The Town FilesVaughn, Washington
Community in Pierce County · population 565 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $735,000
- Jan low / Jul high
- 36° / 76°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 46.3
Vaughn is a community of 565 people in Pierce County, Washington. The median home is worth $735,000, above the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 98% of Washington towns, more of a college town than 94% of Washington towns, more seaside character than 89% of Washington towns.
How Vaughn 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 Vaughn is worth $735,000, above the typical Washington town ($475,000). 94.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Vaughn | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $735,000 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | — | $1,597 |
| Median household income | — | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 94.0% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1986 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 13.2% | — |
Who lives in Vaughn
| People | Vaughn | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.3 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 26.0% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 17.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.9% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.6% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 17.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.5% | — |
| Work from home | 32.6% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 37.1 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 100.0% | 93.9% |
Weather in Vaughn
July highs average 75.5°F and January lows 36.4°F. About 42.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.3 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 21 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Vaughn since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on October 18, 2019 about 9.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 18, 2019.
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 Vaughn itself the ACS puts it at 10.7%.
Public schools in Vaughn
1 public school with 323 students, about 14.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vaughn Elementary School | PK-5 | 323 | 14.7 |
Towns near Vaughn
- Key Center, WA2.3 mi · 3,863 people · home $613,200
- Grapeview, WA2.9 mi · 991 people · home $477,700
- Allyn, WA3.3 mi · 2,194 people · home $545,100
- Stansberry Lake, WA3.7 mi · 2,087 people · home $399,300
- Wauna, WA5.6 mi · 4,421 people · home $503,300
- Home, WA5.8 mi · 1,543 people · home $403,500
- Belfair, WA7.0 mi · 4,279 people · home $380,400
- Rosedale, WA7.1 mi · 4,357 people · home $887,600
Vaughn questions
Is Vaughn, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Vaughn scores better for retirees than 43% of Washington towns and quieter than 47%. 26.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.3).
How much does a house cost in Vaughn?
The median owner-occupied home in Vaughn is valued at $735,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of —. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Vaughn?
July highs average 75.5°F and January lows 36.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.3 inches of snow.
Does Vaughn get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Vaughn since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on October 18, 2019. 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)