CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Pierce County

Washington · 921,130 residents · 1,668 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Seattle metro area
Compare
The short version

Pierce County is a county of 921,130 people in Washington. The population is up 31% since 2000. The average commute runs 33 minutes. The typical home is worth $336,600, having more than doubled since 2000. About 28% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The poverty rate is 9.5%, under the national 12.8%.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 36.9
US median: 38.8
Less educated
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 55%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
921,130
+31%since 2000
from 700,820 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
36.9
+8%since 2000
from 34.1 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,668 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
552K655K758K861K965K19902000201020202024Pierce County
2024930K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.1%(56,157)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.5%(60,143)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.6%(61,140)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.3%(57,861)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.7%(62,126)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.8%(135,937)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.7%(126,594)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.1%(111,226)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.5%(115,155)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749%(82,885)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.1%(37,930)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.5%(13,976)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$76,438
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,204 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,548
+74%since 2000
from $20,948 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
51.0%
+15.4 ptssince 2009
from 35.5% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
9.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2000
from 10.5% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information12.1%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade9.1%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade8.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance7.3%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical6.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Other services4.9%
US avg: 6.6%
Transportation & warehousing3.5%
US avg: 2.5%
Public administration2.9%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
US avg: 1.7%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$336,600
+55%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $144,400 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,338
+43%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $624 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
62.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2000
from 63.5% in 2000
37.3% rent
Persons per household
2.64 people
+3%since 2009
from 2.56 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
4.4
−5%since 2009
from 4.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic76%(532,934)
Black6.8%(47,399)
Hispanic / Latino5.5%(38,621)
Asian5%(35,091)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic61.9%(569,815)
Black6.8%(63,059)
Hispanic / Latino12.1%(111,811)
Asian6.7%(62,126)
Other10.1%(92,811)
Segregation Score
31
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican7.9%(70,041)
Puerto Rican1.2%(10,426)
Central American0.7%(5,863)
Spaniard0.4%(3,526)
South American0.4%(3,363)
Salvadoran0.2%(2,131)
Cuban0.2%(1,498)
Panamanian0.1%(1,264)
Colombian0.1%(1,254)
Dominican0.1%(1,113)
Peruvian0.1%(1,046)
Guatemalan0.1%(956)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0.1%(832)
Nicaraguan0%(345)
Argentine0%(325)
Chilean0%(254)
Ecuadorian0%(204)
Bolivian0%(144)
Venezuelan0%(129)
Asian origin
Filipino1.7%(15,263)
Korean1.3%(11,648)
Cambodian0.7%(6,306)
Vietnamese0.7%(6,261)
Chinese0.4%(3,883)
Japanese0.4%(3,688)
Asian Indian0.3%(2,822)
Laotian0.1%(1,245)
Thai0.1%(873)
Pakistani0%(415)
Hmong0%(326)
Nepalese0%(239)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Taiwanese0%(147)
Okinawan0%(49)
Malaysian0%(48)
Burmese0%(14)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.8%(6,902)
Samoan0.7%(6,674)
Native Hawaiian0.6%(5,628)
Tongan0.1%(511)
Marshallese0.1%(448)
Fijian0%(215)
Ancestry
German15.8%(140,765)
Irish10.2%(91,347)
English9.2%(82,350)
Norwegian4.8%(42,393)
American3.9%(34,399)
Italian3.7%(33,016)
French2.7%(24,473)
Swedish2.6%(22,992)
Scottish2.4%(21,540)
Polish1.6%(14,029)
Subsaharan African1.4%(12,766)
Dutch1.3%(11,765)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Danish0.9%(8,148)
Russian0.9%(7,899)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(7,705)
Welsh0.8%(7,461)
British0.8%(7,132)
Ukrainian0.7%(6,537)
French Canadian0.7%(6,167)
Portuguese0.5%(4,228)
Finnish0.4%(3,690)
Swiss0.4%(3,545)
Czech0.4%(3,483)
Greek0.4%(3,250)
Canadian0.3%(2,619)
West Indian0.2%(2,133)
Hungarian0.2%(2,060)
Romanian0.2%(2,056)
Croatian0.2%(2,043)
Austrian0.2%(1,893)
Lithuanian0.2%(1,542)
Kenyan0.2%(1,416)
Turkish0.1%(1,053)
Belgian0.1%(993)
Jamaican0.1%(859)
Ethiopian0.1%(765)
Iranian0.1%(723)
Lebanese0.1%(667)
Slovak0.1%(629)
Australian0.1%(539)
Arab0.1%(501)
Armenian0.1%(461)
Brazilian0%(404)
Haitian0%(354)
Nigerian0%(315)
Latvian0%(251)
Slovene0%(251)
Bulgarian0%(248)
Moroccan0%(229)
Serbian0%(208)
Egyptian0%(205)
Ghanaian0%(191)
Macedonian0%(125)
Somali0%(119)
Israeli0%(110)
Guyanese0%(106)
Syrian0%(101)
Iraqi0%(75)
Barbadian0%(74)
Jordanian0%(17)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
27.7%
+7.1 ptssince 2000
from 20.6% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
91.8%
+5.0 ptssince 2000
from 86.9% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
9.7%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 6.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
33.0 min
+61%since 2000
from 20.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
76.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 75.6% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
5.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 5.7% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.0%
−4.6 ptssince 2011
from 9.6% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
65.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2011
from 66.4% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.6%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
35.3%
+3.4 ptssince 2009
from 31.9% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
Female
50.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.3% in 2009
Foreign born
9.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
5.9%
−7.7 ptssince 2013
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
95.0%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
82.2%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married35.9%(134,780)
Married52.3%(196,282)
Widowed2.1%(7,701)
Divorced9.8%(36,848)
Women 15+
Never married28.5%(107,280)
Married51.1%(192,210)
Widowed6.8%(25,440)
Divorced13.7%(51,454)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.9%
−7.7 ptssince 2013
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
57.7%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
11.1%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
15.5%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
20.6%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.9%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
72.6%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
35.4%
US average: 35.2%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)34.1%(28,569)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)28.6%(23,968)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era31%(25,962)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War4.6%(3,853)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II1.4%(1,158)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 83,838 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Pierce County

Prince George's County
Pop 970,374
Worcester County
Pop 888,502
Capitol Planning Region
Pop 994,115
Honolulu County
Pop 988,703
Places similar to Pierce County
Head to head

Compare Pierce County to nearby counties

PIERCE COUNTY VS
Thurston County
Income$96,563+26%
Home value$480,300+43%
Population304,261−68%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PIERCE COUNTY VS
King County
Income$124,746+63%
Home value$859,900+155%
Population2,344,939+148%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PIERCE COUNTY VS
Lewis County
Income$74,796−2%
Home value$385,800+15%
Population88,062−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PIERCE COUNTY VS
Kitsap County
Income$104,158+36%
Home value$555,100+65%
Population283,374−70%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Pierce County, Washington?

Pierce County, Washington has about 921,130 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Pierce County, Washington?

The typical household in Pierce County, Washington earns about $76,438 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Pierce County, Washington expensive?

In Pierce County, Washington, the median home is worth about $336,600, and the typical rent is about $1,338 a month.

How educated are people in Pierce County, Washington?

About 27.7% of adults age 25 and over in Pierce County, Washington hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Pierce County, Washington?

About 9.5% of people in Pierce County, Washington live below the federal poverty line.

Has Pierce County, Washington grown since 1990?

Yes, Pierce County, Washington has grown since 1990. The population has added about 334,927 residents, a change of about 57 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →