Known as "Grit City" and "the City of Destiny," Tacoma takes pride in its working-class roots and industrial history. With a population of about 224,000, it’s the third-largest city in Washington, behind Spokane, 300 miles east, and Seattle, 35 miles north. It’s set among the scenic backdrops of Puget Sound and Mount Rainier. When people say, “the Mountain is out," they are referring to Rainier's visibility, which depends on the cloud cover and other weather conditions. The Port of Tacoma is at the southeastern end of Commencement Bay, part of the Sound.
Railroads and industries like shipbuilding and lumber production boosted Tacoma's economy starting in the late 19th century. "We're fundamentally a port and military community. Inherently, those have blue-collar work ethics related to them," says Chris Murphy, a broker with Compass, who owns and operates the website washingtonwaterfronts.com. Murphy says a "work-hard mentality" is part of Tacoma's identity. "I don't think 'blue-collar' has a negative connotation at all," he says. The military installation, Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), is the largest of its kind in the country and a major employer. It's about 15 southwest of downtown Tacoma.
Among Tacoma's unique qualities is its overlapping boundaries with the Puyallup Reservation, under the jurisdiction of the Puyallup Tribe of Native Americans. The reservation is among the most urban of its kind, and the majority of people living on the land are not members of the tribe. Though the overlap is small, Puyallup has a significant economic impact on the area. In 2020, the tribe opened the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma. In 2023, the Kenmore Air on Ruston Way Puyallup Tribal Air Terminal opened, offering seasonal seaplane flights over the South Sound.
The Tacoma metro region includes smaller surrounding cities, including the city of Puyallup, about 10 miles southeast. It’s grown from a mostly agricultural community, almost doubling in population since 1990 and is now home to over 42,000 residents. Joshua Walden, a broker with NextHome Prolific who grew up in the area, says some compare Puyallup’s relationship to Tacoma with Bellevue’s satellite-city connection to Seattle. “But it’s not urban like that,” he says, noting that people might move to Puyallup when they start a family and want more space, like a multiacre lot. About 12 miles northwest, across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, is Gig Harbor. This southern Puget sound community of about 13,000 is known as “Maritime City” and has an economy boosted by tourism. About 16 miles east of Tacoma is Bonney Lake, a city with a population of about 23,000. “Bonney Lake is a place where people go to buy a new home,” Walden says. Bonney Lake’s main feature is Lake Tapps, which is popular for swimming, boating and fishing.
Often called Grit City, Tacoma is known for its working class roots.
Just right off Tacoma Narrows Bridge the neighborhood lines the coast with Mt Rainier distant.
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Tacoma's changing economics and scents, crime is down
Over the past decade, Seattleites and people from across the West Coast have flocked to Tacoma as a city with relative affordability, robust amenities and access to the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. The makeup of the city's population has changed with an influx of commuters who work at Amazon or other tech companies in Seattle. There are also many remote workers who have relocated from elsewhere.
"Socioeconomically, it's a lot different than it was even 10 years ago. There are a lot more people with more disposable income," says Shannon Bell-Peterson, a broker with Re/Max Honors, who has spent more than 30 years living, working and raising a family in Tacoma.
Other changes include the 2023 closure of a paper mill that had been in operation for nearly 100 years. The "aroma of Tacoma," a rotten-egg smell connected to the mill, also has faded. "It's kind of a joke, but there's a stigma behind it," Walden says. "I haven't smelled it in a long time. But people who are moving here still bring it up. There also are T-shirts and merchandise celebrating it. It's nostalgic." As industry shifts, the city encourages sustainable – "green" – manufacturing, hoping to attract skilled laborers.
According to FBI data, property and violent crime rates are higher than state and national figures. Following a spike during the pandemic, Tacoma's violent crime rate has gone down nearly 30% between 2022 and 2023. The drop is in part attributed to the Tacoma Police Department's violent crime reduction plan. The plan's primary strategy is to implement place-based policing, prioritizing staffing for historically high crime areas. Additionally, from 2022 to 2023, the property crime rate declined more than 35%.
Local gentleman out for a stroll at Peoples Park in HIlltop Tacoma.
