Tacoma, Washington Population 2024

223,859

Tacoma is a city located in Pierce County Washington. Tacoma has a 2024 population of 223,859. It is also the county seat of Pierce County. Tacoma is currently growing at a rate of 0.47% annually and its population has increased by 1.9% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 219,693 in 2020.

The average household income in Tacoma is $100,055 with a poverty rate of 12.12%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Tacoma is 36.9 years, 36.3 years for males, and 37.6 years for females.

Tacoma is located along the Puget Sound, just miles from the cities of Seattle and Olympia.

The city has seen its ups and downs throughout the years in terms of population, but recent restorations and revitalization projects have been launched in hopes of drawing in more inhabitants.

Tacoma Population Statistics

There are many international companies located in Tacoma. The top employer is the Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which employs over 66,000 people. The public-school districts, the State of Washington, and the city’s health systems are also significant employers.

Tacoma Population Growth

Despite some troubles in its past, the city of Tacoma has always seen population growth at every 10-year census. The population experienced its most significant growth between 1880 and 1890, growing by over 3,000%. Population growth has slowed in recent years, but it continues to climb. Based on current estimates, the population has increased by 6.5% since the last census taken in 2010. Revitalization of the city, particularly the downtown area, is expected to continue to bring in new residents to this city.

Native Americans inhabited what is now Tacoma for years before being settled by Europeans. The Puyallup was a notable group that lived in the region during its earliest years. What would later become Tacoma was settled by Nicolas Delin who built a sawmill close to Commencement Bay. However, all was later abandoned during the Indian War. It was in 1864 when Job Carr came to live in the area, but later sold his claim to Morton McCarver, who came up with the idea of Tacoma City.

The city was incorporated in 1875 because it was to be the site of a Northern Pacific Railroad depot. However, the depot was built several miles from the development as an area known as New Tacoma. These regions, however, merged in 1884 and experienced a population boom shortly thereafter.

It was in 1885 that hundreds of Chinese residents were evicted from the city and sent to Portland, Oregon. As the 19th century ended, a streetcar accident occurred in Tacoma, resulting in many deaths. During the early 20th century, smelter workers went on strike in Tacoma, demanding a pay raise. The strike ended just months later, with the workers not getting the extra pay they were seeking.

The 1920s saw a period of growth with the development of the first movie studio in the city. However, the stock market crash of 1929 brought misfortune to the city. Shortly after, Tacoma experienced one of its coldest winters in history, resulting in major power outages. The local economy was impacted, businesses shut their doors, and foreclosures were on the rise. The 1930s saw an increase of population in Hooverville, the city’s homeless community, as families were evicted from their homes.

The 1950s brought about more problems for the city as government corruption was uncovered. The commission-style government was changed to a mayor and city-manager system. The city’s economy continued to decline, with many streets and stores completely abandoned. The 1980s and early 1990s saw a higher rate of crime, but with the 2000s came a reduction in crime. The city was later named as one of the Most Livable Communities.

It was during the 1990s that revitalization efforts began. Among the renovations were the federal courthouse, the Tacoma Art Museum, and America’s Car Museum.

Tacoma Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Tacoma was:

  • White: 61.32%
  • Two or more races: 12.76%
  • Black or African American: 10.64%
  • Asian: 8.68%
  • Other race: 3.78%
  • Native American: 1.67%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 1.15%
Land Area (mi²)
49.8 sq mi
Density (mi²)
4,498.90/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
1.9% (4,166)
The current population of Tacoma, Washington is 223,859 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 219,693.

Tacoma, Washington Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White134,43961.32%
Two or more races27,97212.76%
Black or African American23,32110.64%
Asian19,0328.68%
Other race8,2943.78%
Native American3,6551.67%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander2,5211.15%

White

Two or more races

Black or African American

Asian

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Tacoma Population by Race

Tacoma Population Pyramid 2024

Tacoma Median Age

36.9

Total

36.3

Male

37.6

Female

Tacoma Adults

There are 175,947 adults, (31,189 of whom are seniors) in Tacoma.

