Tacoma receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lakewood
Tacoma
Opportunity
38 · Bottom 15%
vs47 · Bottom 31%
Growth
57 · Top 38%
vs71 · Top 15%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 25%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability
56 · Bottom 16%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Access
87 · Bottom 33%
vs91 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 32%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Lakewood | Tacoma | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 62,937 | 222,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,720 | $85,884 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,695 | $45,650 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,689/sq mi | 4,480/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $461,200 | $479,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,525 | $1,676 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.5% | 55.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.2% | 34.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.2% | 12.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 396 | 1,267 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.3 | 5.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -7.9% | 155.4% | 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 | 22 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.6 min | 30.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 26 | 62 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.19 | 19.10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 71.4% | 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
Lakewood
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Tacoma
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Lakewood, WA · Tacoma, WA · How this is calculated: methodology