Shred the ramps at North Tacoma's mini skatepark.
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Downtown, Sixth Avenue, International District and Tacoma Mall
Supporting locally owned businesses is a priority for many people in Tacoma, and they'll visit different neighborhoods for that purpose. The Sixth Avenue Business District in central Tacoma is within walking distance of Puget Sound University and focuses on restaurants and bars. "Sixth Avenue is known for hole-in-the-wall bars," Walden says. The area is rapidly growing to include more shopping.
Downtown has some shopping, and even more places for eating and drinking along Pacific Avenue. "People call it 'The Ave.' It's the strip: the bar crawl of downtown," Walden says. Hot spots include The Office Bar & Grill, The Forum and McMenamins, a multifaceted seven-floor hotel, entertainment venue and restaurant and bar site and in a restored Elks Temple. "Local promoters and artists from Tacoma are starting to use it a lot more." There's a theater district, a retail area called Antique Row, dining options by the waterfront docks and a newer beer-centric area called Brewery Blocks.
The Lincoln International District in the South End is another area that stands out. "One of the things that I love the most about it is the walkability to fantastic restaurants," Murphy says. "There are amazing Asian grocery stores that you can walk to and find ingredients that you normally wouldn't be able to find at a big box store." In the North End, the Proctor District is a walkable area full of cafes, boutiques and historic homes.
When people need something from Walmart, Target or other national brands, they can head to central Tacoma's retail corridors, like the area off state Route 16. To the south, adjacent to Interstate 5, there's Tacoma Mall, offering big chains and national brands. A redevelopment project called The Village should open at the mall by autumn 2025, with new restaurants, retail and community spaces. Grocery stores in Tacoma include Fred Meyer, Metropolitan Market Tacoma, Trader Joe's and Hong Kong Supermarket.
Auntie Anne's at Tacoma Mall is a popular spot for kids in Tacoma WA.
Peruse the Tacoma Mall & grab an ice cream in the Tacoma area.
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Homes higher than national average, more affordable than Seattle
The median home price in Tacoma is $480,000, significantly lower than Seattle’s median price of $849,000 and Pierce County overall at $608,000. It’s slightly higher than the national median price of $412,000. Between fall 2023 and fall 2024, home prices in Tacoma were up 5%. The city is known for its early-20th-century Craftsmans, but there's everything from vintage mansions to 1950s ramblers, 1970s split levels and 2020s modern custom builds. There are also a variety of townhouses and condos, mostly clustered around downtown and the shorelines. Generally, older homes are in the downtown and central parts of Tacoma; later development spread out to the east and west. "Everything north of Sixth Avenue — the North End, the Proctor District and Ruston — are more expensive and considered more prestigious," Walden says.
A quintessential Old Town home with the VW Snycro to boot.
North Tacoma offers a diverse range of architecture.
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The Museum of Glass, the Tacoma Dome and annual events
Tacoma is very invested in the arts. Downtown has a museum district, which includes the Tacoma Art Museum and the Museum of Glass, a collaboration with internationally famous glass artist Dale Chihuly, a Tacoma native. The Tacoma Dome has room for up to 21,000 spectators for concerts, festivals, basketball tournaments and community events.
July events such as Art on the Ave at 6th Avenue and MOSAIC: Tacoma's Arts & Culture Festival draw crowds to enjoy live performances, art, drinks and food. For more than 30 years, MOSAIC – previously known as Ethnic Fest – has partnered with groups like the Juneteenth Organizers and the Tacoma Rainbow Center to showcase the city's diversity. Tacoma is full of live music year-round, with many venues hosting local and touring acts. In September, the two-day festival Reggae On The Way attracts thousands from across the region. Other events include Destiny City Film Festival in February, Tacoma Oceanfest in June and the Tacoma Greek Festival in October. Lincoln International District's Lunar New Year Festival is held on different dates each year, usually in January or February. In August and September, the Washington State Fair is held in Pullayup, about 11 miles from downtown Tacoma.
Museum of Glass
Plenty of vendors to choose from at Broadway Farmers Market in downtown Tacoma.
