The Town FilesTacoma, Washington
City in Pierce County · population 219,346 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $479,600
- Household income
- $85,884
- Jan low / Jul high
- 37° / 77°
- Snow a year
- 4 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 37.2
Tacoma is a city of 219,346 people in Pierce County, Washington. The median home is worth $479,600, close to the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks more walkable than 100% of Washington towns, more vibrant than 96% of Washington towns, better transit than 95% of Washington towns.
How Tacoma 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 Tacoma is worth $479,600, close to the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $85,884, which is more affordable than 41% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,676 a month. 55.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Tacoma | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $479,600 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $1,676 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $85,884 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.6× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 55.8% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1967 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in Tacoma
| People | Tacoma | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.2 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.0% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 19.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.5% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.4% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 8.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 12.6% | — |
| Work from home | 15.7% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.8% | 93.9% |
Weather in Tacoma
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 4.1 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.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Tacoma since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on January 18, 2015 about 8.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 18, 2015.
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 Tacoma itself the ACS puts it at 5.6%.
Public schools in Tacoma
97 public schools with 41,726 students, about 17.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium High School | 9-12 | 1,609 | 23.0 |
| Lincoln High School | 9-12 | 1,529 | 18.9 |
| Mount Tahoma High School | 9-12 | 1,416 | 20.2 |
| Franklin Pierce High School | 9-12 | 1,138 | 17.8 |
| Dr. Dolores Silas High School | 9-12 | 1,136 | 23.7 |
| Washington High School | 9-12 | 1,024 | 16.3 |
| Fife High School | 10-12 | 864 | 21.6 |
| Morris Ford Middle School | 6-8 | 820 | 16.1 |
| Fife Elementary School | K-5 | 816 | 16.3 |
| Perry G Keithley Middle School | 6-8 | 771 | 17.1 |
| Spanaway Middle School | 6-8 | 750 | 22.7 |
| Tacoma School of the Arts | 9-12 | 648 | 20.9 |
Towns near Tacoma
- Fircrest, WA3.0 mi · 7,156 people · home $583,500
- University Place, WA4.8 mi · 34,866 people · home $624,800
- Fife, WA5.3 mi · 10,999 people · home $543,100
- Waller, WA5.4 mi · 8,189 people · home $512,200
- Midland, WA5.9 mi · 9,962 people · home $412,800
- Wollochet, WA5.9 mi · 6,769 people · home $889,900
- Milton, WA6.7 mi · 8,697 people · home $539,700
- Lakewood, WA6.9 mi · 63,612 people · home $461,200
Tacoma questions
Is Tacoma, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Tacoma scores better for retirees than 12% of Washington towns and quieter than 7%. 15.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.2).
How much does a house cost in Tacoma?
The median owner-occupied home in Tacoma is valued at $479,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $85,884, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $1,676 a month.
What is the weather like in Tacoma?
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 4.1 inches of snow.
Does Tacoma get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Tacoma since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on January 18, 2015. 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)