Fox Island School · National Register of Historic Places
Fox Island’s story
136 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 maps from 1942 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1890Fox Island is settled
Fox IslandWA
Home to 3,414 people, the town was settled in 1890.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
3,414
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$1.06M
+1.7% in a year
Household income
$172K
median
Median age
53.1
years
Jobs based here
180
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#65 of 285 in WA
Is Fox Island a good place to live?
Overall, Fox Island earns a B+: better than nearly two thirds of U.S. towns, and 65th of 285 in Washington. Where it does best is health (A): CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 93% of the country. The drawback is cost of living (D): the typical home is worth about $1.1 million, 9.2 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income. It also trails on walkability. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 79% of U.S. towns. Its typical household income is $172,000, where Washington’s towns sit at $98,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Fox Island's public schools beat 88% of Washington towns on state tests and graduation. On incomes, just 39 of Washington’s 396 towns do better.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results.
By the sea
Fox Island lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 9% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
9%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
98thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
5paid flood-insurance claims since 2012
1storm & flood disasters paid out here
On the water
- Fox Island Fishing Pier
- Towhead Island Park Directions ↗
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
How Fox Island grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Fox Island is from typical.
Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesDOpen →HealthSt. Anthony Hospital 7.7 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & incomeIn the top fifth of the towns comparedAOpen →SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Hazard riskEarthquakes top the listCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 0% conserved landCOpen →History1 place on the National Register; 3 notable people born hereB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 77° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market39 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 53.1; 55% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 150 attractions →Space Needle and 127 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fox Island. Close and well known come first.
Big draw29 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw29 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
Big draw28 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
Big draw36 mi National ParkOlympic National Park3.6M visitors a year
10 mi Stadium & arenaTacoma Dome
27 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile ParkSources: 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 · Climate Pledge Arena: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lumen Field: "Smart Destinations", GoSeattleCard.com, and Go Seattle Card Blog, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Olympic National Park: Wsiegmund, CC BY 2.5 · Tacoma Dome: Broran28, Public domain · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Fox Island: who provides what
Fox Island is unincorporated, so Pierce County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPeninsula Light Company11.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFox Island Mutual Water AssocNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPierce CountyPierce County provides services here
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.govWho runs elections herePierce County AuditorPierce County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2024
ZIP code9833398333 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 Fox Island.
Fox Island has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns and has less tooth loss than most of Washington, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Washington.
HousingCost of living grade D
Fox Island earns a D for cost of living
At 9.2 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income, the typical home (about $1.06M) costs more against local pay than in 94% of Washington towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. The median property tax bill is $7,625, against $4,556 across Washington, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Homes sold in Fox Island spent a median 39 days on the market. A typical home locally is worth about $1,057,000, up 1.7% in a year, 80% above the Washington typical home. The share of households in Fox Island who live in a home they own: 93%.
$1.06MZillow home value
Typical home value
Fox Island$1.06M
Washington$588K
Market temperature
39
days on market
98%
sale-to-list price
+1.7%
value change, 1 year
8
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthA
Compared with most of Washington and the rest of the country, fewer of Fox Island’s adults worry about having enough food
Its widest gap with Washington is tooth loss: 3.8% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 9% statewide. Against the 1,620 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fox Island’s, it is less healthy than 55%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Among 285 Washington towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Fox Island. 7.3% of Fox Island adults smoke cigarettes. Against the Washington average, Fox Island comes out ahead on 16 CDC measures out of 31, and behind on 4.
93%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Fox Island | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.3% | 11% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Washington
16 better11 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Fox Island | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 3.8% | 9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.6% | 7.9% |
St. Anthony Hospital
7.7 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
83rd
percentile among WA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Fox Island stands out in Washington and nationally, with fewer of its residents who live below the poverty line
Fox Island has 180 jobs for its 1,384 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 38.6 minutes, against 26.6 across Washington.
Commuting out is the norm in Fox Island: 3% of working residents work locally. This Washington town had 180 jobs in 2023, up 50 from 2013. 25% of workers do their job from home here. Half commute less than 18 miles.
3%work in town
| Fox Island | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $172,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 39 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 25% | 15% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 1.3% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Fox Island3%
Tacoma17%
Seattle16%
Gig Harbor9%
SeaTac4%
18 mi
median commute distance
180
jobs based in Fox Island
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 21% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Fox Island has mild winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons average 76.5°, cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.7°.
Fox Island’s January low comes in at 36°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
77°summer high
| Fox Island | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 77°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 35°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–47°
Spring42–60°
Summer53–75°
Fall44–61°
Nov 21
typical first frost
Mar 11
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
77°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
The biggest natural risk in Fox Island is earthquakes, at a high overall level
The FEMA risk score for Fox Island comes to 66 of 100. Paid flood insurance claims locally since 2012: 5. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 47% come from earthquakes and 38% from inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Fox Island once, in 2006.
66risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingCoastal flooding
5
paid flood claims since 2012
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC
Conservation land takes up 0.5% of Fox Island
0.5 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Z's Reef Marine Preserve, at 32 acres. Parks and preserves in Fox Island: 5, covering 51 acres.
0.5%conserved
0.5%
conserved · 51 of 9,433 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Z's Reef Marine Preserve | — | 32 |
| 2. Fox Island Fishing Pier | 0.2 mi | 9 |
| 3. Nichols Community Center | 0.2 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Fox Island
18pages on Fox Island
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
9 within 15 miles of the center of Fox Island
Tacoma Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Tacoma5.6 mi$5,507 in-state tuitionFaith International UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Tacoma6.2 mi$8,850 tuitionUniversity of Washington-Tacoma CampusUniversity or college · Public · Tacoma9.6 mi$13,168 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Fox Island residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Fox Island for work
Where Fox Island’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
180jobs based in Fox Island
3%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Fox Island
3 notable people were born in Fox Island.
About Fox Island
CDP in Washington, United States
Fox Island is an island and census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, United States, located in Puget Sound. It is located approximately 5 miles (8 km) from Gig Harbor. The island was named Fox by Charles Wilkes during the United States Exploring Expedition, to honor J.L. Fox, an assistant surgeon on the expedition. The population was 3,921 at the 2020 census, up from 3,633 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 177 ft
- ZIP code
- 98333
- Area code
- 253
Fox Island’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Fox Island.
ArtondaleTacomaFox Island
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Island | #65 | B+ | D | — | A | A |
| Artondale | #54 | B+ | D | — | A | A |
| Tacoma | #234 | C− | C− | D− | C+ | B |
Fox Island and Artondale report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Fox Island with a neighbor →
Questions about Fox Island
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Fox Island, WA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Fox Island grades B+ overall, better than 66% of U.S. towns and #65 of 285 in Washington. It grades A for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Fox Island, WA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
What is Fox Island, WA known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Stuart Hawkins and Austin Seferian-Jenkins.