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Point Defiance Park, sighting seal pups on the Sound
Metro Parks Tacoma has many recreational properties and parks, including community centers and pools, close to 50 playgrounds, 8 miles of beaches and over 80 miles of trails. At 760 acres, Point Defiance is one of Tacoma's largest parks, and the site of community events like Independence Day fireworks and Shakespeare in the Park.
The Tacoma Nature Center is a 70-acre preserve with a large lake, walking trails and a play area. "It's kind of like a microcosm of Washington's wetlands," says Michele Cardinaux, the facility supervisor. She suggests using the Metro Parks' website to choose a park to visit.
Puget Sound habitats include a wealth of wildlife, from seals to sea birds and an occasional humpback whale or orca. On land, there are deer, coyotes and red foxes. Summers are made sweeter with harbor seal pupping season when mother seals and their offspring might be seen on the sand.
Don't miss out on Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in the Ruston area of Tacoma.
The Red Wolves of the Point Defiance Zoo are quite majestic in the Tacoma area.
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Tacoma Public Schools' graduation rate exceeds the state's
Tacoma Public Schools is one of the largest districts in Washington State, with a student population of about 28,000. The district earns an overall B grade from Niche. Several of Tacoma Public Schools' recent initiatives aim to close gaps within the district and the city. In 2023, the district launched a field trip program to ensure all students can visit educational sites, zoos and museums.
The district also hopes to alleviate staffing gaps in the local healthcare industry. Two high schools now offer a Healthcare Careers Academy, a four-year program dedicated to skill-building within the medical field. Other specialty high schools include the Science and Math Institute (SAMI) and the School of Industrial Design Engineering and Art (IDEA). In 2023, the TPS graduation rate was 91.1%, the highest recorded in the district and 7.5% above the state average.
Franklin Pierce School District, with a B-minus, has about 7,500 students and is located to the south in Parkland, though it has a Tacoma mailing address. Other nearby school districts in the Tacoma-Pierce County region include University Place School District, with an A, serving areas to the northwest; and Puyallup School District, with a B, serving areas to the southeast.
Many Native American students in the area attend Chief Leschi Schools, which serves kindergarten through twelfth grade and is affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education. The program prioritizes admission for members of the Puyallup Tribe. Higher education options in Tacoma include the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma Community College and the University of Washington Tacoma.
Hilltop Heritage Middle School is the middle school most Hilltop teens attend.
Foss High School has a C+ rating on Niche.com.
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Interstate 5, Sounder trains and Pierce Transit buses
Drivers in Tacoma have easy access to both SR-16 and I-5. Pierce Transit bus service runs throughout the city. Sound Transit's Link light rail T Line connects a series of stations within the city: Tacoma Dome, Downtown Tacoma and Hilltop. Commuters have other transit options other than driving. Tacoma may get a light rail extension from Seattle, though Murphy says he's heard it might take until 2040. There's already commuter rail to Seattle via the Sounder South S Line. The trip usually takes an hour, about the same amount of time – if not less – than driving during rush hour. Amtrak trains are available at the Tacoma Dome Station.
Tacoma is about 25 miles from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the largest airport in the Pacific Northwest. Also known as SeaTac, the airport offers domestic and international flights with more than 30 airlines.
Growing up in a military family, home was where we were all together... on-post housing, sky-rise apartment in Seoul, Korea, temporary hotels, and my personal favorite- a small camping trailer for 5 of us. All those years my parents rented from the Army- we didn't have a home to call ours until my dad was stationed at JBLM in 2004. Here, he was actually educated on the home buying process- with that education to guide them, my parents finally purchased a home in Yelm! It was a feeling- to this day- I can remember as pride & comfort in the place we laid our heads. And this really is what I am passionate about & the reason behind my career choice to this day! Being able to empower buyers and sellers (especially our military) and educate them on the home buying and selling process is what it is all about. And now, as an Army spouse for almost 20 years, and having lived and worked in the greater JBLM area for 20 years, I pride myself in being rooted in this community. I believe this to truly be an important part of what it takes to be a local real estate expert with not just expertise in negotiations and marketing but a love and understanding for our (military) community.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
