William Bisson House · National Register of Historic Places
South Prairie’s story
138 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1888South Prairie is settled
South PrairieWA
The town was settled in 1888 and has 353 residents today.
Photo: Chris Light · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
353
2025 Census estimate · −1.9% since 2020
Median home value
$444K
Census ACS
Household income
$117K
median
Median age
38.5
years
Jobs based here
52
A commuter town
Is South Prairie a good place to live?
South Prairie’s average commute is 37 minutes, where Washington’s towns sit at 27 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. William Bisson House is on the National Register of Historic Places. South Prairie has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
353 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 149 attractions →Space Needle and 127 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Prairie. Close and well known come first.
Big draw36 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw34 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
11 mi National ParkMount Rainier National Park1.6M visitors a year
33 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
17 mi Stadium & arenaTacoma DomeSources: 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 · Mount Rainier National Park: Ricardo Martins from Gent, Belgium, CC BY 2.0 · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tacoma Dome: Broran28, Public domain
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to South Prairie: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Prairie, and how to reach them.
PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of South Prairie water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offWilkeson Recycling Center, 3 miOpenStreetMap
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 code9838598385 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 South Prairie.
Natural hazards
Top of a very high hazard risk in South Prairie: avalanches
19 flood insurance claims have been paid in South Prairie since 1982. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 90% of U.S. communities. 73% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from avalanches, followed by inland flooding at 15%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in South Prairie after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2025.
90risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland floodingEarthquakes
19
paid flood claims since 1982
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
With only 0.3 jobs per working resident, most people in South Prairie work out of town
Jobs in South Prairie grew by 27 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 52. For most workers, South Prairie is a place to come home to: only 1% work in town. 2.9% of residents live below the poverty line here. Half of commuters travel less than 19 miles.
1%work in town
| South Prairie | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $117,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 2.9% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In South Prairie1%
Seattle12%
Tacoma9%
Renton6%
Kent6%
19 mi
median commute distance
52
jobs based in South Prairie
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Expect mild winters and pleasant summers in South Prairie
In July, afternoons reach 77°; in January, nights fall to 34°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–47°
Spring40–59°
Summer52–75°
Fall43–60°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 7
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy South Prairie is
Among adults in South Prairie, 18% get no exercise outside work. Against the Washington average, South Prairie comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 31, and behind on 11. Two figures for adults here: 71% had a checkup this year, 18% binge drink.
| South Prairie | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 71% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 36% |
31 measures vs. Washington
1 better19 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | South Prairie | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.9% | 10.2% |
| More smokers | 12.8% | 10.1% |
St. Elizabeth Hospital
7.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
South Prairie has set aside 8.5% of its land for conservation
Trails total 0.2 miles in 2 parks and preserves. South Prairie’s density of trails comes in at 0.5 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: 2, covering 7 acres.
8.5%conserved
| South Prairie | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.5% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
8.5%
conserved · 21 of 250 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Third Street Park and Walking Trail | 0.2 mi | 4 |
| 2. Veteran's Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
Homes in South Prairie sell for about $439K
For households in South Prairie, the share who are owner-occupiers is 93%.
$439Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Prairie
17pages on South Prairie
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of South Prairie
About 8 of every 100 South Prairie residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave South Prairie for work
Where South Prairie’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
52jobs based in South Prairie
1%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About South Prairie
Town in Pierce County, Washington, United States
South Prairie is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 373 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1888
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 430 ft
- ZIP code
- 98385
- Area code
- 360
Questions about South Prairie
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Prairie, WA a good place to live?
South Prairie has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.