Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma offers Puget Sound without the cost and the hassle of bigger city options like Seattle or Vancouver. The Puget Sound area has the nicest summers in the country. Mild winters and warm, but not humid, summers, when it stays light until after 10 PM, make this the place people wish they were in the summertime.

The North and West End and Ruston have long been considered the “good” neighborhoods. They are considered safer, and real estate prices reflect that perception. There are older homes located in the North End of Tacoma with historic architectural styles. Housing gets less expensive (and less nice) as you move south. Northeast Tacoma has a lot of spacious homes and is a good place for families, with quite a few schools in the area. Many of these homes are located in housing developments and are fairly new. West End is similar, and it’s near a small zoo and aquarium.

Tacoma has been changing, and once no-go areas are becoming safer and more sought after (Hillside and Hilltop have great views), but in the meantime, people like University Place (West Tacoma) Investors are looking at anywhere the light rail will be going, so south end properties and neighborhoods around the Tacoma Mall (previously considered unsafe) are gentrifying. The lack of affordable housing for young professionals and service workers in Seattle has caused a big influx into Tacoma, which will change the dynamic in downtown Tacoma, where workers can hop on the bus or train and head to work in Seattle.

Eatonville is a good value. Small town nice schools, great community.

We highly recommend visiting Tacoma and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

It’s the Pacific Northwest with a cost of living that’s much lower than Seattle.