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Washington›Pierce County

AlderWA

A town of 96.

Is Alder a good place to live?

100% of households own their home in Alder, above both the Washington town median (71%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). Alder has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

96 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
La GrandeLa GrandeAlder
Nearby attractions

Mount Rainier National Park and 31 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Alder. Close and well known come first.

All 125 attractions →
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Mount Rainier National Park: Ricardo Martins from Gent, Belgium, CC BY 2.0 · Spirit Lake: Matt Logan, Public domain · Tacoma Dome: Broran28, Public domain · Wild Waves Theme Park: Jessica Spengler from Hove, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 · Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument: Lyn Topinka, Public domain · Crystal Mountain: ZhengZhou, CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting set up

Moving to Alder: who provides what

Alder is unincorporated, so Pierce County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerPeninsula Light Company11.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCitizens Water AssociationNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesPierce CountyPierce County provides services here
SchoolsEatonville School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections herePierce County AuditorPierce County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2024
ZIP code9832898328 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Alder.

Natural hazards

Very high risk in Alder, with avalanches at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 81% of U.S. communities.

81risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
81Very high riskLowerHigher
AvalanchesInland floodingEarthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Work & commute

With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Alder’s workers commute out

Most working residents leave Alder for work: only 0% work in town. The top destinations are Tacoma (10%), Seattle (8%) and Eatonville (7%). Half commute less than 32 miles.

0%work in town

Where working residents work

In Alder0%
Tacoma10%
Seattle8%
Eatonville7%
Sumner6%
32 mi
median commute distance
10
jobs based in Alder
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

In Alder, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

Alder has mild winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. At 76°F, Alder’s July high is close to Washington’s towns (77°F) and below U.S. towns (85°F).

6″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter33–45°
Spring38–57°
Summer50–74°
Fall41–59°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 11
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Alder is

Alder beats the Washington average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 70% of adults had a checkup this year in Alder.

AlderWashington townsU.S. towns
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)70%71%79%
Depression (CDC PLACES)28%26%23%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)19%17%17%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)15%13%14%
31 measures vs. Washington
3 better16 too close to call12 worse
What stands outAlderWA
Fewer adults facing housing insecurity8.7%9.9%
Fewer adults facing food insecurity9.1%10.2%
More smokers13.7%10.1%
Arbor Health Morton Hospital
15.7 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Alder

13pages on Alder
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Alder; the nearest are

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Alder for work

Where Alder’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

10% → Tacoma Tacoma 10% 8% → Seattle Seattle 8% 7% → Eatonville Eatonville 7% 6% → Sumner Sumner 6% 6% → Kent Kent 6% 5% → South Hill South Hill 5% Alder · 0% stay
10jobs based in Alder
0%of working residents work in town
32 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Alder

Census-designated place in Pierce County, Washington, United States

Alder is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, United States. As of the 2020 census, Alder had a population of 212.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
3.2 sq mi
Elevation
1,237 ft
Area code
360

Questions about Alder

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Alder, WA a good place to live?

Alder has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.