Pierce County, Washington Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pierce County, WA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 79% of counties in Washington
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Pierce County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 929,755 | 7,801,159 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 515.3 | 109.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.39% | 1.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 36.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 351,170 | 3,058,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pierce County grew by 20.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 929,755 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pierce County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.3% of residents. That is about the same share as Washington.
- Gen Z 13–28 207,395 22.3% +0.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 216,760 23.3% on par
- Gen X 45–60 178,810 19.2% -0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 137,681 14.8% -1.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Washington, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.8% of the people living in Pierce County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Washington 49.7%
- Men 50.2% Washington 50.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Pierce County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Pierce County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Pierce County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $99,574 | $98,224 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.16% | 5.64% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pierce County is about 1% higher than in Washington.
Housing
| Metric | Pierce County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $446,511 | $485,016 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,805 | $1,759 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.7% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pierce County is about 20.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,805 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pierce County spend about 54 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 224 hours, about 9.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pierce County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.9 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 53.7 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 224 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,937 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.9% | 19.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 20,926 | 10,119 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,240 | 1,525 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Washington:
Walla Walla County (12.2 min), San Juan County (12.3 min), Asotin County (13.2 min).
Slowest:
Mason County (32.0 min), Garfield County (28.4 min), Snohomish County (28.3 min).
The average commute time in Pierce County is 27 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Washington.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Pierce County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Pierce County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.9% | 35.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Washington:
King County (0.4), San Juan County (0.4), Jefferson County (0.4).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.2), Yakima County (0.2), Grant County (0.2).
Health
Pierce County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Pierce County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.1% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.8% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Washington:
King County (0.8), Whitman County (0.8), San Juan County (0.8).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.8), Okanogan County (0.8), Pacific County (0.8).
Pierce County, WA Compared With Nearby Counties
Pierce County, WA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 929,755 residents against a local median of 276,921. The measure that sets Pierce County, WA apart most is commute: 26.9 min, 23% above the local median of 21.8 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 6.6 min on commute, so Pierce County, WA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Pierce County, WA has the 6th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce County, WA | 929,755 | $99,574 #3/6 | $446,511 #3/6 | 26.9 min #6/6 |
| Lewis County, WA | 85,146 | $74,810 | $399,467 | 21.7 min |
| King County, WA | 2,275,758 | $124,760 | $833,657 | 25.4 min |
| Thurston County, WA | 299,046 | $96,312 | $427,911 | 22.1 min |
| Kitsap County, WA | 276,921 | $104,681 | $617,222 | 21.8 min |
| Cowlitz County, WA | 112,357 | $76,590 | $394,545 | 18.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pierce County, Washington.
What is the population of Pierce County, Washington?
About 929,755 people live in Pierce County, Washington, in 351,170 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 38.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Pierce County, Washington?
Averaged over its land area, Pierce County, Washington has 515 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.0 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Pierce County, Washington?
The median home costs 4.5 times the median household income ($446,511 against $99,574), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,805 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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