The Town Files

McChord AFB, Washington

Community in Pierce County · population 3,188 (2020 Census)

Map: where McChord AFB is in WashingtonMcChord AFB
Household income
$54,808
Jan low / Jul high
37° / 77°
Snow a year
4 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
4
Median age
23.4

McChord AFB is a community of 3,188 people in Pierce County, Washington. It ranks more of a college town than 96% of Washington towns, better for cycling than 95% of Washington towns, better for young professionals than 91% of Washington towns.

McChord AFB in our rankings:

How McChord AFB 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.

McChord AFB lifestyle rankings vs other Washington townsRetirementbottomFamilies19th pctQuietbottomWalkability22nd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals91st pctVibrancy47th pctHip & trendy70th pctCollege town96th pctUpscale26th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling95th pctTransitbottomDriving17th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

Median rent is $2,323 a month. 2.7% of households own their home.

McChord AFB vs Pierce County vs typical Washington townMcChord AFBPierce CountyTypical Washington townHousehold income$54,808$99,564$90,625Monthly rent$2,323$1,806$1,597
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Washington towns with 500+ people.
HousingMcChord AFBTypical Washington town
Median home value—$475,000
Median rent$2,323$1,597
Median household income$54,808$90,625
Home value ÷ income—×5.3×
Homeownership2.7%74.4%
Median year built20021985
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in McChord AFB

PeopleMcChord AFBTypical Washington town
Median age23.440.1
Age 65 and over0.0%17.9%
Under 1832.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher28.2%27.6%
Below the poverty line14.4%8.5%
Veterans14.0%—
Born outside the U.S.2.6%—
Work from home1.5%13.4%
Average commute13.6 min27.1 min
Homes with broadband100.0%93.9%

Weather in McChord AFB

July highs average 76.8°F and January lows 37.4°F. About 40.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 4.2 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 27 nights at or below freezing.

McChord AFB monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing48°37°Jan50°37°Feb55°40°Mar60°44°Apr67°49°May71°53°Jun77°57°Jul77°57°Aug71°53°Sep61°47°Oct52°41°Nov47°37°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue6.01.14.00.54.40.43.42.01.40.60.81.64.16.51.06.01.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Tacoma #1 station (8.8 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of McChord AFB since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on September 30, 2013 about 7.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 30, 2013.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of McChord AFB by decade01950s01960s11970s11980s11990s02000s12010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Severe weather in Pierce County since 1996

Storm events in Pierce County since 1996 by typeHail1Flood3Tornado7Lightning5Heavy Rain9Debris Flow2Funnel Cloud3Thunderstorm Wind1
NOAA Storm Events Database, Pierce County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Pierce County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, biological.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 7, 2026FloodDR-4906: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
December 12, 2025FloodEM-3629: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
September 9, 2020FireFM-5360: Sumner Grade Fire
March 22, 2020BiologicalDR-4481: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-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 McChord AFB itself the ACS puts it at 0%.

Largest industries in Pierce CountyHealth care & social assistan…56,625 jobs · $73,448Retail36,054 jobs · $48,401Hotels & restaurants29,575 jobs · $31,104Administrative & support24,342 jobs · $62,838Construction23,993 jobs · $83,055Transportation & warehousing20,071 jobs · $69,788
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Pierce County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Pierce 4.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in McChord AFB

1 public school with 441 students, about 16.3 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Carter Lake Elementary SchoolPK-544116.3

Towns near McChord AFB

McChord AFB questions

Is McChord AFB, Washington a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, McChord AFB scores better for retirees than 0% of Washington towns and quieter than 0%. 0.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 23.4).

What is the weather like in McChord AFB?

July highs average 76.8°F and January lows 37.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.8 inches of precipitation a year and 4.2 inches of snow.

Does McChord AFB get tornadoes?

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of McChord AFB since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on September 30, 2013. The typical Washington town has had 1.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to McChord AFB's Census boundary (GEOID 5341155). Comparisons use the median of Washington towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.