University Place, WA
Census place 5373465 · pop 34,911
Sales & income are statewide. No wage income tax (a capital-gains excise applies).
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$624,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
99/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
28 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
57.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.45 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,839/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
44 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
35.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
0.99% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
8.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
42.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$99,031 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
6.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
9.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
17.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
97.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Not measured for University Place: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is University Place, WA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, University Place scores 49/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is broadband access and its weakest is housing cost. Washington overall ranks #24 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is University Place, WA expensive to live in?
- University Place has a median home value of $624,800 and typical rent around $1,839/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in University Place, WA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($624,800) — 13/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is University Place, WA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is broadband access (97.0%) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of the Chambers Bay golf course, which hosted the 2015 U.S. Open.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.