Tumwater, WA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Tumwater, WA Summary

Cost of living in Tumwater 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 Tumwater 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 Tumwater is 127, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Tumwater is 1.3x higher than the national average.

  • Tumwater ranks as the #76 cheapest in Washington out of 192.

  • Tumwater ranks as the #4,833 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Tumwater is $521,118.

  • The median income in Tumwater is $93,635.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
127
Tumwater's Overall Cost Of Living
1.3x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Tumwater, WA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Tumwater has an overall cost of living index of 127, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Washington, Tumwater has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Washington's index of 118.

The standard of living in Tumwater ranks as #76 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Tumwater ranks as the #116 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.

For more reading on life in Tumwater, check out:

76 out of 192
In Washington
4,833 out of 6,489
In America

Tumwater Cost Of Living Vs. Washington

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Tumwater. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Tumwater is 114.

  • The Groceries index in Tumwater is 108.

  • The Health index in Tumwater is 124.

  • The Housing index in Tumwater is 157.

  • The Transportation index in Tumwater is 130.

  • The Utilities index in Tumwater is 98.

Living Expense Tumwater Washington National Average
Overall 127 118 100
Services 114 111 100
Groceries 108 112 100
Health 124 122 100
Housing 157 135 100
Transportation 130 124 100
Utilities 98 91 100
For more reading on cost of living around Washington, check out:
Tumwater Cost of Living Vs. WA

Tumwater, 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 Tumwater is $521,118.

  • The Median Rent in Tumwater is $1,654.

  • The Median Income in Tumwater is $93,635.

  • The Home Value To Income in Tumwater is 5.6x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Tumwater is 0.21x.

Statistic Tumwater Washington United States
Median Home Value $521,118 $595,737 $303,400
Median Rent $1,654 $1,682 $1,348
Median Income $93,635 $94,952 $78,538
Home Value To Income 5.6x 6.3x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.21x 0.21x 0.21x
$521,118
Median Home Value
$1,654
Median Rent
$93,635
Median Income

Tumwater, WA Costs By Category

Detailed Tumwater Services Costs Vs. Washington

Item Tumwater Washington
Shampoo $1.21 $1.28
Movie $10.25 $12.13
Bowling $13.08 $18
Haircut $24.33 $24.26
Beauty Salon $30.83 $45.56

Detailed Tumwater Groceries Costs Vs. Washington

Item Tumwater Washington
Ground Beef $5.83 $5.84
Fried Chicken $2.44 $1.57
Milk $4.86 $4.67
Potatoes $4.15 $4.93
Pizza $14.32 $12.09
Beer $11.62 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.47 $3.7

Detailed Tumwater Health Costs Vs. Washington

Item Tumwater Washington
Optometrist $155.39 $125.68
Doctor $188.5 $135.78
Dentist $117.89 $113.29

Detailed Tumwater Transportation Costs Vs. Washington

Item Tumwater Washington
Gasoline $4.37 $3.46
Tire Balancing $69.72 $59.92

Detailed Tumwater Utilities Costs Vs. Washington

Item Tumwater Washington
All Electricity $126.2 $193.99
Phone $189.62 $192.25

Tumwater SnackAbility

8
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
7/10
Housing
8.5
Affordability
6
Diversity
8
Safety
5
Amenities
8.5
Education
8.5
Commute
8.5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Tumwater

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Tumwater. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Lacey, WA has a cost of living index of 126, 1.0x Tumwater.

  • Olympia, WA has a cost of living index of 128, 1.0x Tumwater.

  • Centralia, WA has a cost of living index of 108, 0.9x Tumwater.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Tumwater
Lacey, WA 57,088 126 1.0x
Olympia, WA 55,583 128 1.0x
Centralia, WA 18,457 108 0.9x
Fort Lewis, WA 13,983 137 1.1x
Shelton, WA 10,619 112 0.9x
Yelm, WA 10,618 123 1.0x
DuPont, WA 9,952 137 1.1x
Tanglewilde, WA 6,822 122 1.0x
Rochester, WA 6,025 121 1.0x

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