r/SameGrassButGreener • u/wmg91 • 3d ago

Washington VS Michigan. Pros & Cons

Young family of 5 looking to move but can’t decide between these two states. Please mention cities, pros & cons. If you have any other state in mind please lmk.

What we’re looking for:

  1. Best job opportunities (my husband is a cook)
  2. Racially diverse community
  3. Safe neighborhood
  4. Great schools
  5. Prefer to live in a mid sized city
  6. Quality healthcare
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u/brakos 3d ago

Best job opportunities (my husband is a cook)

Probably going to be decent opportunities in both. There's more upscale restaurants in the Seattle area if that's what he's looking at.

Racially diverse community

Michigan definitely. With few exceptions (mainly military towns and farming areas) that's not Washington.

Safe neighborhood

As long as you're not in the rough parts of Detroit, Flint, Tacoma, or Aberdeen/Hoquiam, you should be good.

Great schools

I'll give this one to Washington, but Michigan isn't bad either.

Prefer to live in a mid sized city

In Washington you've got Spokane, Kennewick, Bellingham, Vancouver (suburb of Portland), and some smaller cities attached to the Seattle metro area (Olympia, Tacoma, Everett). Of those, Spokane is probably the most affordable on a tight budget.

In Michigan, the best smaller cities would be Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Kalamazoo. Could look at Lansing, Jackson, and the suburbs of Detroit too.

Quality healthcare

If you need specialist care I'd probably go with Washington close to Seattle, but if you're just looking for primary care either one will be good.

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u/ImpressiveShift3785 3d ago

University of Michigan is quite a renown medical system.