Silverdale is a pretty nice place. I used to live there. However, if you’re going to be working on the EAST side of Puget Sound, you’re in for a LOOOOOONG commute, and more and more expensive. You will need to factor in that travel time and ferry cost into your cost calculations. Silverdale is pretty much a Navy town. It’s right outside of the submarine base. The town basically lives and dies by the Navy.

As far as surrounding areas and stuff to do, if you are into outdoorsy stuff, it’s great. Good access to the Oly peninsula and lots of opportunities for hiking, camping, etc. Fishing is also very popular, both in Hood Canal and in Puget Sound. Silverdale does have a boat launch, but not much of a marina.

If you’re looking to work on the East side of the sound, I would look more toward Bothell, Redmond, Issaquah, Renton sort of way.