Pierce County, WA

County

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2024 Population

930,319

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

0.543% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.81%

0.709% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$99,564

3.03% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$526,600

8.71% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

441,749

0.499% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Pierce County, WA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.4% of the residents in Pierce County, WA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Pierce County, WA are Pierce College District (1,865 degrees awarded in 2023), University of Washington-Tacoma Campus (1,800 degrees), and Tacoma Community College (1,711 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Pierce County, WA was $526,600, and the homeownership rate was 64.7%.

Most people in Pierce County, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 31.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Pierce County, WA was 2 cars per household.

Pierce County, WA borders King County, WA, Kitsap County, WA, Lewis County, WA, Mason County, WA, Thurston County, WA, and Yakima County, WA.

Photo by Metro Wind

United States Washington Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Population & Diversity

Pierce County, WA is home to a population of 930k people, from which 95.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 10.8% of Pierce County, WA residents were born outside of the country (101k people).

In 2024, there were 7.48 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (571k people) in Pierce County, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 76.3k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 65k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.4%

2024 Citizenship

95.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.4% of Pierce County, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Pierce County, WA was 95.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Pierce County, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Pierce County, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
571k ± 1.51k
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
76.3k ± 2.68k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
65k ± 2.17k

12.8%

Hispanic Population

120k people

12.8% of the people in Pierce County, WA are hispanic (120k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Pierce County, WA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Washington.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
248,556 ± 12,042 people
India
107,324 ± 7,987 people
China
89,838 ± 7,316 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 248,556 Washington residents, followed by India with 107,324 and China with 89,838.

Foreign-Born Population

10.8%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

101k people

10.5%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

96.7k people

As of 2024, 10.8% of Pierce County, WA residents (101k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Pierce County, WA was 10.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Pierce County, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
28,601 ± 1,497
Vietnam
18,494 ± 964
Gulf War (1990s)
13,009 ± 936

Pierce County, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.55 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Pierce County, WA.

Economy

The economy of Pierce County, WA employs 442k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Pierce County, WA were Health Care & Social Assistance (63,525 people), Retail Trade (51,961 people), and Construction (39,121 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($127,827), Utilities ($107,174), and Public Administration ($89,201).

Employment

Occupations

442k

2024 Value

± 5,683

0.499%

1 Year growth

± 1.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Pierce County, WA grew at a rate of 0.499%, from 440k employees to 442k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Pierce County, WA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (49,988 people), Management Occupations (49,260 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (39,768 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Pierce County, WA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Washington (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

442k

2024 Value

± 5,683

0.499%

1 Year growth

± 1.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Pierce County, WA grew at a rate of 0.499%, from 440k employees to 442k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Pierce County, WA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (63,525 people), Retail Trade (51,961 people), and Construction (39,121 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Pierce County, WA, though some of these residents may live in Pierce County, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$68,403

Median earning men ± $1,288

$49,897

Median earning women ± $780

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($100,448), Information ($93,846), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($82,909).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($78,792), Construction ($64,156), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,715).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

Y-Axis

3.62%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.58M people employed in Washington. This represents a 3.62% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Washington.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

2,028
Construction
1,236
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
1,180
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$4.22M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$2.12M
Construction
$1.69M
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing the state of Washington. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Washington is currently represented by 10 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Pierce County, WA. Showing the available data for Washington.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (57.2%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (39%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.4%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Washington for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Washington

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

Patty Murray

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 1993

Maria Cantwell

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 2001

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing Washington.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Washington over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Pierce County, WA awarded 9,063 degrees. The student population of Pierce County, WA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 12,824 male students and 17,910 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Pierce County, WA are White (4,177 and 47.2%), Hispanic or Latino (1,326 and 15%), Asian (980 and 11.1%), and Two or More Races (893 and 10.1%).

The largest universities in Pierce County, WA by number of degrees awarded are Pierce College District (1,865 and 20.6%), University of Washington-Tacoma Campus (1,800 and 19.9%), and Tacoma Community College (1,711 and 18.9%).

The most popular majors in Pierce County, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,735 and 19.1%), Registered Nursing (396 and 4.37%), and General Business Administration & Management (374 and 4.13%).

The median tuition costs in Pierce County, WA are $49,472 for private four year colleges, and $5,109 and $8,164 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Pierce County, WA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 79.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 17.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 30,734 (41.7% men and 58.3% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 30,734 students enrolled in Pierce County, WA, 41.7% men and 58.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 12,794 records, of which 58.2% were women and 41.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business
140 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
1,735 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
154 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Pierce County, WA was General Business with 140 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Pierce County, WA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Pierce College District
1,865 degrees awarded
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
1,800 degrees awarded
Tacoma Community College
1,711 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Pierce College District with 1,865 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 3,399 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Pierce County, WA, which is 0.6 times less than the 5,664 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 4,177 degrees mean that there were 3.15 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,326 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($49,472) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,438) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,151) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Pierce County, WA was $526,600 in 2024, which is 1.58 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $484,400 to $526,600, a 8.71% increase. The homeownership rate in Pierce County, WA is 64.7%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Pierce County, WA have an average commute time of 31.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Pierce County, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Pierce County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.28%.

Housing

Property

$526,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,524

$227,400

Median Property Taxes

±$3,551

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Pierce County, WA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Pierce County, WA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

64.7%

Homeownership

2024

65.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 64.7% of the housing units in Pierce County, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 64.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Pierce County, WA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$99,564

Median Household Income

± $1,209

351k

Number of Households

± 4,804

In 2024, the median household income of the 351k households in Pierce County, WA grew to $99,564 from the previous year's value of $96,632.

The following chart displays the households in Pierce County, WA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Pierce County, WA is from Washington.

0.468

2023 Wage GINI in Washington

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2023, the income inequality in Washington was 0.468 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.276% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Washington in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Washington across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (70.7%)
Worked At Home (13.9%)
Carpooled (9.69%)

In 2024, 70.7% of workers in Pierce County, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13.9%) and those who carpooled to work (9.69%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

31.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Pierce County, WA have a longer commute time (31.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.85% of the workforce in Pierce County, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Pierce County, WA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Pierce County, WA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Pierce County, WA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Pierce County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.28%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

8.81% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Pierce County, WA (80k out of 909k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Pierce County, WA is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 11.4% of the children was living in poverty in Pierce County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 458 in Pierce County, WA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 18.8 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.1% of the population of Pierce County, WA has health coverage, with 49.6% on employee plans, 16.3% on Medicaid, 9.72% on Medicare, 14.3% on non-group plans, and 4.14% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Pierce County, WA see 1,394 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,394 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1167 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 166 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,394 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Pierce County, WA

Primary care physicians in Pierce County, WA see an average of 1,394 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,394 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Pierce County, WA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.9% under 18 years, 21.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 15% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.94%

Uninsured

49.6%

Employer Coverage

16.3%

Medicaid

9.72%

Medicare

14.3%

Non-Group

4.14%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Pierce County, WA declined by 1.89% from 6.06% to 5.94%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Pierce County, WA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 45.9 in Pierce County, WA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Pierce County, WA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 35.8% in Pierce County, WA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Pierce County, WA.