Tampa receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Tampa
Tacoma
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 47%
vs47 · Bottom 30%
Growth
69 · Top 14%
vs71 · Top 9%
Climate
81 · Top 16%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
35 · Bottom 26%
vs33 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 19%
vs62 · Bottom 40%
Access
99 · Top 10%
vs91 · Bottom 22%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 43%
vs61 · Top 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Tampa | Tacoma | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 401,618 | 222,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,475 | $85,884 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,528 | $45,650 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,508/sq mi | 4,480/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $420,400 | $479,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,701 | $1,676 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.3% | 55.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.7% | 34.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.5% | 12.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,888 | 1,267 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.3 | 5.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 16.8% | 155.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 76°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 53°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.5" | 42.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.7 min | 30.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.9 | 37.2 | 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
Tampa
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Tacoma
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Tampa, FL · Tacoma, WA · How this is calculated: methodology