Pierce County, Washington
Among the top 5% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 7% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 95% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 21% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 77% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 58% of US counties
- top 4% for broadband access
- top 4% for comfortable days
- bottom 1% for property crime
Pierce County is a county in Washington with about 919,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include broadband access, comfortable days, and walkability. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and property crime.
Official websitepiercecountywa.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Mild summers · Cool winters · Moderate rain · Light snow
cold
cool
comfortable
warm
comf.
cool
cold
71%30%clearovercast
Precipitation 5.5 in1.3 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$91k94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$56kbetter than 10% of US counties
Home Value$445k96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 3% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 4% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.98%better than 40% of US counties
Income Tax0.00%better than 91% of US counties
Sales Tax9.38%better than 8% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden7.86%better than 78% of US counties
Unemployment5.0%better than 45% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)42°F73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)67°F4th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation44.1 in52nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall6.0 inbetter than 62% of US counties
Sunny Days212 daysbetter than 25% of US counties
Summer Humidity52°Fbetter than 89% of US counties
Comfortable Days116 daysbetter than 96% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk98.5better than 1% of US counties
Air Quality42 AQIbetter than 56% of US counties
School Quality77.4better than 81% of US counties
Violent Crime1331/100kbetter than 20% of US counties
Property Crime4481/100kbetter than 1% of US counties
Community
Population918,99398th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age36.514th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5181st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0160th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+1211th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)63.7%28th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)6.8%70th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)11.9%76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)6.5%97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)11.2%94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time32 minbetter than 10% of US counties
Walkability9.9/20better than 92% of US counties
Airport Distance28 mibetter than 92% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access92.7%better than 96% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.47better than 29% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 42% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Pierce County an affordable place to live?
- Pierce County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $56k, better than 10% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Pierce County?
- The median home value in Pierce County is $445k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Pierce County?
- Median household income in Pierce County is $91k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Pierce County?
- Median gross rent in Pierce County is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Pierce County safe?
- Pierce County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1331/100k (better than 20%). Property crime is 4481/100k.
- What is the weather like in Pierce County?
- Pierce County averages 67°F in July and 42°F in January, with 44.1 in of annual precipitation and about 212 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Pierce County?
- Public-school quality in Pierce County is above average, scoring better than 81% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Pierce County?
- The average one-way commute in Pierce County is 32 min.
Other counties in Washington
Explore Washington
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)