Washington state’s capital, located in the heart of the booming Puget Sound region (an hour south of Seattle and two north of Portland), is an affordable, increasingly coveted hometown. Governor Jay Inslee’s recent (but unsuccessful) run for president and subsequent sabre-rattling with the Trump administration has shined the spotlight on his progressive, ambitious home base. Like its namesake Evergreen State, Olympia is surrounded by fresh and salt water and a verdant bounty of parks which rank #35 in the nation. There are zen-inducing walks at Percival Landing’s marina or Capitol Lake in town, as well as the 314-acre waterfront Priest Point Park. When it comes to working, Olympia ranks an impressive #15 in our Household Income subcategory (and #33 for overall Prosperity), with the state government as the largest employer by far, with more than 20,000 workers. Local and federal governments also employ thousands. The citizenry ranks #29 in Educational Attainment. The city feeds its ambition with craft breweries, local seafood and coffee shops—so many coffee shops—from local mini-empire Olympia Coffee to the skull-art-obsessed Burial Grounds.