The Town FilesClear Lake, Washington
Community in Pierce County · population 1,578 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $788,500
- Household income
- $95,882
- Jan low / Jul high
- 33° / 76°
- Snow a year
- 5 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 45.5
Clear Lake is a community of 1,578 people in Pierce County, Washington. The median home is worth $788,500, above the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks better for a vacation home than 86% of Washington towns.
How Clear Lake ranks
Percentile among Washington towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Washington towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Clear Lake is worth $788,500, above the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 8.2 times the median household income of $95,882, which is more affordable than 4% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,699 a month. 81.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Clear Lake | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $788,500 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $1,699 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $95,882 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.2× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 81.6% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1995 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 13.8% | — |
Who lives in Clear Lake
| People | Clear Lake | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.5 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 22.4% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 28.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.6% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 13.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 9.2% | — |
| Work from home | 22.0% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 35.6 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.7% | 93.9% |
Weather in Clear Lake
July highs average 75.7°F and January lows 33.3°F. About 45.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 5.2 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 60 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Clear Lake since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on April 27, 2014 about 4.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 27, 2014.
Severe weather in Pierce County since 1996
Pierce County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, biological.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2026 | Flood | DR-4906: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| December 12, 2025 | Flood | EM-3629: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| September 9, 2020 | Fire | FM-5360: Sumner Grade Fire |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4481: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3427: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Pierce County
Pierce County had 333,492 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $70,395 a year. Unemployment was 4.7% in 2023; in Clear Lake itself the ACS puts it at 6.6%.
Towns near Clear Lake
- Eatonville, WA4.5 mi · 2,845 people · home $431,000
- South Creek, WA6.4 mi · 2,519 people · home $610,600
- Graham, WA7.4 mi · 32,658 people · home $516,700
- Elk Plain, WA8.3 mi · 14,534 people · home $473,500
- McKenna, WA11.6 mi · 678 people · home $539,800
- Frederickson, WA11.6 mi · 24,906 people · home $477,400
- Roy, WA11.9 mi · 816 people · home $442,600
- Orting, WA12.4 mi · 9,041 people · home $493,100
Clear Lake questions
Is Clear Lake, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Clear Lake scores better for retirees than 34% of Washington towns and quieter than 66%. 22.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.5).
How much does a house cost in Clear Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Clear Lake is valued at $788,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $95,882, so homes cost about 8.2 times income. Median rent is $1,699 a month.
What is the weather like in Clear Lake?
July highs average 75.7°F and January lows 33.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.1 inches of precipitation a year and 5.2 inches of snow.
Does Clear Lake get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Clear Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on April 27, 2014. The typical Washington town has had 1.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)