Tacoma Age Dependency

51.4

Age Dependency Ratio

21.5

Old Age Dependency Ratio

29.9

Child Dependency Ratio

Tacoma Sex Ratio

Female109,10749.77%
Male110,12750.23%

Tacoma Population by Age

Tacoma Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All89,2282.3856.843.2
Non Family37,3081.3140.659.4
Married36,0263.0976.823.2
Female10,8523.4350.549.5
Male5,0423.1147.552.5

3.01

Average Family Size

2.38

Average Household Size

56.8%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Tacoma Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Tacoma Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Tacoma Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 94.69%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 38.28%.

Tacoma Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$52,103

Average Earnings

$57,329

Average Male

$47,212

Average Female

Tacoma Earnings by Educational Attainment

Tacoma Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Tacoma Language

82.71% of Tacoma residents speak only English, while 17.29% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Asian and Pacific Island languages, which is spoken by 6.84% of the population.

Tacoma Language

Tacoma Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White122,77911,4919.36%
Black22,8514,37119.13%
Hispanic26,4853,99315.08%
Multiple27,4473,28911.98%
Asian18,8462,96815.75%
Other8,1551,03312.67%
Native3,55370219.76%
Islander2,37657724.28%

12.12%

Overall Poverty Rate

11.69%

Male Poverty Rate

12.56%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Tacoma

The race most likely to be in poverty in Tacoma is Islander, with 24.28% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Tacoma is White, with 9.36% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.19%. Among those working part-time, it was 12.68%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 24.64%.

Tacoma Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade24.73%
High School13.76%
Some College11.08%
Bachelors or Greater5.38%

Tacoma Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Male Unemployed27.71%
Female Unemployed24.43%
Female Employed5.05%
Male Employed4.8%

Tacoma Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Tacoma Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Tacoma Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

43.2%

Overall Marriage Rate

44.3%

Male Marriage Rate

42.1%

Female Marriage Rate

Tacoma Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Tacoma Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Tacoma Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Tacoma Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

17,363

Number of Veterans

14,985

Male Veterans

2,378

Female Veterans

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Tacoma Veterans by War

count

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Tacoma Veterans by Age

count

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Tacoma Veterans by Race

Tacoma Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

7.04%

Veteran Poverty Rate

28.13%

Veteran Disability Rate

Tacoma Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

66.7%

Labor Force Participation

62%

Employment Rate

5.4%

Unemployment Rate

Tacoma Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Tacoma Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Tacoma Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

49.72%

Born in Tacoma

87.86%

Native Born

12.14%

Foreign Born

5.17%

Non Citizen

6.97%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

87.86% of Tacoma residents were born in the United States, with 49.72% having been born in Washington. 5.17% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Tacoma Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
2029229,0661,0410.46%
2028228,0251,0420.46%
2027226,9831,0410.46%
2026225,9421,0420.46%
2025224,9001,0410.47%
2024223,8591,0420.47%
2023222,8171,0410.47%
2022221,7762,1830.99%
2021219,593-100-0.05%
2020219,6931,5950.73%
2019218,0981,6030.74%
2018216,4952,7191.27%
2017213,7763,1661.5%
2016210,6103,6001.74%
2015207,0103,0811.51%
2014203,9291,6340.81%
2013202,2956080.3%
2012201,6872,0521.03%
2011199,6351,3110.66%
2010198,32400%
2000193,55616,8929.56%
1990176,66418,16311.46%
1980158,5014,0942.65%
1970154,4076,4284.34%
1960147,9794,3063%
1950143,67334,26531.32%
1940109,4082,5912.43%
1930106,8179,85210.16%
192096,96513,22215.79%
191083,74346,029122.05%
190037,7141,7084.74%
189036,006-193,060-84.28%
showing: 32 rows

Tacoma Population by Year