Living in Tacoma, WA
Mid-size city in Washington
Tacoma is a mid-size city in Washington, home to about 220,000 people, with 3.0 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Tacoma a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 11 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 75°F
- Easy flying: SEA is 16 mi away
- Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Higher crime: violent crime is 2.2× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Fewer family amenities than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Tacoma ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Tacoma: common questions
What is the cost of living in Tacoma?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $483k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,730 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 111, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Tacoma?
Washington collects about $70 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.93% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Tacoma safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.2× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Tacoma?
Tacoma has cool winters: winter days average around 49°F and summer days around 75°F, with roughly 6″ of snow a year.
Does Tacoma get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 2.07 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Tacoma?
The nearest major airport is SEA, about 16 mi away.
How Tacoma scores
Each bar compares Tacoma with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Tacoma right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.