Residential comparison · 13 facts
Tacoma, WA vs Vancouver, 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 $86,500 in Vancouver to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Vancouver, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $83,500 in Tacoma.
A few differences
- Tacoma is higher on median household income ($85,884 vs $81,338).
- Vancouver is lower on cost of living index (115 vs 117).
- Vancouver is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,686/mo vs $1,776/mo).
Tacoma vs Vancouver · facet by facet
| Facet | Tacoma, WA | Vancouver, WA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $479,600 | $462,400 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,776/mo | $1,686/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 | 115 |
| Groceries index | 106 | 106 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $155/mo |
| Median household income | $85,884 | $81,338 |
| 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 · Vancouver, WA
Questions & answers
- Is Tacoma cheaper than Vancouver?
- Vancouver has the lower day-to-day cost index (115 vs 117 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Vancouver equals $85,000 in Tacoma?
- A household earning $85,000 in Tacoma needs about $86,500 in Vancouver to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Vancouver lifestyle costs about $83,500 in Tacoma.