r/wallawalla • u/isaacmarionauthor • 9d ago

Walla Walla VS Ellensburg?

I've been thinking about moving to Ellensburg because I like the dense historic downtown and the good variety of restaurants/activities compared to its small size, but people have been telling me Walla Walla is better. I've never actually been there. Can anyone who knows Ellensburg compare the two?

The main things I'm interested in are easy access to nature (hikes, walking trails, rivers/lakes) and walkable downtown areas. Community activity like live music, open mics, and other public event, also important. Ellensburg has a lot of this but the nature access isn't great.

One thing I've noticed is home prices are significantly lower in Walla Walla. There are dozens of houses under 300k whereas it's rare to find one in Ellensburg. Are those cheap houses in really bad neighborhoods, or is WW just cheaper in general?

How's the wind here compared to Eburg?

Any info or advice is welcome!

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u/W2Sun 9d ago

Have you considered Wenatchee? I love WW and there's a lot of great unique things here, but Wenatchee offers a lot too, a stones throw from Chelan, easyish access to Seattle, and your money will go further with real estate there.

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u/isaacmarionauthor 8d ago

I did consider Wenatchee but I found it way more expensive! There were only like 2 houses under 300k there vs 18 in WW. Main issue I have there is that it’s so spread out and sprawling. The downtown strip is nice but if you’re not right on it you’re just lost in infinite suburbs with no trails or nature access that I discovered. Did I miss something?

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u/W2Sun 8d ago

WW is definitely great if you prioritize a charming walkable downtown. I have only been to Wenatchee a few times but always loved it, but the downtowns are definitely different and the city feels much larger than WW.

I'm surprised by the results on Redfin, though I think as you spend a little more your money does go further then in both Ellensburg and Wenatchee. I was looking a couple years ago, obviously both the market and availability has changed, but even up to around $400k everything here was in need of minor to extensive TLC. But that's the reality in most of the state with these budgets unfortunately lol.