Moving to Tacoma, Washington

Population: 193,556. Estimated population in July 2024: 195,898 (+1.2% change)
Males: 94,419 (48.8%), Females: 99,137 (51.2%)

Pierce County

Zip codes: 98402, 98403, 98404, 98405, 98406, 98407, 98408, 98409, 98421, 98422, 98424, 98433, 98443, 98444, 98445, 98446, 98465, 98466.

Demographics

Median resident age: 33.9 years
Median household income: $37,879
Median house value: $123,300

Population by Race

Races in Tacoma:

  • White Non-Hispanic (66.5%)
  • Black (11.2%)
  • Hispanic (6.9%)
  • Two or more races (6.3%)
  • American Indian (3.6%)
  • Other race (2.9%)
  • Other Asian (2.2%)
  • Vietnamese (1.9%)
  • Korean (1.4%)
  • Filipino (1.0%)
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (0.9%)
  • Japanese (0.5%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

Ancestries: German (15.7%), Irish (10.3%), English (9.0%), Norwegian (5.8%), United States (4.4%), Italian (3.5%).

Elevation: 380 feet

Land area: 50.1 square miles

Population by Education

For population 25 years and over in Tacoma

  • High school or higher: 83.6%
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 20.0%
  • Graduate or professional degree: 6.9%
  • Unemployed: 7.8%
  • Mean travel time to work: 25.4 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Tacoma city

  • Never married: 29.3%
  • Now married: 47.3%
  • Separated: 2.4%
  • Widowed: 6.9%
  • Divorced: 14.2%

11.9% Foreign born (5.7% Asia, 3.0% Europe, 2.4% Latin America).

Population change in the 1990s: +13,526 (+7.5%).

Hospitals

Hospitals/medical centers in Tacoma:

  • MARY BRIDGE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL (317 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR W BOX 5299)
  • PUGET SOUND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (215 SOUTH 36TH STREET)
  • ST JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER (1717 J STREET/PO BOX 2197)
  • TACOMA GENERAL ALLENMORE HOSPITAL (315 S MLK JR WAY/PO BOX 5299)
  • WESTERN STATE HOSPITAL (9601 STEILCOOM BLVD SW)

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Tacoma:

  • MCCHORD AFB (about 8 miles; TACOMA, WA; Abbreviation: TCM)
  • GRAY AAF (about 15 miles; FORT LEWIS/TACOMA, WA; Abbreviation: GRF)
  • SEATTLE-TACOMA INTL (about 18 miles; SEATTLE, WA; Abbreviation: SEA)

Other public-use airports nearest to Tacoma:

  • TACOMA NARROWS (about 8 miles; TACOMA, WA; Abbreviation: TIW)
  • AMERICAN LAKE (about 10 miles; TACOMA, WA; Abbreviation: W37)
  • SPANAWAY (about 12 miles; SPANAWAY, WA; Abbreviation: S44)

Amtrak station:
TACOMA (1001 PUYALLUP AVE.). Services: ticket office, partially wheelchair accessible, enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, full-service food facilities, free short-term parking, free long-term parking, call for taxi service, intercity bus service, public transit connection.

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/Universities in Tacoma:

  • TACOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 3,710; Location: 6501 S 19TH ST; Public; Website: www.tacoma.ctc.edu)
  • BATES TECHNICAL COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 3,710; Location: 1101 S YAKIMA AVE; Public; Website: www.bates.ctc.edu)
  • PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY (Full-time enrollment: 3,265; Location: 1010 122nd ST SO; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.plu.edu; Offers Master’s degree)
  • UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND (Full-time enrollment: 2,754; Location: 1500 N WARNER; Private, not-for-profit; Website: WWW.UPS.EDU; Offers Master’s degree)
  • UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON-TACOMA CAMPUS (Full-time enrollment: 1,155; Location: 1900 COMMERCE ST; Public; Website: www.washington.edu; Offers Master’s degree)
  • BUSINESS COMPUTER TRAINING INSTITUTE (Full-time enrollment: 318; Location: 5825 TACOMA MALL BLVD STE 103; Private, for-profit; Website: www.bcti.org)
  • NORTHWEST BAPTIST SEMINARY (Full-time enrollment: 60; Location: 4301 N STEVENS; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.nbs.edu; Offers Master’s degree)
  • BJ’S BEAUTY AND BARBER COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 50; Location: 5237 S TACOMA WAY; Private, for-profit)
  • FAITH EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SEMINARY (Location: 3504 N PEARL ST; Private, not-for-profit; Offers Master’s degree)
  • WESTERN PACIFIC TRUCK SCHOOL (Location: 11020 S TACOMA WAY; Private, for-profit)
  • TRANS UNION TRAINING SCHOOL INC (Location: 4624 RIVER RD E; Private, for-profit; Website: TRANSUNION TRUCK.COM)

Other colleges/universities with over 2000 students near Tacoma:

