Safe is a relative term.

Also depends on where you want to live.

Personally some of my favorites are Bremerton/Port Orchard, Anacortes, Ocean Shores area, Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Poulsbo, Snoqualmie, Olympia/Lacey/Tumwater

Poulsbo, Anacortes and Bellingham are all nice, but so are many towns along the coast, depending on how small and rural you want to be. idk for the interior. Why not go explore and see what you like?

For your worry over crime, I'd say that any city or region can have crime, drugs and other problems, and that you really have to check out the exact neighborhood you are interested in, to get a feel for the place. Ask around, too. Ask the locals.

If Seattle is too expensive, then smaller towns can make sense, or go rural even. just do your due diligence.

How small are you looking for? Port Angeles, Sequim, and Port Townsend are much more affordable than Poulsbo/Silverdale/Bremerton and very scenic with extremely close access to the Olympics, rainforest, and Puget Sound if you're looking at Western Washington and aren't crazy far from Seattle.

Shelton, Lacey, and other parts of that area outside of Olympia are nice, too. Bellingham and surrounding areas are lovely as well.

Depends on your politics and rent prices. More rural will be more red. For blue move close to a big university west of the mountains.

Olympia/Lacey/Tumwater are all pretty safe and affordable with the smaller town feel (especially Tumwater) that are on the sound. Marysville (just north of Everett is pretty affordable too. I wouldn’t recommend Shelton, as it is a dying community.

Just south of there centralia/chehalis are smaller with a little bit more crime but also very affordable. Around there is Tenino for that super small town vibe

On the coastline ocean shores is nice but kind of expensive, forks is cheap and safe but small and away from everything. Port Angeles is bigger,more expensive with more crime (but still very safe)

Middle of the state, Ellensburg is really nice affordable and pretty safe, Wenatchee is also good too. Keep in mind the middle and east side of the state are red. So if that is a deal breaker disregard the rest of this comment.

East side walla walla has gotten expensive but is pretty nice (a little flat though) Spokane is great but the crime and price has risen. Newport and colville are both very small towns but are cheap and about an hour from Spokane.

Woodland, Ridgefield, Kalama are nice, close to Portland.

The people that told you to move to Seattle must hate you lmaoo