Where to Live in Southwest Washington

The Pacific Northwest is a dreamland where nature, the arts, and enterprise connect. Businesses thrive here because employees are able to take advantage of the close proximity to outdoor recreation, the relaxed way of life, and the obscene amount of caffeine available from sustainably sourced locally roasted beans. 

The Southwest Washington area offers a way of life that appeals to many—and finding where you fit in here is as simple as a tour through the beautiful counties that make up this region. You might find the following places on your shortlist!

LIVING IN SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON

Clark County

Named after famed explorer William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Clark County, Washington sits between the volcanic Pacific Coast and the Cascade Mountain Range. Framed on one side by the Columbia River, the wildlife is abundant in Clark County despite the large populations nearby. Living here means living close to nature—keep a close eye out for bald eagles, raptors, mountain lions, and deer—just outside larger-sized cities like Vancouver, Camas, and Battle Ground.

Those that live in Clark County rank its outdoor life, diversity, and job availability as favorable, and enjoy the locally roasted coffee and craft brewing—both of which are in abundance. The median home price in Clark County is $590,450; more than some places, but a relatively affordable number given the vast amenities, job opportunities, health care, and more offered in this popular Pacific Northwest locale.

Columbia County

The beautiful, powerful Mt. St. Helens volcano dominates the skyline of Columbia County, 39 miles northeast of its namesake town, St. Helens, the county seat since 1857.

Once bustling timber markets, St. Helens, Scappoose, and Vernonia are now better known for their outdoor recreation and comfortable livability. Located less than an hour’s drive from downtown Portland and Vancouver, these small communities on the Columbia River move at a slower pace—where kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and birdwatching in the nation’s second-largest river system is the number one order of the day.

This is also a more affordable place to live—the median cost of a home in Columbia County is $238,450 and you’re still in proximity to commute to a more populous area for work. If you are looking to build in a tight-knit, outdoorsy kind of place, Columbia County might just fit the bill.

Skamania County

Notable as the home of Mount St. Helens, Skamania County is eye-poppingly gorgeous. Lush forests, rolling hills, and mountainous terrain all co-exist in otherworldly beauty…and mystery. If you’re thinking of building a new home in Skamania County, beware: you’ll be sharing your little slice of paradise with Sasquatch, otherwise known as Big Foot. But don’t worry too much—thanks to Ordinance 69-01 (it’s real!) residents are protected from an influx of over-eager scientific and recreational visitors coming to hunt the creature of lore. But, you can relax if you’re looking to build in Stevenson or Carson River Valley. Bigfoot hasn’t made his home there yet. Instead, you’ll rub shoulders with a tamer variety of natural wonders in the many wildlife refuges found here.

This natural beauty, winning schools, and close proximity to Portland and Vancouver does come at a price, however. Median sales prices have increased 55.3% from last year until today. The current median home price is $660,000, quite a bit more than the surrounding counties. That being said, if you’re looking for the best of both worlds—this is it. 

Cowlitz County

In 1805, Meriweather Lewis and William Clark camped at the mouth of the Kalama River to survey the area. Its natural beauty was—and remains—astounding. In the following days, Lewis and Clark would journey through the land that is now the growing cities of Kelso and Longview documenting the flora and fauna they encountered. My, how things could grow!

Many years later, Hulda Klager (1863–1960) arrived—a woman of German descent who had a special penchant for the lilac. She not only cultivated the flower, but she also hand-pollinated lilacs and began opening her garden to the public every spring during ‘Lilac Week’, all to national acclaim. Today, her house and lilac gardens are maintained as a state and National Historic Landmark by the Lilac Society. 

It’s safe to say that growing things is simply what people do in Cowlitz County! If you’re into lush greenery and delicate flowering delights, you might want to build in Cowlitz County where the median home price is $388,576. This area remains an affordable place to buy land and build a new home.

Wahkiakum County

Scenic drives, rural farming, and a place steeped in Native American History, Wahkiakum County is named for Chief Wahkiakum (“Tall Timber”) of the Chinook Tribe. When Lewis and Clark came to this area, they discovered a large community of 300-400 Chinook Native Americans living in beautiful cedar houses along the Columbia River.

Today, this place is called Cathlamet and pays tribute to its vibrant Native American history. Nearby Grays River and Rosburg are small farming communities famous for the Grays Covered Bridge built in 1905, and still in use today. 

There is growing demand to live in Wahkiakum County, where acreage can be found at a moderate price. If you’re interested in building a custom home in Wahkiakum County, you can be sure that you too will become part of this fascinating area’s layered and vibrant history.

Adair Homes in Southwest Washington

Adair Homes is synonymous with Pacific Northwest home construction. We are proud to help anyone and everyone achieve homeownership; our unique build-on-your-lot system allows a greater number of people to successfully build a custom home and remain on budget—your budget.

About Adair Homes

With 50-plus years in the industry, Adair’s long term commitment to treating each customer with honesty, integrity, and respect has paid off, 21,000 customers strong and counting. 

At Adair Homes, our mission states: it is our privilege to build our customers the home they have always dreamed of. We believe in providing the greatest value for our customer’s dollar and finding innovative ways to value engineer homes. We believe that we can offer an outstanding customer experience that is both enjoyable and rewarding—and offer this one-of-a-kind customer experience as the largest on-your-lot builder in the West. For more info, get in touch with us here or call 1-844-518-7072.