Living in Tacoma, WA

Tacoma's crime numbers hover right around the U.S. average. Violent crime index: 97. Property crime index: 191. The national baseline for both is 100, so you're looking at a city that's neither notably safe nor notably dangerous on paper. In practice, where you live within the city shifts the picture dramatically — a 10-minute drive can mean a completely different experience. Check local crime maps. Source: FBI UCR.

Housing costs in Tacoma are reasonable. Median rent sits at $1,597/month with median household income at $83,857/year — a 22.9% rent-to-income ratio. That's well within the comfort zone that most financial advisors recommend. It's not dirt cheap, but most working households can afford rent here without financial strain. Other costs like groceries and utilities will vary, but the rent picture is solid. Census ACS 2023 data.

It can be. The mean commute is 25 minutes, a bit above the national average. 67.1% of workers drive solo, which means congestion during rush hour is real. 4.7% rely on public transit, and 13.7% skip the commute by working from home. If you're choosing between neighborhoods, proximity to your workplace should rank high on the list — a few miles can mean 20 extra minutes each way during peak hours.

Not particularly. The climate risk score is 22/100, which puts Tacoma in the low-risk tier. Earthquake, Flood, and Wildfire are the most relevant hazards, but none of them are frequent concerns. Standard insurance should have you covered. It's one less thing to worry about if you're comparing this city to higher-risk metros along the coast or in tornado alley. Data from FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA.

Mixed. The city-wide graduation rate is 80.0% and classrooms average 16 students per teacher. Some schools here are legitimately excellent — strong test scores, engaged communities, good resources. Others struggle. The gap between the best and worst is wider than you might expect. Do your homework on individual schools rather than relying on the city-wide number.

Good, overall. The median AQI sits at 40, which falls within the EPA's "Good" category, and Tacoma logs 270 clean-air days annually. PM2.5 is the main pollutant. Occasional spikes happen — wildfire smoke, temperature inversions, or high-ozone days — but they're the exception, not the rule. Check AirNow.gov during allergy season or summer heat waves.

Roughly in the middle of the pack. Tacoma's combined effective rate is about 11.4%, covering income, property, and sales taxes. The sales tax is 10.2%. You won't be shocked by your first tax bill, but you won't be celebrating either. Cross-state movers should compare their current and future take-home pay before making assumptions.

Yes. Tacoma's water system scores 91/100 in our analysis — zero health-based violations on record, and the lead risk rating is "low." It meets or exceeds all EPA standards. You can fill a glass from the faucet without thinking twice. A basic pitcher filter can improve taste if you're particular, but it's not a safety concern.

Everything on this page is built from public government sources: rent and income figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023); commute and transportation data from Census ACS tables B08303 and B08006; crime rates from the FBI Uniform Crime Report; climate risk assessments using FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA storm records; air quality measurements from the EPA's Air Quality System database; water quality compliance data from EPA records and the EWG Tap Water Database; school data from the National Center for Education Statistics. We refresh each dataset monthly through an automated pipeline and cross-check for anomalies. No surveys, no user-submitted guesses — just official federal data presented in a way that's actually useful for people researching a move.