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Washington›Pierce County
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Fife HeightsWA

A town of 1,446.

Population
1,446
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$712K
Census ACS
Household income
$157K
median
Median age
39.2
years
Jobs based here
1,010
Balanced

Is Fife Heights a good place to live?

The best of Fife Heights’ subject grades is an A+ for incomes; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. Fife Heights’ median household income is $157,000, against $98,000 in Washington’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Only 4 of Washington’s 396 towns score higher on incomes. The typical home is worth about $712K, 6.2 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income. Fife Heights has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

StrongestA+Jobs & incomeWeakestDHazard riskDCost of livingCHealth
Small town

1,446 people, and everyone knows the way

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

Nearby towns
Milton · 1 miFife · 2 miEdgewood · 3 miFederal Way · 4 miPacific · 4 miAlgona · 5 mi
FifeMiltonTacomaFifeMiltonTacomaFife Heights

How Fife Heights grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Fife Heights is from typical.

How grading works

Jobs & incomeA+Open →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →HealthSt. Francis Community Hospital 2.5 miles awayCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.8 of 20; 0.8% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →SchoolsBeat 53% of Washington districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksBOpen →HistoryC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 39.2–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Space Needle and 129 more within 40 miles

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

All 151 attractions →
Big draw25 mi LookoutSpace NeedleBig draw23 mi Stadium & arenaLumen FieldBig draw25 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena2 mi Theme parkWild Waves Theme Park4 mi Stadium & arenaTacoma Dome23 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Space Needle: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lumen Field: "Smart Destinations", GoSeattleCard.com, and Go Seattle Card Blog, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Climate Pledge Arena: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wild Waves Theme Park: Jessica Spengler from Hove, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 · Tacoma Dome: Broran28, Public domain · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting set up

Moving to Fife Heights: who provides what

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

PowerPeninsula Light Company11.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Tacoma Water DivisionNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPierce CountyPierce County provides services here
SchoolsFife Public SchoolsWhich 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 codes98424, 9842298424 52% · 98422 48%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 Fife Heights.

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D

Earthquakes leads a very high hazard risk in Fife Heights

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 92% of U.S. communities.

92risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
92Very high riskLowerHigher
EarthquakesInland flooding
Full pageFife Heights’ hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesVery high riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters22 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet readyReady for earthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

HealthC

Fife Heights is less healthy than 73% of U.S. towns

Fife Heights beats the Washington average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 23. 17% of Fife Heights adults report frequent physical distress, where Washington’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 14%. 20% of Fife Heights adults report frequent mental distress.

27%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
Fife HeightsWashington townsU.S. towns
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)17%13%14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)20%17%17%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)40%33%35%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)39%33%36%
31 measures vs. Washington
0 better8 too close to call23 worse
What stands outFife HeightsWA
More older adults who have lost all their teeth15.6%9%
More smokers15.4%10.1%
More adults with COPD7.4%5.1%
St. Francis Community Hospital
2.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
Full pageFife Heights’ health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore smokersHospitals & doctors nearby2.5 miles to an ER · St. Francis Community HospitalHow adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor healthEvery CDC estimateBetter than WA on 0 of 31

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

Climate

Four seasons and pleasant summers in Fife Heights

Fife Heights has mild winters and pleasant summers. Fife Heights’ July high is 77°F.

6″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter35–48°
Spring42–60°
Summer54–75°
Fall45–61°
Nov 14
typical first frost
Mar 8
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageFife Heights’ climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 77°, January lows 36°Rain & snow6″ of snow a winter · 40 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingMostly a heating billThen and now+0.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+

Most working residents commute out of Fife Heights

Most working residents leave Fife Heights for work: only 1% work in town. 2.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Fife Heights. Since 2013, Fife Heights has lost 234 jobs, to 1,010 in 2023.

1%work in town
Fife HeightsWashington townsU.S. towns
Below the poverty line2.4%7.9%9.6%
Working residents who work in town0.8%4.9%8%
Work from home16%15%11%
Average trip to work25 minutes27 minutes25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Fife Heights1%
Seattle13%
Tacoma12%
Fife6%
Federal Way6%
12 mi
median commute distance
1,010
jobs based in Fife Heights
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 40% of U.S. towns
Full pageFife Heights’ work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here1,010 jobs based here · BalancedWhere people work1% work in Fife HeightsCommute times25 minutes · The average commuteHow far they goHalf commute less than 12 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Who lives here

Younger than Washington overall

People 65 and older are 11% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 26% of residents (21% statewide). 35% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across Washington.

39.2median age · WA 38.3
Fife HeightsWashington townsU.S. towns
Aged 65 or older11%16%18%
Under 1826%22%22%
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+35%30%29%
Fife HeightsWashingtonUnited States

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma7%
High school22%
Some college25%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate12%

Women and men · all residents

50% women, 50% men

That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.2 points. Across Washington, 49.6% of residents are women.

Ages and education in Fife Heights
Fife HeightsWAU.S.
Under 109.3%11.5%11.6%
10 to 1716.5%9.9%10.3%
18 to 245.9%8.5%9.1%
25 to 3414.7%15.2%13.7%
35 to 4414.3%14.3%13.2%
45 to 5416.1%12%12.2%
55 to 6412%12%12.7%
65 to 745.7%10.1%10.2%
75 and older5.4%6.5%7%
No diploma7.4%7.7%10.4%
High school22.1%21.6%26%
Some college25.3%21%19.1%
Associate’s10.1%10%8.8%
Bachelor’s22.8%24%21.6%
Graduate12.3%15.6%14.1%
Full pageFife Heights by the numbersOpen the page
Ages39.2 median age · 11% are 65 or olderSchooling35% have a four-year degreeHomes96% own their home · HomeownersIncome$157K a year · Median household income

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points

HousingCost of living grade D

More of Fife Heights’ households own their home than in the typical Washington or U.S. town

Only 7 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Fife Heights.

$900Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in May
Full pageFife Heights’ housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page
Prices over the yearsPrices over the yearsYears of income to buyA typical home costs 5.7 years of incomeRents$2,542 a month · Median rentVs. the neighborsAhead of 1 of its 3 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Fife Heights

15pages on Fife Heights
The big questions
SchoolsB−Beat 53% of WA districtsHealthCBetter than WA on 0 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingDWork & commuteA+$157K median household income · 1,010 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities · earthquakes
Out and about
PlacesAttractions151 nearby · Wild Waves Theme Park 2 miLibraryFife LibraryCollegesNorthwest College of Art & Design is 4.4 mi away
The story
Climate77° summer highs · 6″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

11 within 15 miles of the center of Fife Heights

Northwest College of Art & DesignUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Tacoma4.4 mi$18,100 tuitionUniversity of Washington-Tacoma CampusUniversity or college · Public · Tacoma4.5 mi$13,168 in-state tuitionBates Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Tacoma4.8 mi$6,027 in-state tuition

About 2 of every 100 Fife Heights residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A shrinking town

Fife Heights has shrunk 12% from 2010 to 2020

2,137 counted in 2010 and 1,882 in 2020.

2,1372010
1,8822020

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts

About Fife Heights

CDP in Washington, United States

Fife Heights is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,919 at the 2020 census. The community is bordered by Federal Way on the north, Milton on the east, Fife on the south, and Tacoma on the west. It is contained within the Puyallup Indian Reservation.

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

Area
1.2 sq mi
Elevation
413 ft
Area code
253

Questions about Fife Heights

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Fife Heights, WA expensive?

Yes. The typical home is worth about $712,000, 21% above the Washington typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.