The West Sound has seen the kind of price drops and foreclosure rates that have buffeted the national housing market, but neither has it been to those national trends. The pace of sales, which had been at a record, has slowed in 2008, and the median price of a single-family home has backed down slightly compared to a year ago. Condos have become a growing portion of the housing market here with new developments in Bremerton, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island. The rental market remains reasonably priced, compared to rents across Puget Sound, and the inventory of rental properties includes single-family homes and apartment complexes in nearly every community.

Looking for your next New or Used Car, Truck or SUV? You will find all the latest makes and models at great prices right here in West Sound. Whether it be domestic or import, our auto dealers take great pride in offering you the largest selection accompanied by award winning sales and service teams. This is your source for purchasing your next vehicle.

About 500 Navy and civilian doctors provide health care to West Sound residents. There are two hospitals, with one more on the way, and scores of clinics large and small. Harrison Medical Center is the hub of civilian health care in the region, offering services at satellite centers in Silverdale and Port Orchard as well as at the main hospital location in Bremerton. At the south end of the peninsula, Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System is building the new 80-bed St. Anthony's Hospital in Gig Harbor. Naval Hospital Bremerton is more of a managed-care center than a hospital, with only 57 beds to Harrison's 297. Group Health Cooperative serves about 40,000 people in the region.

Washington State Ferries is the largest ferry system in the United States, with ferries making more than 500 trips per day. The ferries are a tourist attraction, but also a necessity for the large proportion of the Kitsap workforce that commutes to Seattle-area jobs. Because West Sound is separated by water from the main economic corridor of Washington state, the entire transportation system Ñ ferries, the highway grid, bridges and transit Ñ are lifelines to economic as well as leisure pursuits. The completion of the second Tacoma Narrows span in 2007 eased the highway link from Kitsap to Interstate 5. Kitsap's mass transit system is focused on helping the community's Navy workers and personnel get to and from their workplaces.

Education in West Sound is a splash of different styles with both strong public school systems and a variety of private school options, ranging from religious education to a college prep school based on teaching the arts. On the public school side, the area has one of Washington state's highest achieving districts, Bainbridge Island, a district nationally recognized for its advanced placement program, Central Kitsap, and a district recognized for its emphasis on early childhood education, Bremerton. Olympic College, a two-year community college, also offers a four-year nursing degree. Kitsap Regional Libraries maintains its collection of books, DVDs, CDs and offers free computer access at its nine branch locations.

More than 200 religious organizations minister to the spiritual needs of the people of West Sound. Statistics show that Washington state, including Kitsap County, is one of the least religious parts of the country, with only 33 percent of the population declaring a church affiliation. Still, our region is spiritually diverse, and the area's faith communities are active and vibrant. The overwhelming majority of local churchgoers are Christians, but there are small clusters of other religions, including Judaism, Islam, Baha'i and Buddhism. Among area Christian churches, all major and many smaller denominations are represented.