About Tacoma
Tacoma is the county seat and the region's second city, about 220,000 people on Commencement Bay. The working Port of Tacoma, the Museum District downtown (Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, the state history museum, and LeMay America's Car Museum), the University of Washington Tacoma campus, and 760-acre Point Defiance Park with its zoo and aquarium give it more to do than any other city in Pierce County.
It is really a collection of neighborhoods with different personalities: the North End and Proctor for Craftsman homes and walkable shops, the Stadium District for views and historic apartments, Sixth Avenue for nightlife, Old Town on the water, the Hilltop for new development along the T Line streetcar, and South and East Tacoma for the most affordable single-family rentals.
Living in Tacoma
Transit is Tacoma's advantage over the valley towns: Sounder and Amtrak at Tacoma Dome Station, the T Line streetcar from the Dome through downtown to the Stadium and Hilltop districts, and Pierce Transit's hub downtown. I-5, SR 16 to Gig Harbor, and SR 512 to Puyallup meet inside the city. Ruston Way's waterfront promenade, Wright Park, and the Point Defiance trails are the everyday outdoors; MultiCare and St. Joseph hospitals are both downtown-adjacent.
School districts
Boundaries change; confirm the assigned school for a specific address with the district before you apply.
- Tacoma Public Schools (opens in a new tab)The largest district in Pierce County. Comprehensive high schools are Stadium, Lincoln, Silas, Mount Tahoma, and Foss, plus the School of the Arts and the Science and Math Institute.
- Franklin Pierce Schools (opens in a new tab)Serves some South Tacoma-area addresses toward Parkland and Midland.
Annual events in Tacoma
- Daffodil Festival Grand Floral Parade (opens in a new tab)First Saturday in April; downtown Tacoma is the first leg of the four-city parade.
- Tacoma Freedom Fair (opens in a new tab)July 4 along Ruston Way: air show, vendors, and fireworks over Commencement Bay.
- Ethnic Fest (opens in a new tab)Late July weekend in Wright Park; music, dance, and food from dozens of cultures.
- Zoolights (opens in a new tab)Point Defiance Zoo's holiday light display, late November through early January.
Other communities we serve
Renting or own property in Tacoma?
Our Sumner office is a short drive away. Call 253-863-6122 to schedule a showing, ask about the application process, or talk with us about managing your rental.