Originally Posted by
toddles
In a nutshell, if you like living miles away from a major metropolitan area and like the way a flat desert looks and feels, then Tri-Cities is for you. About the only thing to do there is head down to the river with the runoff of Hanford for your enjoyment. If you want to be closer in (a full hour closer) to the big city, then Yakima is your best bet. But it's pretty ugly too -- unless you get into West Yakima . Then it's kinda nice IMHO.
Well, the population of the Tri-Cities (Richland, Kennewick and Pasco) is ~193,000 (2010 census) so it's hardly a little podunk outpost.
I lived in the Tri-Cities a number of years ago and I actually found it to be a pretty decent place to live. Hotter in the summer and colder in the winter than here in western Washington for sure but also very dry compared to here. From a recreational standpoint there is plenty to do from cycling (road and mountain) to fishing, hiking, hunting and all kinds of water sports. You've got the Columbia, Snake and Yakima Rivers all close by. Easy day trips to the Blue Mountains and Bend is sure a lot closer to the Tri-Cities than it is from here. The entertainment and cultural scene is certainly not what Seattle has to offer but it's not a wasteland either. If you are looking for a place with cheaper cost of living and a little slower pace you could do a lot worse.
[On Edit]: Ditto on the 300 days of sun comment. It's more sunny than western washington but inversions are common in the winter and it's cold and gray (can feel worse than here). Also in the springtime the wind blows a LOT which can make you a little crazy sometimes.