Pierce County, Washington (WA)

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County population in July 2007: 773,165 (92% urban, 8% rural)
County owner-occupied houses and condos: 165,623
Renter-occupied apartments: 95,177

% of renters here:	36%
State:	35%

Land area: 1679 sq. mi.
Water area: 127.6 sq. mi.

Population density: 461 people per square mile

(high).

2008 cost of living index in Pierce County: 105.7 (more than average, U.S. average is 100)

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Type of workers:

Private wage or salary: 76%
Government: 18%
Self-employed, not incorporated: 6%
Unpaid family work: 0%

Pierce County, Washington business data: stores, dealers, real estate agents, wholesalers, restaurants...

Races in Pierce County, Washington:

White Non-Hispanic (76.0%)
Black (7.0%)
Hispanic (5.5%)
Two or more races (5.1%)
American Indian (2.8%)
Other race (2.2%)
Korean (1.5%)
Filipino (1.0%)
Other Asian (0.9%)
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (0.8%)
Vietnamese (0.7%)
Japanese (0.5%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

Median resident age:	34.1 years
Washington median age:	35.3 years

Males: 348,557	(49.7%)
Females: 352,263	(50.3%)

Average wage per job in 2003: $34,651
County population in 2003: 740,472
Jobs in 2003: 287,876

Recent posts about Pierce County, Washington on our local forum with over 400,000 registered users. Pierce County is mentioned 171 times on our forum:

	How bad is the Meth problem in the Tacoma/Pierce County area? (11 replies)
	South King County/North Pierce County neighborhoods (11 replies)
	Is it a good or bad time to buy a home in the Pierce County? (8 replies)
	Pierce County, Washington (2 replies)
	Black Population In Seattle (263 replies)
	The impending Seattle housing market collapse. (101 replies)

Pierce County,WA real estate house value trend

Total labor force in 2004: 367,268
Unemployment rate in 2004: 7.1%

Average household size:

Pierce County:	2.6 people
Washington:	2.5 people

Estimated median household income in 2007: $55,725 ($45,204 in 1999)

This county:	$55,725
Washington:	$55,591

2007 median house/condo value: $285,100 ($149,600 in 2000)

Pierce County:	$285,100
Washington:	$300,800

Median contract rent in 2007 for apartments: $728 (lower quartile is $575, upper quartile is $947)

This county:	$728
State:	$721

Median monthly housing costs for homes and condos with a mortgage: $1,731
Median monthly housing costs for units without a mortgage: $504

Institutionalized population: 8,013

Crime in 2005 (reported by the sheriff's office or county police, not the county total):

Murders: 11
Rapes: 94
Robberies: 200
Assaults: 800
Burglaries: 2899
Thefts: 6113
Auto thefts: 2040

Crime in 2004 (reported by the sheriff's office or county police, not the county total):

Murders: 10
Rapes: 110
Robberies: 199
Assaults: 727
Burglaries: 2870
Thefts: 6177
Auto thefts: 1665

Pierce County races chart

Health of residents in Pierce County based on 2016 CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Questionnaires from 2002 to 2004:
General health status score of residents in this county from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) is 3.6. This is about average.
80.8% of residents exercised in the past month. This is more than average.
31.9% of residents had a sunburn in the past 12 months. This is about average.
50.0% of residents smoked 100+ cigarettes in their lives. This is about average.
60.3% of residents drank alcohol in the past 30 days. This is more than average.
68.7% of residents visited a dentist within the past year. This is about average.
Average weight of males is 196 pounds. This is more than average.
Average weight of females is 160 pounds. This is more than average.
29.9% of residents keep firearms around their homes. This is less than average.

Single-family new house construction building permits:

2000: 3753 buildings, average cost: $118,000
2001: 4107 buildings, average cost: $128,600
2002: 4721 buildings, average cost: $133,300
2003: 4400 buildings, average cost: $146,200
2004: 4466 buildings, average cost: $154,500
2005: 5515 buildings, average cost: $170,600
2006: 4884 buildings, average cost: $178,500

Number of permits per 10,000 residents

Average cost (in 1000s)

Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with mortgages in 2007: $2,707 (0.9%)
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with no mortgage in 2007: $2,537 (1.0%)

Pierce County household income distribution in 2007

Pierce County contract rent distribution in 2007

Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2007: 11.1%

Pierce County:	11.1%
Washington:	11.4%

(8.8% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 19.3% for Black residents, 21.8% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 13.8% for two or more races residents)

Median age of residents in 2007: 35 years old
(Males: 34 years old, Females: 36 years old)
(Median age for: White residents: 38 years old, Black residents: 30 years old, American Indian residents: 25 years old, Asian residents: 38 years old, Hispanic or Latino residents: 24 years old, Other race residents: 26 years old)

Area name: Tacoma, WA HUD Metro FMR Area
Fair market rent in 2006 for a 1-bedroom apartment in Pierce County is $621 a month.
Fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $774 a month.
Fair market rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $1128 a month.

