Where Young Families Are Putting Down Roots On The Pacific Coast

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.

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.

Seaside, Oregon

Seaside voters made a big bet on their kids, approving a $99.7 million bond in 2016 to move every school out of the tsunami zone. The result, a new middle and high school on a ridge above town and an expanded Pacific Ridge Elementary, opened in 2020 and doubles as a community evacuation site. For parents weighing life on the Oregon Coast, it removed one of the biggest worries about raising kids in a low-lying beach town.

Census estimates show the number of children in town has grown by about 17% since then, one of the biggest jumps on the coast. The typical home still sits just under the Oregon median. Health care jobs at Providence Seaside Hospital, school jobs, and work in the year-round tourism economy keep families anchored. The Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District's Sunset Pool and recreation center give kids somewhere to go when it rains. Clatsop Community College, about 20 minutes away, offers job training and classes for parents changing careers.

Tillamook, Oregon

Tillamook's biggest draw for young families is the price of a house. The typical home in town was worth about $300,000 in recent Census estimates, far less than in the county's beach communities, and the number of children here is on the rise.

The jobs are local and steady. The farmer-owned Tillamook County Creamery Association runs its cheese and ice cream operations here, and Adventist Health Tillamook and the school district are other major employers. Tillamook Bay Community College offers job training close to home. The county fairgrounds and nearby beaches round out family life without a long drive. So does the air museum in a World War II blimp hangar, which reopened in October 2026 after storm damage.

Shelton, Washington

A family shopping for a house in South Puget Sound gets far more for the money in Shelton than in Thurston County, home of the state capital next door. Census estimates put the typical home here at about $346,000, well below Thurston's, and the town's child population has been climbing.

The commute is a big part of the equation. State government offices in Olympia are about a half-hour away. In town, Mason Health, the state's Washington Corrections Center, and timber and shellfish companies provide steady work. Families gather for OysterFest each October and the holiday parade in December, and Lake Cushman and the Olympic National Forest are close for weekends. Olympic College's Shelton campus offers degrees and workforce training, which helps younger parents build careers without leaving the county.

McKinleyville, California

A few miles south of McKinleyville, Cal Poly Humboldt is growing again. Enrollment has climbed since the campus became a polytechnic in 2022, and the university is adding a residence hall with nearly 1,000 beds as it aims to nearly double its enrollment by 2035. That growth brings faculty, staff, and construction jobs, and many of the families who come with them look to McKinleyville's quieter neighborhoods.

The number of children in town is growing, and homes cost far less than the California median, according to Census estimates. McKinleyville Union School District and McKinleyville High serve the community, Pierson Park is the hub for youth sports and events, and the Hammond Trail and Clam Beach offer easy outdoor time with kids. California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport, the region's only commercial airport, sits in McKinleyville itself. That is an advantage for families who need to travel for work or to see relatives.

What These Places Share

None of these towns is growing because of a single factor. Each pairs housing that young families can still afford, at least compared with their own counties or states, with a reliable employer nearby and recent investment in schools or neighborhoods. As coastal prices keep rising, the families settling on the Pacific Coast are following a house they can buy, a job within reach, and schools that are building for the future.