A new school campus on a ridge above Seaside, built out of reach of a tsunami, opened its doors in 2020. Along much of the Pacific Coast, the number of children in small towns is falling as home prices climb and populations age, but in a few places the trend is running the other way. Census estimates show more children living in these towns than a few years ago, and new homes and new schools back that up. The reasons are concrete. New subdivisions and a growing university play a part, and so do paychecks from shipyards, creameries, and hospitals. These five towns are where young families are choosing to settle now, and why.
The marina at Port Orchard, Washington.
No city in Kitsap County has added more people or homes this decade. According to Washington's Office of Financial Management, Port Orchard added nearly 1,900 new homes in the first half of the decade, and most of the county's newcomers moved in from elsewhere. Much of that growth is on the city's west side, in the master-planned McCormick Woods neighborhood and the newer Ruby Creek area, where builders are still adding single-family homes with yards.
The paycheck behind much of the move is across the inlet. Naval Base Kitsap, which includes Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, is the county's largest employer. Port Orchard's foot ferry makes the commute to the shipyard a short boat ride. Families also get South Kitsap School District schools and parks like Manchester State Park, a short drive east, and the waterfront hosts the Fathoms O' Fun festival each summer. With new homes still under construction and the county's housing supply tight, the city has been updating its housing plans to make room for more, a sign that planners expect families to keep coming.