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.