Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A city of 68,025.
For most people who can afford it, yes. South Hill grades B overall, 85th of 285 graded towns in Washington. The median household earns $113K. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $544K for a typical one and 4.7 times the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income. South Hill’s average trip to work is 34 minutes, against 27 minutes in Washington’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is South Hill Community Park, at 42 acres. South Hill is more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns.
Where South Hill beats most towns.
52,431 counted in 2010 and 64,708 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far South Hill is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 7,035 in 1980, 64,708 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 2003 and 5 maps from 1941 on.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Hill. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
10 mi Stadium & arenaTacoma Dome
33 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
17 mi National ParkMount Rainier National Park1.6M visitors a yearSpace 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 · Tacoma Dome: Broran28, Public domain · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Rainier National Park: Ricardo Martins from Gent, Belgium, CC BY 2.0
South Hill is unincorporated, so Pierce County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in South Hill.
South Hill has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Washington; it also has commutes longer than most of Washington.
Across 7 parks and preserves: 15 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in South Hill: 7, covering 128 acres. The trail density for South Hill comes to 0.8 miles per square mile.
| South Hill | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.4% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Meridian Habitat Park | 0.7 mi | 36 |
| 2. Sunrise Park | 0.7 mi | 8 |
| 3. Woodland Avenue Passive Recreation Area | 0.5 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Two of its 15 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The Puyallup School District runs its public schools. 6 public schools serve South Hill, with 4,332 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dessie F Evans ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 919 | – |
| Gov John Rogers High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,788 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
The average commute for its 28,097 working residents takes 33.9 minutes, against 26.6 across Washington. Jobs based here grew from 5,749 in 2013 to 9,091.
For most workers, South Hill is a place to come home to: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in South Hill grew to 9,091 in 2023, 3,342 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Tacoma (13%), Puyallup (11%) and Seattle (10%).
| South Hill | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $113,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 15% | 15% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.9% | 5% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Within Washington it is less healthy than 59% of the 285 graded towns: Washington sets a high bar. Against the 6,720 U.S. towns with household incomes like South Hill’s, it is less healthy than 56%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
For adults in South Hill, the share who have diabetes is 9.6%. Of 31 CDC measures, South Hill beats the Washington average on 3 and trails it on 9. Among adults here, 38% sleep under 7 hours and 27% have been diagnosed with depression.
| South Hill | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 71% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | South Hill | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.6% | 5.4% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.9% | 7.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.1% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
July afternoons average 77°, cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 34.9°.
The January low in South Hill is 35°F. About 6 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| South Hill | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 77°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 35°F | 35°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Four-year graduates: 33% of adults 25 and older here, 40% across Washington. Children under 18 are 28% of residents (21% statewide); people 65 and older are 12% of residents (17% statewide). For South Hill, the median age is 35.3 years.
| South Hill | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 28% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 35.3 years | 38.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 30% | 29% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.1 points. Across Washington, 49.6% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.6, men 33.3.
| South Hill | WA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.7% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.6% | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.4% | 15.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.5% | 14.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.7% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.8% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.4% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.1% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.5% | 7.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.3% | 21.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.4% | 21% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.8% | 24% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.1% | 15.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Compared with 57% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in South Hill is higher. Expected losses in South Hill break down as 37% from earthquakes and 35% from avalanches. Also worth knowing: since 1979, South Hill has seen 5 flood insurance claims paid out.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A home in South Hill typically sold within 14 days of listing. For South Hill, the going rate for rent is $2,088 a month. A third of the homes sold in South Hill went for more than their asking price.
| South Hill | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,088 a month | $1,737 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 50% | 51% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
9 within 15 miles of the center of South Hill
About 6 of every 100 South Hill residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Washington.
Where South Hill’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in Washington, United States
South Hill is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 64,708 at the 2020 census. Located immediately south of Puyallup, the area primarily consists of suburban housing and shopping with several retail shopping centers, residential neighborhoods, and apartment complexes throughout. Because South Hill is unincorporated, its addresses are part of the Puyallup "postal city" or ZCTA. The area was first settled in the 1880s after a military road was built through the area in the 1850s. Several logging camps, farms, and hunting grounds sprouted up as the area was settled. It also was the main route to the towns of Kapowsin and Eatonville. Pop…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with South Hill.
It grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Summit View (B−) comes closest.
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Hill | #85 | B | C− | — | B+ | B+ |
| Graham | #194 | C | C− | — | C+ | B |
| McMillin | — | — | C | — | A− | B |
| Summit View | #114 | B− | C− | — | B− | B+ |
| Frederickson | #178 | C | C− | — | C+ | B |
| Puyallup | #195 | C | C− | D | B+ | B |
McMillin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. South Hill, Graham, McMillin, Summit View and Frederickson report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare South Hill with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. South Hill grades B overall, better than 61% of U.S. towns and #85 of 285 in Washington. It grades B+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $544,000, 7% below 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 C−.