Cities in this county include: Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup, South Hill, University Place, Parkland, Spanaway, Fort Lewis, Elk Plain, Prairie Ridge.

2005 air pollution in Pierce County:

Carbon Monoxide: 4 ppm (standard limit: 9 ppm). Above U.S. average.
Ozone (1-hour): 0.078 ppm (standard limit: 0.12 ppm). Below U.S. average.
Ozone (8-hour): 0.060 ppm (standard limit: 0.08 ppm). Below U.S. average.
Particulate Matter (PM₁₀) 24-hour (standard limit: 150 µg/m³): 44 µg/m³. Near U.S. average.
Particulate Matter (PM_2.5) Annual (standard limit: 15.0 µg/m³): 11.5 µg/m³. Near U.S. average.
Particulate Matter (PM_2.5) 24-hour (standard limit: 35 µg/m³): 41 µg/m³. Near U.S. average.

Neighboring counties: King County , King County , Kitsap County , Kittitas County , Lewis County , Mason County , Thurston County , Yakima County .

Click to draw/clear county borders

Notable locations in this county outside city limits:

Notable locations in Pierce County: Alta Crystal Chalets (A), Lake James Patrol Cabin (B), Ohop (C), O'Farrell Lookout (D), O'Farrel Lookout (E), Ipsut Creek Campground (F), Avalanche Camp (G), Nisqually Station (H), Nisqually Entrance Ranger Station (I), Neff Ranch (J), White River Campground (K), White River Ranger Station (L), W-E Camp Shelter (M), Villa Beach (N), Yoman Dock (O), Van Leirop Bulb Farm (P), Twin Creeks Guard Station (Q), Muck (R), Mowich Lake Entrance (S), Boundary Guard Station (T). Display/hide their locations on the map

Church in Pierce County: Benston Community Church (A). Display/hide its location on the map

Cemeteries: Hillcrest Cemetery (1), Anderson Island Cemetery (2), Fort Lewis Cemetery (3), Rainier Cemetery (4), Orting Cemetery (5), Gig Harbor Cemetery (6). Display/hide their locations on the map

Lakes, reservoirs, and swamps: Ghost Lake (A), George, Lake (B), George Lake (C), Balon, Lake de (D), East Lake (E), Saint Andrews Lake (F), Bay Lake (G), Coplay Lake (H). Display/hide their locations on the map

Streams, rivers, and creeks: Ohop Creek (A), Devils Dream Creek (B), Cayada Creek (C), Huge Creek (D), Old Pond Creek (E), Huckleberry Creek (F), Minnehaha Creek (G), Le Dout Creek (H), Minter Creek (I). Display/hide their locations on the map

Parks in Pierce County include: Aurora Park (1), Sunset Park (2), Cutts Island State Park (3), Kopachuck State Park (4), Stevens-Van Trump Historical Monument (5), Charles Lathrop Pack Experimental and Demonstration Forest (6), Eagle Island State Marine Park (7), Mount Rainier National Park (8), Marine Memorial Airplane Crash Monument (9). Display/hide their locations on the map

Beach: Joemma Beach (A). Display/hide its location on the map

Unemployment in September 2007:

Here:	4.6%
Washington:	4.3%

Unemployment by year (%)

County total employment by year

County average yearly wages by year ($)

Current college students: 37,999
People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 86.9%
People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 20.6%

Number of foreign born residents: 56,525 (50% naturalized citizens)

Pierce County:	8.1%
Whole state:	10.4%

Year of entry for the foreign-born population
	1995 to March 2000: 12,549 1990 to 1994: 9,092 1985 to 1989: 6,850 1980 to 1984: 6,354 1975 to 1979: 4,842 1970 to 1974: 3,351 1970 to 1974: 2,529 1965 to 1969: 10,958

Mean travel time to work: 28.4 minutes

Percentage of county residents living and working in this county: 70.4%

Pierce County marital status for females

Housing units in structures:

One, detached: 174,629
One, attached: 11,479
Two: 8,125
3 or 4: 11,425
5 to 9: 12,398
10 to 19: 15,175
20 or more: 20,936
Mobile homes: 21,988
Boats, RVs, vans, etc.: 905

