Name: Port Townsend, WA
Rating: 0.0

( 27 Ratings )

Living in Port Townsend, WA

Ranks better than 60% of areas Follow

Population

9,710

Median Age

55.9 Years

Port Townsend Area Facts

Port Townsend has a Livability Score of 60_/100, which is considered below average
Port Townsend crime rates are 58% lower than the Washington average
Cost of living in Port Townsend is 7% higher than the Washington average

What do the locals think about Port Townsend?

42%

Family friendly

46%

Public transit is accessible

29%

Walkable to grocery stores

25%

Yards are well-kept

63%

Lots of parks

46%

Walkable to restaurants

Friendly neighbors

Safe at night

Pet friendly

Streets have sidewalks

71%

A quiet area

63%

Sense of community

Based on 24 votes from AreaVibes users. Take the poll

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Port Townsend Reviews

Write a review about Port Townsend Tell people what you like or don't like about Port Townsend…

A quiet small town with some quirks that is not for everyone 3 rating By Anonymous ( Dec 28, 2020) Port Townsend is a beautiful place that is the gateway to some glorious camping and hiking areas within a 100 mile area. That was the major draw for me besides a family member that lived here. Unfortunately after being here 7 years some of the con's of the area mar the great ...Read More beauty of it.

It is a small and quirky town that is a good fit for a small percentage of people with a good retirement income and assets that allow them good housing in a very expensive housing market. This is a major issue for many that try to move here. There is a housing shortage of affordable housing and an underbelly of real poverty that is hidden in the resort type qualities on a surface view of this place.

Work is hard to find, housing even harder and my experience has not been a warm friendly welcoming place but the typical aloofness of the PNW. I'm from the PNW but after a few years living around the country I've observed some places are definately easier to make friends than others. In time I've learned that the beauty of a place can't make up for basic lack of hospitality. Its not a cultural value that is held in high esteem here at least not in the 7 years I tried to find community connection something I found easy to do in other places.

It can also feel very isolated in the winter when it is dark and cold with few street lights in the rural areas. I've ventured out after 7:30 pm for a grocery store run in the winter before Covid19 and been shocked at how lifeless, dark, and shut down the place is. This might be hard for some people from a more vibrant and larger community. I thought I was a small town person to the core and would always love the PNW. But then I moved to the Olympic Peninsula and found out I did not know myself well.

7 years here made me seriously question my values and reconsider why I'm staying. In fact, I made a decision this week to leave in the spring aware that the landscape cannot make up for a community that has very little true diversity while priding itself on its diversity. As one young adult relative commented after visiting "Port Townsend is where you go to die" and I realize I have in my career, my social life, my enjoyment of community, my hope about what life is meant to be. I found beautiful scenery here but that alone won't sustain a life.
If you are done with your career, are part of a two income family where you have a good retirement income, and access to very expensive homes this town might work for you. If you are a single older female with a moderate retirenment income and need to work to supplement it (and you will to afford rent here) this is a place that the word desolate will become defined in heartbreaking ways. Read Less

Good Retirement Community. For Others? Not So Much. 4 rating By Anonymous ( Feb 11, 2019) If I was in my 20's, 30's or 40's, back in the days when I was heavily into playing music live and meeting people, I would've passed on moving to Port Townsend. The entrenched citizens here went out of their way to make sure the city didn't grow too large or out of control. As s ...Read More uch, you won't find any big box stores like Walmart, Costco or Target, and there are barely any chain restaurants like Denny's, Red Lobster, or Domino's. There is a McDonald's and Subways, but as I understand, their settling in town didn't come without a legal fight. However, now that I'm retired and in my 50's, PT is perfect for me. It's quiet, relatively crime-free, leans politically to the left, and ultra-artistic. There are more musicians, artists, writers and painters per square mile than in neighboring towns. One of the few negative things I can say about PT is the lengthy walking distance to the main shopping areas. Because it's mainly located along one strip, if you live more than a mile or so away, you'll have a hard time getting to it without your own ride. Since the bus doesn't run at night or on Sunday, this can be a bit of a hardship if you don't have a car. Also, because PT is essentially in the boonies, TV and internet service will cost you a pretty penny. At $75/month, 100 Mbits is much too expensive. Even slower internet speeds would still cost around $45/month. Not practical for typical use at all. You can also forget about trying to get TV or internet via a 4g hotspot. I tried. PT simply has too many mountains, and is too remote from the main metro areas of Seattle, to get a satisfactory connection. So, PT - good if you're a retiree or raising young kids since the schools are nice, but not so much if you're 18+ and trying to experience life to the fullest like other young people do in larger metro areas. Read Less

Not a pleasant experience 0.5 rating By diver9999 ( Jun 05, 2017) After spending a year in Thailand I came back to the USA and rented a room in a house in Port Townsend. The co-landlord was a white middle aged liberal woman who started asking questions on where I stood on topics like politics, religion, etc and wouldn't even let me finish my a ...Read More nswers. She repeatedly got upset at me for no reason, broke into my room and went through my laptop, went through my personal things and got my social security number. I stayed a month and a half and left. Port Townsend is scenic and nostalgic, but many of the people are horrible. Visit for a day or so but don't stick around. Too bad I can't give this place a no star rating. Read Less

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Not a pleasant experience 0.5 rating By diver9999 ( Jun 05, 2017) After spending a year in Thailand I came back to the USA and rented a room in a house in Port Townsend. The co-landlord was a white middle aged liberal woman who started asking questions on where I stood on topics like politics, religion, etc and wouldn't even let me finish my a ...Read More nswers. She repeatedly got upset at me for no reason, broke into my room and went through my laptop, went through my personal things and got my social security number. I stayed a month and a half and left. Port Townsend is scenic and nostalgic, but many of the people are horrible. Visit for a day or so but don't stick around. Too bad I can't give this place a no star rating. Read Less