Tacoma receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fife
Tacoma
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 26%
vs47 · Bottom 31%
Growth
24 · Bottom 11%
vs71 · Top 15%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 26%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability
56 · Bottom 15%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Access
91 · Bottom 48%
vs91 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
69 · Top 31%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Fife | Tacoma | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,949 | 222,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,532 | $85,884 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,696 | $45,650 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,877/sq mi | 4,480/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $543,100 | $479,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,889 | $1,676 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 46.3% | 55.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.9% | 34.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 12.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 1,267 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 5.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 76°F | 76°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.0" | 42.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.1 min | 30.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.3 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 62 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.92 | 19.10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 55.7% | 56.9% | 2024-25 school 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
Fife
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Tacoma
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Fife, WA · Tacoma, WA · How this is calculated: methodology