About 9 miles south of Tacoma, Summit is a rural area with 8,000 people and farmland that stretches over the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, giving homes ample acreage for raising cattle and horses. "Summit has longtime residents looking for more space outside of the big city," says Brian Solinsky, an area local and managing broker at Keller Williams Realty. This quiet landscape may feel removed from urban conveniences, but it's surrounded by nearby shopping plazas. Many residents commute to Tacoma for jobs in healthcare and education, while some work at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, 12 miles southwest.
Summit View
Summit View
The High Point Equestrian Center offers many horse services such as boarding and lessons.
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Spacious and eclectic properties with potential
Summit's median home price is $595,000, higher than the national media and Tacoma's $482,000. According to Solinsky, Summit has more space than Tacoma, where neighborhoods are often densely packed. "It has diverse homes with new construction," Solinsky says, "and farm-type properties with more acreage."Minimal traditional and ranch-style homes from the 1940s through 1970s are common throughout Summit, while there are some 21st-century new traditional homes in subdivisions like Three Cedars. Summit Puyallup has acre lots with room for gardens and horses, while the hilltop Summit View has mostly farmhouses and undeveloped land. Crime statistics specific to Summit are not readily available.
Summit View
Many homes in Summit Puyallup utilize their large lots to build expansive garage space.
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The South Hill Mall is just minutes from Summit
Summit Country Center is home to Summit's dining scene, featuring American pubs and Vietnamese and Thai places. Canyon Road, a major local thoroughfare, is lined with coffee shops, pharmacies and supermarkets. About 3 miles east, the South Hill Mall has over 120 retailers, as well as a bowling alley, arcade and Regal movie theater. Near the mall, Meridian, a major roadway also known as Washington Route 161, is lined with shopping centers, national chains and big-box stores.
Near Summit Puyallup is a retail core with lots of shops such as O'Reilly Auto Parts.
Groceries such as fresh produce are easy to find at the Albertsons near Summit Puyallup.
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B-minus rated Franklin Pierce schools
The Franklin Pierce School District is rated B-minus by Niche, and serves 7,000 students across eight elementary, two middle and three high schools. Elementary and middle schools offer a Spanish dual language program, and high schools provide college credit opportunities in the Running Start program.
The front entrance to Midland Elementary School.
The front entrance to Morris Ford Middle School.
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The Orangegate trail and turf fields at Heritage Park
Orangegate Park has a roughly 2-mile loop trail that winds through a forest and is popular with horse and dog owners, while Dawson Playfield has a baseball diamond and basketball courts. The 40-acre South Hill Community Park includes a playground and the paved Nathan Chapman Memorial Trail, which connects to Heritage Park and its turf fields for soccer and softball. About 4 miles east, Bradley Lake Park is a 60-acre reserve with paved hiking trails and a fishing lake.
Pipeline Road East near Orangegate Park in Summit Puyallup has a really striking view.
Orangegate Park in Summit Puyallup has quite a few trails for folks to walk along.
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Pierce Transit and various routes along 512
Summit sits right on Washington Route 512, which leads about 6 miles west to Interstate 5; heading north on I-5, it's about 12 miles to downtown Tacoma and 37 miles to downtown Seattle. Pierce Transit, the local bus system, makes stops in Summit along 112th Street. St. Clare Hospital, about 9 miles west, is the closest emergency room and one of the area’s largest employers. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is about 25 miles away.
Rainfall and environmental risks
Like much of the Pacific Northwest, Summit has a temperate climate and wet winters that bring frequent rainfall. Traffic noise may affect properties near WA-Route 512. Most of Pierce County, including Summit, may experience earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis caused by movement along the Tacoma Fault.
Written By
Jackson Hardy
Photography Contributed By
Landon Gauthier
Video By
Lucas Dyke
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Don Goethals,
an experienced agent in this area.
GreatSchools:
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