Tampa receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Tacoma
Tampa
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 30%
vs54 · Bottom 47%
Growth
71 · Top 9%
vs69 · Top 14%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs81 · Top 16%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 24%
vs35 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 40%
vs54 · Bottom 19%
Access
91 · Bottom 22%
vs99 · Top 10%
Economic stability
61 · Top 29%
vs53 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | Tacoma | Tampa | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 222,758 | 401,618 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,884 | $75,475 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,650 | $52,528 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,480/sq mi | 3,508/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $479,600 | $420,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,676 | $1,701 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.8% | 50.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.5% | 45.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.4% | 15.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,267 | 2,888 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 7.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 155.4% | 16.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 76°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 53°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.0" | 49.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.6 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.2 | 35.9 | 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
Tacoma
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Tampa
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Tacoma, WA · Tampa, FL · How this is calculated: methodology