data comes from the Council for Community and Economic Research (100 represents the national median). Median home prices were provided by Redfin, Zillow and local associations of Realtors.
-
Amid Mounting Uncertainty: Five Forecasts About AIThe Kiplinger Letter With the risk of overspending on AI data centers hotly debated, here are some forecasts about AI that we can make with some confidence.
-
Ask the Editor: 20% Qualified Business Income DeductionAsk the Editor In this week's Ask the Editor Q&A, Joy Taylor answers questions on the 20% tax deduction for qualified business income or QBI.
-
457 Plan Contribution Limits for 2025Retirement plans There are higher 457 plan contribution limits for state and local government workers in 2025. That's good news for state and local government employees.
-
Medicare Basics: 12 Things You Need to KnowMedicare There's Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap plans, Medicare Advantage plans and so on. We sort out the confusion about signing up for Medicare — and much more.
-
The Seven Worst Assets to Leave Your Kids or Grandkidsinheritance Leaving these assets to your loved ones may be more trouble than it’s worth. Here's how to avoid adding to their grief after you're gone.
-
SEP IRA Contribution Limits for 2025SEP IRA A good option for small business owners, SEP IRAs allow individual annual contributions of as much as $70,000 in 2025, up from $69,000 in 2024.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2026Roth IRAs Roth IRAs allow you to save for retirement with after-tax dollars while you're working, and then withdraw those contributions and earnings tax-free when you retire. Here's a look at 2026 limits and income-based phaseouts.
-
SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limits for 2026simple IRA For 2026, the SIMPLE IRA contribution limit rises to $17,000, with a $4,000 catch-up for those 50 and over, totaling $21,000.
-
457 Contribution Limits for 2024
retirement plans State and local government workers can contribute more to their 457 plans in 2024 than in 2023.
-
Roth 401(k) Contribution Limits for 2026retirement plans The Roth 401(k) contribution limit for 2026 increased, and workers who are 50 and older can save even more.
