Living in Tumwater, WA
Small city in Washington
Tumwater is a small city in Washington, home to about 27,000 people, with 850,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Tumwater a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 76°F
- Great outdoors: hills or mountains nearby
- Easy flying: SEA is 43 mi away
- Dog-friendly: 5 dog parks within 9 mi
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Fewer graduates: 42% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- 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 Tumwater ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Tumwater: common questions
What is the cost of living in Tumwater?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $504k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,610 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 104, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Tumwater?
Washington collects about $70 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.95% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Tumwater safe?
Violent crime is close to the national rate (0.8× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Tumwater?
Public schools in Tumwater test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 22 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Tumwater?
Tumwater has cool winters: winter days average around 47°F and summer days around 76°F, with roughly 4″ of snow a year.
Does Tumwater get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is high, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 11 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 2.45 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Tumwater?
The nearest major airport is SEA, about 43 mi away.
How Tumwater scores
Each bar compares Tumwater with the other 1,990 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).
Places like Tumwater
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Washington.
Is Tumwater right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.