Tacoma receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Arlington
Tacoma
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 24%
vs47 · Bottom 31%
Growth
65 · Top 24%
vs71 · Top 15%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability
53 · Bottom 13%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Access
72 · Bottom 14%
vs91 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 39%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Arlington | Tacoma | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,095 | 222,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $88,231 | $85,884 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,206 | $45,650 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,116/sq mi | 4,480/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $538,800 | $479,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,905 | $1,676 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.2% | 55.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.8% | 34.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.7% | 12.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 100 | 1,267 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.7 | 5.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 72°F | 76°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.4" | 42.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 45 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.6 min | 30.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.6 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Arlington
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Tacoma
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Arlington, WA · Tacoma, WA · How this is calculated: methodology