Frederickson vs Tacoma

Which is the better fit for you?

Frederickson, WA
55
Area Score
Bottom 36% nationally
Tacoma, WA
51
Area Score
Bottom 23% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Frederickson receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Frederickson to Tacoma

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 112.7 against 112.7 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
+$449 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $2,420 in Tacoma against $1,971 in Frederickson.
The median home
About the same
$479,600 in Tacoma against $477,400 in Frederickson.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 36°F in Tacoma against 36°F in Frederickson; July highs are 76°F against 76°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Frederickson
Tacoma
Opportunity: Tacoma is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 26%
vs
47 · Bottom 32%
Growth: Frederickson is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
74 · Top 10%
vs
72 · Top 12%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs
74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs
32 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability: Frederickson is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
66 · Bottom 49%
vs
53 · Bottom 25%
Schools: Frederickson is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
37 · Bottom 34%
vs
18 · Bottom 9%
Access: Tacoma is the more favorable of the two.
Access
85 · Bottom 28%
vs
91 · Bottom 46%
Economic stability: Frederickson is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
62 · Top 42%
vs
53 · Bottom 41%

Measured values

MetricFredericksonTacomaSource period
Population25,383222,7582024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$109,500 — more favorable$85,8842024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$39,309$45,650 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,244/sq mi4,480/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$477,400$479,6002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$2,386$1,676 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,971 — more favorable$2,420FY2026
Cost of living index112.7112.72023
Homeownership rate73.8%55.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate5.4%5.4%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−1.1%−1.1%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher20.0%34.5% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate5.9% — more favorable12.0%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)5,8581,26712 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents6.3 — more favorable5.712 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+70.7%+155.4% — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Average July high76°F76°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low36°F36°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation42.0"42.0"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport25 mi15 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute38.7 min30.6 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age33.437.22024 ACS 5-Year
Students per teacher18.5 — more favorable18.92024-25 school year
Math proficiency48.5% — more favorable38.8%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency63.4% — more favorable55.3%2018-19 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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.

Physical risk tradeoff

Frederickson

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Tacoma

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Frederickson
—
Frederickson: Your Score
55
Area Score
Tacoma
—
Tacoma: Your Score
51
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Frederickson, WA · Tacoma, WA · How this is calculated: methodology