Tacoma, WA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In Tacoma, WA Summary
Cost of living in Tacoma research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Tacoma is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Washington, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Tacoma is 130, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Tacoma is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Tacoma ranks as the #88 cheapest in Washington out of 192.
Tacoma ranks as the #4,989 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Tacoma is $485,448.
The median income in Tacoma is $83,857.
Table Of Contents
Tacoma's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in Tacoma, WA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Tacoma has an overall cost of living index of 130, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Washington, Tacoma has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Washington's index of 118.
The standard of living in Tacoma ranks as #88 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Tacoma ranks as the #104 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.
For more reading on life in Tacoma, check out:
In Washington
In America
Tacoma Cost Of Living Vs. Washington
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Tacoma. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Tacoma is 119.
The Groceries index in Tacoma is 113.
The Health index in Tacoma is 127.
The Housing index in Tacoma is 156.
The Transportation index in Tacoma is 125.
The Utilities index in Tacoma is 94.
| Living Expense | Tacoma | Washington | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 130 | 118 | 100 | |
| Services | 119 | 111 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 113 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 127 | 122 | 100 | |
| Housing | 156 | 135 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 125 | 124 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 94 | 91 | 100 | |
Tacoma, WA Housing Cost Breakdown
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Washington, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Tacoma is $485,448.
The Median Rent in Tacoma is $1,597.
The Median Income in Tacoma is $83,857.
The Home Value To Income in Tacoma is 5.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Tacoma is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Tacoma | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $485,448 | $595,737 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,597 | $1,682 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $83,857 | $94,952 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.8x | 6.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.21x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
Tacoma, WA Costs By Category
Detailed Tacoma Services Costs Vs. Washington
| Item | Tacoma | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.38 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.92 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.09 | $18 |
| Haircut | $23.76 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $54.27 | $45.56 |
Detailed Tacoma Groceries Costs Vs. Washington
| Item | Tacoma | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.71 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.55 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.14 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $3.87 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.13 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.74 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $4.15 | $3.7 |
Detailed Tacoma Health Costs Vs. Washington
| Item | Tacoma | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $191.81 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $192.99 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $127.12 | $113.29 |
Detailed Tacoma Transportation Costs Vs. Washington
| Item | Tacoma | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.2 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $78.74 | $59.92 |
Detailed Tacoma Utilities Costs Vs. Washington
| Item | Tacoma | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $169.3 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $204.78 | $192.25 |
Tacoma SnackAbility
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Cost Of Living In Cities Around Tacoma
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Tacoma. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Lakewood, WA has a cost of living index of 127, 1.0x Tacoma.
Puyallup, WA has a cost of living index of 135, 1.0x Tacoma.
Parkland, WA has a cost of living index of 122, 0.9x Tacoma.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Tacoma |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood, WA | 63,034 | 127 | 1.0x |
| Puyallup, WA | 42,642 | 135 | 1.0x |
| Parkland, WA | 39,174 | 122 | 0.9x |
| University Place, WA | 34,850 | 135 | 1.0x |
| Frederickson, WA | 24,219 | 131 | 1.0x |
| Gig Harbor, WA | 12,202 | 154 | 1.2x |
| Fife, WA | 10,902 | 133 | 1.0x |
| Sumner, WA | 10,674 | 134 | 1.0x |
| Summit View, WA | 9,014 | 129 | 1.0x |
| Midland, WA | 8,676 | 118 | 0.9x |