Housing units in Pierce County with a mortgage: 107,652 (15,098 second mortgage, 10,658 home equity loan, 618 both second mortgage and home equity loan)
Houses without a mortgage: 29,616

Here:	78.4% with mortgage
State:	75.4% with mortgage

Agriculture in Pierce County
Average size of farms: 39 acres
Average value of agricultural products sold per farm: $63887
Average value of crops sold per acre for harvested cropland: $2490.61
The value of nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 22.32%
The value of livestock, poultry, and their products as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 62.87%
Average total farm production expenses per farm: $50440
Harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 24.53%
Irrigated harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 34.04%
Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $34726
The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 90.71%
Average age of principal farm operators: 56 years
Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 24.62
Milk cows as a percentage of all cattle and calves: 30.33%
Vegetables: 3386 harvested acres
Land in orchards: 136 acres

Pierce County historical area-adjusted tornado activity is above Washington state average. It is 9.1 times below overall U.S. average.

Class of Workers

Most common industries for males in 2005:

Construction (13%)
Public administration (8%)
Administrative and support and waste management services (5%)
Transportation equipment (5%)
Accommodation and food services (5%)
Educational services (4%)
Health care (4%)

Most common industries for females in 2005:

Health care (17%)
Educational services (12%)
Accommodation and food services (8%)
Public administration (6%)
Finance and insurance (6%)
Professional, scientific, and technical services (5%)
Administrative and support and waste management services (5%)

Most common occupations for males in 2005:

Other management occupations except farmers and farm managers (6%)
Other sales and related workers including supervisors (6%)
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers (5%)
Electrical equipment mechanics and other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations including supervisors (5%)
Laborers and material movers, hand (4%)
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (4%)
Other production occupations including supervisors (4%)

Most common occupations for females in 2005:

Other office and administrative support workers including supervisors (6%)
Other sales and related workers including supervisors (5%)
Information and record clerks except customer service representatives (4%)
Secretaries and administrative assistants (4%)
Other management occupations except farmers and farm managers (4%)
Preschool, kindergarten, elementary and middle school teachers (4%)
Supervisors and other personal care and service workers except personal appearance, transportation, and child care workers (3%)

Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents:

Korea (16%)
Mexico (13%)
Germany (10%)
Philippines (8%)
Vietnam (7%)
Canada (6%)
Cambodia (4%)

Most common first ancestries reported in Pierce County:

German (16%)
Irish (9%)
English (8%)
United States or American (6%)
Norwegian (6%)
Italian (4%)
French (except Basque) (3%)

Pierce County mode of transportation to work chart

Means of transportation to work

Drove a car alone: 247,597 (76%)
Carpooled: 43,166 (13%)
Bus or trolley bus: 8,469 (3%)
Streetcar or trolley car: 23 (0%)
Subway or elevated: 22 (0%)
Railroad: 7 (0%)
Ferryboat: 157 (0%)
Taxi: 106 (0%)
Motorcycle: 325 (0%)
Bicycle: 650 (0%)
Walked: 9,412 (3%)
Other means: 2,788 (1%)
Worked at home: 11,563 (4%)

People in group quarters in Pierce County, Washington

6613 people in military barracks, etc.
3211 people in state prisons
2760 people in college dormitories (includes college quarters off campus)
2602 people in nursing homes
1808 people in other noninstitutional group quarters
1247 people in local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups)
756 people in other group homes
535 people in crews of maritime vessels
505 people in homes for the mentally retarded
263 people in homes for the mentally ill
178 people in short-term care, detention or diagnostic centers for delinquent children
176 people in mental (psychiatric) hospitals or wards
146 people in halfway houses
145 people in hospitals/wards and hospices for chronically ill
118 people in wards in general hospitals for patients who have no usual home elsewhere
115 people in military disciplinary barracks
115 people in homes or halfway houses for drug/alcohol abuse
77 people in military hospitals or wards for chronically ill
61 people in religious group quarters
47 people in other hospitals or wards for chronically ill
39 people in other nonhousehold living situations
30 people in other types of correctional institutions
22 people in other workers' dormitories
21 people in hospices or homes for chronically ill
16 people in hospitals or wards for drug/alcohol abuse
15 people in institutions for the deaf
14 people in orthopedic wards and institutions for the physically handicapped
10 people in military transient quarters for temporary residents
10 people in homes for the physically handicapped

Average gross adjusted income of non-migrant taxpayers in this county in 2005 was $55,928.

