Is Tri-Cities Farm Country? (Seattle, Bellevue: how much, homes, employment)

[Searching-01]

Was studying maps of Tri-Cities. Noticed a lot of crop circles.

Are agricultural chemicals and the like a problem in Tri-Cities?

(Has always amazed me how much farming is done in places with cold winters. Think Iowa and Wisconsin for example.)

[pnwguy2]

The Tri-Cities are not as cold as Iowa and Wisconsin, in general. Less snowfall, more mild temps...usually.

The crop circles are disappearing at record levels mainly in Franklin County, (Pasco, especially West Pasco) as residential and commercial growth is overwhelming the land around Interstate 182. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the former agricultural land has more value with commercial needs.

Tri-Cities has been, and continues to be one of the fastest growing areas in Washington State, and in the entire U.S.

[Searching-01]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

The Tri-Cities are not as cold as Iowa and Wisconsin, in general. Less snowfall, more mild temps...usually.

The crop circles are disappearing at record levels mainly in Franklin County, (Pasco, especially West Pasco) as residential and commercial growth is overwhelming the land around Interstate 182. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the former agricultural land has more value with commercial needs.

Tri-Cities has been, and continues to be one of the fastest growing areas in Washington State, and in the entire U.S.

That's interesting, what do you think is driving the growth.

Trends like that are harder to see online clearly, as census data is now 9 years old.

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by Searching-01

That's interesting, what do you think is driving the growth.

Trends like that are harder to see online clearly, as census data is now 9 years old.

I think a number of things. First, the Hanford related cleanup and accompanying scientific center of the PNNL continues to be a strong employment factor. WSU-Tri-Cities continues to expand.

Beyond that, the area has always been an agricultural center, and in recent decades has cemented itself as being the hub of S. Central and S. Eastern WA agriculture.

The wine industry grows every year. There are 200 wineries within an hour of Tri-Cities.

The area also has become a retail hub serving smaller areas within easy driving distance (Moses Lake, Walla Walla, Hermiston, OR.

The cost of living, while rising, is still a bargain compared to Seattle and Portland. Equal homes in the Tri are anywhere from 50-70% less than those cities. You can literally buy a large, newer home with a pool for under 500K here. Same in Bellevue would be 1.5m.

Finally, the weather is good for this latitude. Warm, sunny days from April through October. (Yes, quite a few 100+ days, but everything is AC'd.) Winters can be foggy and cold but usually don't offer much snow, and don't last long.