Tehaleh, 2017
Tehaleh’s story
Tehaleh in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2017 and 4 maps from 1942 on.
Explore the history →
TehalehWA
A town of 9,561.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Netsomniac · CC BY 4.0
Population
9,561
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$742K
Census ACS
Household income
$156K
median
Median age
34.0
years
Jobs based here
348
A commuter town
TownGrade
B
#84 of 285 in WA
Is Tehaleh a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Tehaleh grades B overall, 84th among Washington's 285 graded towns. Residents are healthier than 90% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and its public schools beat 84% of Washington towns on state tests and graduation. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $742K, 6.4 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income. Tehaleh’s typical rent is $3,365 a month, above both Washington’s towns ($1,737 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). On history, just 12 of Washington’s 397 towns do worse. The biggest place to walk is The Trek at Tehaleh, 224 acres with 6.8 miles of trail.
What makes Tehaleh stand out
Where Tehaleh beats most towns.
Get outside
52 miles of trails in Tehaleh
1.7% of the town is conserved land, across 13 parks and preserves.
3
Knoll Park0.4 mi of trails · 6 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Tehaleh grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Tehaleh is from typical.
Its grades run from A for health (better than 90% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 3%), so the B overall blends very different results.
Cost of livingD−Open →HealthMulticare Good Samaritan Hospital 6.7 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Jobs & incomeA−Open →Hazard riskavalanches tops the listCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 1.2% of households have no car; 3.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 150 attractions →Space Needle and 123 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Tehaleh. Close and well known come first.
Big draw36 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw34 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
12 mi National ParkMount Rainier National Park1.6M visitors a year
34 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
14 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
Moving to Tehaleh: who provides what
Tehaleh is unincorporated, so Pierce County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Tacoma Water DivisionNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPierce CountyPierce County provides services here
SchoolsOrting School DistrictSumner School District2 districts serve Tehaleh; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 codes98391, 9836098391 99% · 98360 1%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 Tehaleh.
Tehaleh has more trail for its size than nearly any town in Washington, has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than Crocker and its other neighbors.
OutdoorsA−
Trail density in Tehaleh is higher than in most of Washington or the rest of the country
At 5.9 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #2 of 237 Washington towns.
Trails total 52 miles in 13 parks and preserves. 1.7% of the land in Tehaleh is conserved. Parks and preserves locally: 13, covering 281 acres.
#2for trails in WA
| Tehaleh | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 5.9 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.7% | 4% | 4.3% |
1.7%
conserved · 96 of 5,658 acres
52 mi
of trails · 5.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Trek at Tehaleh | 6.8 mi | 224 |
| 2. Discovery Park | 1.3 mi | 21 |
| 3. Knoll Park | 0.4 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA−
For schools, Tehaleh earns an A−
That grade comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $742K.
One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. The public schools here belong to the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District. 2 public schools serve Tehaleh, with 1,275 students in all.
84%of WA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Eismann ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 648 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
HealthA
For health, Tehaleh earns an A
That grade tops all 3 graded neighbors; Crocker (B+) comes closest. Against the 2,409 U.S. towns with household incomes like Tehaleh’s, it is healthier than 51%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
26% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Tehaleh. The town does better than the Washington average on 13 of 31 CDC measures and worse on 1. In Tehaleh, 13% of adults say their health is fair or poor, and 8.9% smoke cigarettes.
90%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Tehaleh | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.9% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Washington
13 better17 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Tehaleh | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.9% | 8.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.7% | 10.2% |
| More adults sleeping under 7 hours | 35.6% | 31.8% |
Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital
6.7 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
78th
percentile among WA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
A smaller share of residents in Tehaleh live below the poverty line than in the typical Washington or U.S. town
Tehaleh has 348 jobs for its 2,880 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 46.7 minutes, against 26.6 across Washington.
Employers in Tehaleh added 313 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 348. Tehaleh’s typical household income is $156,000. Among workers locally, 22% do their job from home. For most workers, Tehaleh is a place to come home to: only 1% work in town.
1%work in town
| Tehaleh | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 47 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $156,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 22% | 15% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 1.4% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Tehaleh1%
Seattle12%
Tacoma10%
Kent8%
Auburn7%
17 mi
median commute distance
348
jobs based in Tehaleh
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 43% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Tehaleh’s year
July afternoons average 77.2°, cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 34.6°.
About 6 inches of snow falls in a winter. The town’s January low stands at 35°F.
6″snow a winter
| Tehaleh | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 77°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 35°F | 35°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–47°
Spring41–59°
Summer52–75°
Fall43–61°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 11
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
The biggest natural risk in Tehaleh is avalanches, at a high overall level
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. 80% of Tehaleh’s expected losses from natural hazards come from avalanches, followed by earthquakes at 9%. Flood insurance has paid one claim locally since 2025.
67risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesEarthquakesInland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 2025
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade D−
A home in Tehaleh sells for about $705K at the median
Homes sold in Tehaleh spent a median 38 days on the market. In Tehaleh, 93% of households own their home.
$705Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
38
days on market
99.3%
sale-to-list price
29
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Tehaleh
17pages on Tehaleh
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Tehaleh
Pacific Lutheran UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Tacoma12.5 mi$52,254 tuitionGreen River CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Auburn13.6 mi$4,711 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Tehaleh residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Tehaleh for work
Where Tehaleh’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
348jobs based in Tehaleh
1%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Tehaleh
Unincorporated community in Washington, US
Tehaleh, formerly known as Cascadia, is a master-planned unincorporated community to the south of Bonney Lake in Pierce County, Washington, United States. As of the 2020 census, Tehaleh had a population of 5,784. Construction began in 2005 with an estimated timeline for completion of 20 years. The town was designed by Patrick Kuo, who had purchased the land in 1991. Included in the original plan for Cascadia were 6,500 homes, a commercial district, an industrial park, schools, and recreational parkland for residents to enjoy. Construction halted in 2008, prior to the construction of any homes or commercial properties. After foreclosure proceedings in 2010, Homestreet Bank repossessed much o…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 751 ft
- Area code
- 253
Tehaleh’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Tehaleh.
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tehaleh | #84 | B | D− | — | A− | A |
| Crocker | — | — | B− | — | B− | B+ |
| Orting | #122 | B− | C | B | B− | B+ |
| McMillin | — | — | C | — | A− | B |
Crocker and McMillin have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Tehaleh, Crocker and McMillin report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Tehaleh with a neighbor →
Questions about Tehaleh
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Tehaleh, WA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Tehaleh grades B overall, better than 61% of U.S. towns and #84 of 285 in Washington. It grades A for health and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Tehaleh, WA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $742,000, 26% 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−.