8.78% of this county's 2006 resident taxpayers lived in other counties in 2005 ($39,193 average adjusted gross income)

Here:	8.78%
Washington average:	7.86%

0.41% of residents moved from foreign countries ($1,479 average AGI)
Pierce County: 0.41%
Washington average: 0.26%

4.08% relocated from other counties in Washington ($19,696 average AGI)
4.28% relocated from other states ($18,017 average AGI)
Pierce County: 4.28%
Washington average: 3.90%

Percentage of residents relocating from other counties or countries

Top counties from which taxpayers relocated into this county between 2005 and 2006:

from King County, WA	2.51% ($46,071 average AGI)
from Thurston County, WA	0.41% ($37,310)
from Kitsap County, WA	0.27% ($42,426)
from Snohomish County, WA	0.20% ($40,420)
from Los Angeles County, CA	0.14% ($40,709)
from Vernon Parish, LA	0.11% ($33,212)
from Honolulu County, HI	0.10% ($35,704)

7.66% of this county's 2005 resident taxpayers moved to other counties in 2006 ($39,812 average adjusted gross income)

Here:	7.66%
Washington average:	7.07%

0.21% of residents moved to foreign countries ($980 average AGI)
Pierce County: 0.21%
Washington average: 0.16%

3.91% relocated to other counties in Washington ($20,765 average AGI)
3.54% relocated to other states ($18,066 average AGI)
Pierce County: 3.54%
Washington average: 3.17%

Percentage of residents relocating to other counties or countries

Top counties to which taxpayers relocated from this county between 2005 and 2006:

to King County, WA	2.04% ($40,128 average AGI)
to Thurston County, WA	0.63% ($42,336)
to Kitsap County, WA	0.25% ($42,471)
to Snohomish County, WA	0.19% ($43,811)
to Maricopa County, AZ	0.13% ($42,061)
to Spokane County, WA	0.10% ($37,007)
to Los Angeles County, CA	0.09% ($30,988)

Births per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 15.6
Births per 1000 population from 2000 to 2003: 13.9

Births per 1000 population in Pierce County

Deaths per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 7.3
Deaths per 1000 population from 2000 to 2003: 7.5

Deaths per 1000 population in Pierce County

Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 1990 to 1999: 7.3
Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2003: 7.1

Infant deaths per 1000 live births in Pierce County

Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare) in July 1, 2003: 86,587 (72,266 aged, 14,321 disabled)
Population without health insurance coverage in 2000: 13%
Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2000: 10%

Short term general hospitals per 100,000 population in 2004: 0.67
Short term general hospital admissions per 100,000 population in 2004: 8734.640
Short term general hospital beds per 100,000 population in 2004: 157.630
Emergency room visits per 100,000 population in 2004: 26713.32

General practice office based MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 1318.540
Medical specialist MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 706.570
Dentists per 100,000 population in 1998: 4.51

Total births per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006 : 42.87
Total deaths per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006: 94.99

Limited-service eating places per 100,000 population in 2005 : 7.96
Fitness & recreation sports centers per 100,000 population in 2005: 6960.391

EPA green book nonattainment status in 2004-2006: 1

Household type by relationship

Households: 679,296

In family households: 579,126 (137,253 male householders, 44,213 female householders)
141,371 spouses, 212,707 children (192,349 natural, 5,456 adopted, 14,902 stepchildren), 9,136 grandchildren, 4,261 brothers or sisters, 3,791 parents, 8,559 other relatives, 17,835 non-relatives
In nonfamily households: 100,170 (38,837 male householders (29,445 living alone)), 40,594 female householders (33,839 living alone)), 20,739 nonrelatives
In group quarters: 21,524 (8,200 institutionalized population)

Size of family households: 72,682 2-persons, 42,444 3-persons, 38,710 4-persons, 17,478 5-persons, 6,605 6-persons, 3,547 7-or-more-persons.

Size of nonfamily households: 63,284 1-person, 13,361 2-persons, 1,843 3-persons, 605 4-persons, 196 5-persons, 118 6-persons, 24 7-or-more-persons.

88.2% of residents of Pierce County speak English at home.
3.8% of residents speak Spanish at home (61% speak English very well, 18% speak English well, 15% speak English not well, 6% don't speak English at all).
2.9% of residents speak other Indo-European language at home (71% speak English very well, 16% speak English well, 10% speak English not well, 2% don't speak English at all).
4.8% of residents speak Asian or Pacific Island language at home (49% speak English very well, 27% speak English well, 19% speak English not well, 4% don't speak English at all).
0.2% of residents speak other language at home (75% speak English very well, 20% speak English well, 4% speak English not well, 1% don't speak English at all).

