Residential comparison · 13 facts
Tacoma, WA vs University Place, WA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Tacoma needs about $86,000 in University Place to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from University Place, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $84,000 in Tacoma.
A few differences
- University Place is higher on median household income ($99,031 vs $85,884).
- Tacoma is lower on cost of living index (117 vs 125).
- Tacoma is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,776/mo vs $1,792/mo).
Tacoma vs University Place · facet by facet
| Facet | Tacoma, WA | University Place, WA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $479,600 | $624,800 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,776/mo | $1,792/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 0.87% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| Cost of living index | 117 | 125 |
| Groceries index | 106 | 106 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $155/mo |
| Median household income | $85,884 | $99,031 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Crime index | 50/100 | 50/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 155 days | 155 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Tacoma, WA · University Place, WA
Questions & answers
- Is Tacoma cheaper than University Place?
- Tacoma has the lower day-to-day cost index (117 vs 125 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in University Place equals $85,000 in Tacoma?
- A household earning $85,000 in Tacoma needs about $86,000 in University Place to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of University Place lifestyle costs about $84,000 in Tacoma.