  • CLOVER PARK TECHNICAL COLLEGE (about 7 miles; LAKEWOOD, WA; Full-time enrollment: 3,819)
  • PIERCE COLLEGE AT FORT STEILACOOM (about 9 miles; LAKEWOOD, WA; Full-time enrollment: 5,921)
  • HIGHLINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 15 miles; DES MOINES, WA; Full-time enrollment: 4,288)
  • GREEN RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 21 miles; AUBURN, WA; Full-time enrollment: 4,568)
  • SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE-SOUTH CAMPUS (about 22 miles; SEATTLE, WA; Full-time enrollment: 3,013)
  • OLYMPIC COLLEGE (about 26 miles; BREMERTON, WA; Full-time enrollment: 3,889)
  • RENTON TECHNICAL COLLEGE (about 27 miles; RENTON, WA; Full-time enrollment: 2,623)

Biggest public high schools in Tacoma:

  • FOSS (Students: 1,936; Location: 2112 S TYLER ST; Grades: 09 – 12)
  • LINCOLN (Students: 1,745; Location: 701 S 37TH ST; Grades: 09 – 12)
  • WILSON (Students: 1,726; Location: 1202 N ORCHARD ST; Grades: 09 – 12)
  • STADIUM (Students: 1,705; Location: 111 N E ST; Grades: 09 – 12)
  • MT TAHOMA (Students: 1,643; Location: 6229 S TYLER ST; Grades: 09 – 12)
  • FRANKLIN-PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,159; Location: 11002 18TH AVE E; Grades: 09 – 12)
  • WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 965; Location: 12420 AINSWORTH AVE S; Grades: 09 – 12)
  • FIFE HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 777; Location: 5616 20TH ST E; Grades: 10 – 12)
  • OAKLAND ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 450; Location: 3319 S ADAMS ST; Grades: 09 – 12)
  • TACOMA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS (Students: 337; Location: 1950 PACIFIC AVENUE; Grades: 10 – 12)

Private high schools in Tacoma:

  • LIFE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (Students: 1,004; Location: 1717 S UNION; Grades: PK – 12)
  • BELLARMINE PREPARATORY SCHOOL (Students: 986; Location: 2300 SOUTH WASHINGTON ST; Grades: 9 – 12)
  • TACOMA BAPTIST SCHOOLS (Students: 549; Location: 2052 S 64TH STREET; Grades: KG – 12)
  • ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOL (Students: 429; Location: 827 N TACOMA AVENUE; Grades: PK – 12)
  • COVENANT HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 103; Location: 620 SOUTH SHIRLEY STREET; Grades: 9 – 12)

Biggest public primary/middle schools in Tacoma:

  • MORRIS FORD MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 1,039; Location: 1602 104TH STREET EAST; Grades: 06 – 08)
  • SPANAWAY JUNIOR HIGH (Students: 926; Location: 15701 B STREET EAST; Grades: 07 – 09)
  • PERRY G KEITHLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 838; Location: 12324 12TH AVE S; Grades: 06 – 08)
  • MEEKER (Students: 787; Location: 4402 NASSAU AVE NE; Grades: 06 – 08)
  • BAKER (Students: 783; Location: 8320 S I ST; Grades: 06 – 08)
  • TRUMAN (Students: 761; Location: 5801 N 35TH ST; Grades: 06 – 08)
  • MASON (Students: 757; Location: 3901 N 28TH ST; Grades: 06 – 08)
  • NACHES TRAIL ELEMENTARY (Students: 748; Location: 15305 WALLER ROAD EAST; Grades: KG – 06)
  • JASON LEE (Students: 702; Location: 602 N SPRAGUE AVE; Grades: 06 – 08)
  • GRAY (Students: 700; Location: 3109 S 60TH ST; Grades: 06 – 08)

Biggest private primary/middle schools in Tacoma:

  • CONCORDIA LUTHERAN SCHOOL (Students: 522; Location: 202 E 56TH STREET; Grades: PK – 8)
  • ST CHARLES BORROMEO (Students: 514; Location: 7112 S 12TH ST; Grades: KG – 8)
  • ST. PATRICK SCHOOL (Students: 450; Location: 1112 N ‘G’ STREET; Grades: PK – 8)
  • CASCADE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS SPAN (Students: 281; Location: 17408 36TH AVE EAST PO BOX 579; Grades: PK – 6)
  • VISITATION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 202; Location: 3306 SOUTH 58TH STREET; Grades: PK – 8)
  • HERITAGE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (Students: 177; Location: 5412 67TH AVE WEST; Grades: KG – 8)
  • PARKLAND LUTHERAN SCHOOL (Students: 159; Location: P O BOX 44006; Grades: PK – 8)
  • THE SEABURY SCHOOL (Students: 155; Location: 1801 NORTH EAST 53RD ST; Grades: PK – 8)
  • PUGET SOUND CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (Students: 110; Location: 1740 SO 84TH ST; Grades: PK – 4)
  • HOLY ROSARY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 109; Location: 504 SOUTH 30TH STREET; Grades: KG – 8)

Libraries

Libraries in Tacoma:

  • PIERCE COUNTY (Operating income: $14,301,381; Location: 3005 112TH STREET EAST; 931,761 books; 81,934 audio materials; 68,885 video materials; 3,060 serial subscriptions)
  • TACOMA PUBLIC (Operating income: $10,315,477; Location: 1102 TACOMA AVE S; 2,119,719 books; 57,308 audio materials; 30,796 video materials; 1,651 serial subscriptions)