In fiscal year 2004:
Federal Government expenditure: $5,375,525,000 ($7211 per capita)
Department of Defense expenditure: $2,099,557,000
Federal direct payments to individuals for retirement and disability: $1,980,484,000
Federal other direct payments to individuals: $580,037,000
Federal direct payments not to individuals: $10,778,000
Federal grants: $836,969,000
Federal procurement contracts: $514,703,000 ($419,688,000 Department of Defense)
Federal salaries and wages: $1,452,554,000 ($1,272,347,000 Department of Defense)
Federal Government direct loans: $1,703,000
Federal guaranteed/insured loans: $980,975,000
Federal Government insurance: $315,457,000

Population change from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005:
Births: 52,820

Here:	70 per 1000 residents
State:	66 per 1000 residents

Deaths: 28,597

Here:	38 per 1000 residents
State:	38 per 1000 residents

Net international migration: +10,006

Here:	+13 per 1000 residents
State:	+21 per 1000 residents

Net internal migration: +19,524

Here:	+26 per 1000 residents
State:	+13 per 1000 residents

Population growth in Pierce County

Total withdrawal of fresh water for public supply: 119.74 millions of gallons per day (45% from ground, 55% from surface)

Median number of rooms in houses and condos:

Here:	6.3
State:	6.3

Median number of rooms in apartments:

Here:	4.0
State:	3.9

Year house built:

1999 to March 2000: 7,984
1995 to 1998: 24,759
1990 to 1994: 28,315
1980 to 1989: 47,614
1970 to 1979: 55,636
1960 to 1969: 35,000
1950 to 1959: 25,127
1940 to 1949: 17,768
1939 or earlier: 34,857

Rooms in owner-occupied houses in Pierce County, Washington:
	1 room: 299 2 rooms: 1,801 3 rooms: 6,537 4 rooms: 13,439 5 rooms: 29,338 6 rooms: 39,508 7 rooms: 33,181 8 rooms: 20,921 9+ rooms: 20,599

Rooms in renter-occupied apartments in Pierce County, Washington:
	1 room: 4,958 2 rooms: 10,506 3 rooms: 17,849 4 rooms: 26,171 5 rooms: 19,002 6 rooms: 8,885 7 rooms: 4,764 8 rooms: 1,868 9+ rooms: 1,174

Bedrooms in owner-occupied houses and condos in Pierce County:
	no bedroom: 637 1 bedroom: 6,138 2 bedrooms: 29,382 3 bedrooms: 89,986 4 bedrooms: 32,583 5+ bedrooms: 6,897

Bedrooms in renter-occupied apartments in Pierce County:
	no bedroom: 6,400 1 bedroom: 26,274 2 bedrooms: 38,872 3 bedrooms: 19,018 4 bedrooms: 3,895 5+ bedrooms: 718

Cars and other vehicles available in Pierce County in owner-occupied houses/condos:
	no vehicle: 4,495 1 vehicle: 37,519 2 vehicles: 75,800 3 vehicles: 33,458 4 vehicles: 9,739 5+ vehicles: 4,612

Cars and other vehicles available in Pierce County in renter-occupied apartments
	no vehicle: 13,727 1 vehicle: 44,210 2 vehicles: 28,803 3 vehicles: 6,066 4 vehicles: 1,485 5+ vehicles: 886

48% of Pierce County residents lived in the same house 5 years ago.
Out of people who lived in different houses, 57% lived in this county.
Out of people who lived in different counties, 48% lived in Washington.

Pierce County:	48.4%
State average:	50.2%

Place of birth for U.S.-born residents:

This state: 341574
Northeast: 28643
Midwest: 75241
South: 60951
West: 120325

Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses in 2000: $135,600

Housing units lacking complete plumbing facilities: 1%

Housing units lacking complete kitchen facilities: 1%

Year Householders Moved Into Unit:

Most commonly used house heating fuel in houses and condos:
	Utility gas (44%) Electricity (43%) Fuel oil, kerosene, etc. (6%) Wood (4%) Bottled, tank, or LP gas (3%) Other fuel (1%)

Most commonly used house heating fuel in apartments:
	Electricity (78%) Utility gas (17%) Fuel oil, kerosene, etc. (2%) Wood (1%) Bottled, tank, or LP gas (1%)

Private vs. public school enrollment:
Students in private schools in grades 1 to 8 (elementary and middle school): 7,867

Here:	8.8%
Washington:	9.2%

Students in private schools in grades 9 to 12 (high school): 3,117

Here:	7.3%
Washington:	7.0%

Students in private undergraduate colleges: 8,366

Here:	25.0%
Washington:	15.7%

Educational Attainment

School Enrollment by Level of School

Age and Sex of Sensory-Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Physically-Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Mentally-Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Self-Care Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Go-Outside-Home Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Residents with Employment Disability (Noninst.)