Moving from Seattle to Tacoma
In this article we share 3 reasons why people are moving to Tacoma from Seattle.
For years people have been moving down from Seattle to Tacoma. In the 2000’s when the cost of living was at an all time high in Seattle, people started making the move down south to the more affordable Tacoma. Fast forward 20 years later and people are making the move more than ever as jobs have transitioned to online, and Tacoma has grown and become more desirable. Here are a few reasons why you should consider making the move to Tacoma.
More bang for your buck in Tacoma
While not quite as thriving an economy as Seattle, Tacoma really holds its own for a much smaller city with a diverse and strong economy. Read more about the job and employment market in Tacoma here. It’s also much less expensive to live in Tacoma than Seattle, so your salary can go a lot farther in Tacoma.
According to the website Numbeo that tracks consumer prices in Seattle, they are 14.94% higher than in Tacoma (without rent). Consumer prices including rent in Seattle are 20.61% higher than in Tacoma. Rent prices in Seattle are 30.24% higher than in Tacoma. Restaurant prices in Seattle are 7.89% higher than in Tacoma. Groceries prices in Seattle are 19.20% higher than in Tacoma. Overall Tacoma is generally much more affordable to live in than Seattle, which is kind of wild considering the two cities are only 30 miles away from each other!
Tacoma has big city amenities with small town vibes
Don’t stress, leaving Seattle does not mean leaving behind small batch roasteries and cute coffee shops (but it does mean leaving Seattle traffic and crowd congestion). The Tacoma area is home to several amazing coffee roasters like Manifesto Coffee, Valhalla Coffee and Bluebeard Coffee Shop (Read more about Tacoma’s best coffee shops here) as well many adorable coffee shops like Lander, Lift Bridge and The Method.
In addition to excellent coffee, Tacoma has a world class food scene with incredible restaurants, bars and markets. It is also a cultural hub that offers indoor and outdoor activities for all seasons. Tacoma Arts Live has three theaters including Tacoma City Ballet, Tacoma Philharmonic, Tacoma Sympathy Orchestra, and Puget Sound Revels. If you want to catch a big event or concert, Tacoma Dome is the areas largest Arena hosting touring artists, musicians and bands like Drake, Aerosmith and comedians like Dave Chapelle and Joe Rogan. And don’t miss a minor league baseball game at Cheney Stadium for the Tacoma Rainiers.
While Seattle is a more dense city both in downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods, Tacoma offers bountiful green space, parks, paths and trails, which is ideal for bikers, skaters and walkers. A highlight of the city is Point Defiance Park, 760 acres of Japanese gardens, trails, old-growth forests, a saltwater beach, and bluffs overlooking the southern Puget Sound. It also has a world renowned zoo and aquarium.
Tacoma home prices are WAY MORE affordable
Chances are if you’re reading this article you already know that Seattle’s home prices have seen some of the highest increases in the entire country over the past decade. This has prevented many folks from buying their dream homes in Seattle. As of now, the average home in Seattle is coming in at a whopping $814,000, while the average home price in Tacoma is just $470,000! That’s an incredible difference in price (nearly 50%) considering the proximity of the two cities. The other thing to keep in mind is that homes in Tacoma generally offer a bit more square footage, outdoor space, and even newer construction compared to Seattle’s real estate market.
This list could continue on and on, but in order to respect your time we will keep it at just three reasons why Tacoma is a great place to move from Seattle. In short, Tacoma has a decreased cost of living, amazing amenities and quality of life, and dramatically more affordable real estate prices compared to Seattle.