Puyallup and Tacoma receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Puyallup
Tacoma
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 29%
vs47 · Bottom 31%
Growth
66 · Top 22%
vs71 · Top 15%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 25%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 26%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Access
89 · Bottom 39%
vs91 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
70 · Top 29%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Puyallup | Tacoma | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,746 | 222,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,826 | $85,884 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,096 | $45,650 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,976/sq mi | 4,480/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $551,800 | $479,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,812 | $1,676 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.1% | 55.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.4% | 34.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.0% | 12.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 285 | 1,267 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 5.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 223.9% | 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 | 19 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.4 min | 30.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 62 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.74 | 19.10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.7% | 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
Puyallup
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Tacoma
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Puyallup, WA · Tacoma, WA · How this is calculated: methodology