Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Raft Island

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Washington›Pierce County

Raft IslandWA

In Washington, this town has 333 residents.

Is Raft Island a good place to live?

44% of residents are 65 or older in Raft Island, where Washington’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 18%. Only 5 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a higher age of the median resident than Raft Island. Raft Island has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

333 people, and everyone knows the way

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

Nearby towns

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Raft Island.

Work & commute

Most of Raft Island’s workers commute out: the town has 0.3 jobs for each of them

1%work in town

Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Raft Island rose by 40, to 50. Commuting out is the norm here: 1% of working residents work locally. In Raft Island, the mean commuting time is 16 minutes. Half of commuters travel less than 19 miles.

Raft IslandWashington townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work16 minutes27 minutes25 minutes
Working residents who work in town0.6%4.9%8%

Where working residents work

In Raft Island1%
Tacoma19%
Gig Harbor14%
Seattle10%
Bellevue4%
19 mi
median commute distance
50
jobs based in Raft Island
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Mild winters and pleasant summers: that is Raft Island’s year

78°summer high

Raft Island’s midsummer high comes in at 77°F.

Typical low → high °F

Winter35–48°
Spring42–60°
Summer53–75°
Fall44–61°
Nov 21
typical first frost
Mar 11
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
78°
typical summer high

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazards

Raft Island has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from earthquakes

66risk score of 100

In Raft Island, the FEMA risk score is 66 of 100. Expected losses in Raft Island break down as 58% from earthquakes and 32% from inland flooding.

FEMA risk score
66High riskLowerHigher
EarthquakesInland floodingCoastal flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Health

Raft Island stands out in Washington and nationally: a smaller share of its adults report frequent mental distress

On the CDC’s 31 measures, Raft Island is ahead of Washington on 16 and behind on 5. The share of adults in Raft Island who say their health is fair or poor: 12%. Among 286 Washington towns, just 6 have a lower share of adults who worry about having enough food than Raft Island. 6.5% of adults in Raft Island smoke cigarettes; 14% get no exercise outside work.

Raft IslandWashington townsU.S. towns
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)13%17%17%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)6.5%11%14%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)14%18%25%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)14%17%16%
31 measures vs. Washington
16 better10 too close to call5 worse
What stands outRaft IslandWA
Fewer adults facing food insecurity5.1%10.2%
Fewer uninsured adults4.4%8.4%
More adults who have had cancer13.4%7.9%
St. Anthony Hospital
3.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

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

Housing

Homes in Raft Island sell for about $840K

$840Kmedian sale price

Among households in Raft Island, 81% own their home.

2
homes sold in September

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Raft Island

14pages on Raft Island
Nearby attractions

Space Needle and 129 more within 40 miles

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

All 154 attractions →
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 · 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 · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Seattle Underground: Mark Hursh, CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting set up

Moving to Raft Island: who provides what

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

PowerPeninsula Light Company11.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRaft Island water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPierce CountyPierce County provides services here
SchoolsPeninsula 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 code9833598335 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.

A commuter town

99% of working residents leave Raft Island for work

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

19% → Tacoma Tacoma 19% 14% → Gig Harbor Gig Harbor 14% 10% → Seattle Seattle 10% 4% → Bellevue Bellevue 4% 4% → SeaTac SeaTac 4% 2% → Olympia Olympia 2% Raft Island · 1% stay
50jobs based in Raft Island
1%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

After high school

Colleges nearby

8 within 15 miles of the center of Raft Island

About Raft Island

Place in Washington, United States

Official town website ↗

Raft Island is a private island and CDP located near the Pierce County community of Rosedale, Washington, United States. Gig Harbor, Washington is the nearest incorporated town, although unincorporated Artondale is much closer. The island features approximately 200 homes on 160 acres. All of these homes are served through the Gig Harbor post office. Raft Island is privately managed by the Raft Island Improvement Association (an HOA) and its homeowner members. Raft Island contains private parks, private roads, private beaches, a private tennis court, a private boat launch, and a private church camp. The island is connected to the mainland by a 0.5 km (0.31 mi)-long bridge.

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

Area
0.3 sq mi
Elevation
144 ft
Area code
253

Questions about Raft Island

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Raft Island, WA a good place to live?

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

Raft Island is in here

Say something about Raft Island.

Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.

Post to Raft Island’s town square →