Vancouver Blossoming into Big City

Vancouver is transitioning well into "city" territory rather than it's traditional role of suburb. Not since WWII has Vancouver really been this far ahead of all the other regional cities in the Portland-Vancouver Metro Area.

The census 2020 should show the City proper at close to 200,000 people and in the 14 zip-codes that make up the whole of the 'Couv' the count should roll in around 335,000. Just completing the pending Orchards annexation alone will put Vancouver well into the top 100 cities in America ahead of Buffalo NY and they have an NFL team!

Vancouver is living up to the challenge with a robust commitment to urban development from high density projects in suburbia right to the core of the city with the new waterfront and increased density in the downtown area. Our skyline is transforming before our eyes with a sweeping panorama from the Interstate bridge to the midway point of the waterfront. But the waterfront has just begun to grow and over the next several years our urban skyline will feature a contiguous row of high rise buildings from downtown all the way to the port.

Real estate opportunities abound for commercial, residential and even industrial applications. This town is tearing away from the tether to Portland and although our symbiotic relationship will not likely ever go away, we are out of the nest and starting to soar.

Business opportunities continue to provide excellent jobs and the desire for employees to avoid commuting to Portland ensures Washington employers the best pick of local talent. Living and working in Clark County is the dream scenario as employees avoid Oregon's brutal, soul crushing income tax, lousy highway system, and Portland's aggressive homeless population. Meanwhile employees over here enjoy superior schools, less busy highways, and overall better quality of life.

Vancouver has an opportunity when this COVID crisis is over to make serious plays for employers in Portland fed up with the excessive regulation, constant protests disrupting business, homeless camps destroying the environment with litter and human waste, and unhappy employees eager to leave for greener pastures elsewhere... like Vancouver.

Hopefully the Mayor is up to the challenge and we can continue this amazing urban transformation. For residential real estate the options in Vancouver are across the full spectrum from 10,000 square foot mansions on the water to multi-million dollar riverfront condos and everything else right down to a bargain value on one of those darling 'Kaiser Cottages' one can still find under $300,000.

Things are still looking up in America's Vancouver and all across Clark County.