WASHINGTON--WAUNNA, 1972
Wauna’s story
120 years in pictures
The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1972 and 5 maps from 1942 on.
- 1906Wauna is settled
WaunaWA
A town of 4,805, settled in 1906.
Population
4,805
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$503K
Census ACS
Household income
$103K
median
Median age
45.2
years
Jobs based here
539
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#60 of 285 in WA
Is Wauna a good place to live?
Wauna grades B+ overall, 60th among Washington's 285 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools rank ahead of 88% of Washington towns and the median household earns $103K. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 72% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Wauna’s trail density is 1.5 miles per square mile, above both Washington’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). 360 Trails, at 343 acres with 7.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Wauna stand out
Where Wauna beats most towns.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Wauna for work
Where Wauna’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
539jobs based in Wauna
2%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Wauna grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Wauna is from typical.
SchoolsAOpen →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listC−Open →Jobs & incomeA−Open →HealthSt. Anthony Hospital 2.9 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $503K, 4.4 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household incomeCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 1% of households have no car; 1.5% 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 155 attractions →Space Needle and 130 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wauna. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
Big draw29 mi National ParkOlympic National Park3.6M visitors a year
21 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
22 mi Ancient siteSeattle UndergroundSources: 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 Wauna: who provides what
Wauna is unincorporated, so Pierce County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPeninsula Light Company11.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMinterbrook water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 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 code9832998329 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 Wauna.
Wauna has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns, sends most of its workers to Tacoma and beyond and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Washington.
OutdoorsA
Wauna has set aside 12.4% of its land for conservation
9.4 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
#65for trails in WA
12.4%
conserved · 501 of 4,030 acres
9.4 mi
of trails · 1.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. 360 Trails | 7.7 mi | 343 |
| 2. Gateway Park | 1.6 mi | 72 |
| 3. Purdy Sand Spit | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA
Wauna earns an A for schools
Its public schools are run by the Peninsula School District. Its one school is below.
88%of WA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minter Creek ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 272 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Most working residents commute out of Wauna
Wauna has 539 jobs for its 1,826 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Wauna for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Wauna grew to 539 in 2023, 324 more than in 2013. Wauna’s average trip to work is 29 minutes, above both the Washington town median (27 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes).
2%work in town
| Wauna | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $103,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 5% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Wauna2%
Tacoma14%
Seattle12%
Gig Harbor8%
Purdy4%
18 mi
median commute distance
539
jobs based in Wauna
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 40% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Wauna faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
Since 2007, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wauna.
72risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
3
paid flood claims since 2007
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, Wauna is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns
Within Washington it is less healthy than 63% of the 285 graded towns: Washington sets a high bar. Against the 8,090 U.S. towns with household incomes like Wauna’s, it is less healthy than 54%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Wauna beats the Washington average on 5 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 73% of Wauna adults had a checkup this year.
66%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Wauna | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 71% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 35% |
31 measures vs. Washington
5 better18 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Wauna | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 6.5% | 7.2% |
| More adults with arthritis | 30.9% | 24.4% |
St. Anthony Hospital
2.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
37th
percentile among WA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Wauna, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons average 76.4°, cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.7°.
Wauna has mild winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Wauna is 76°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
77°summer high
| Wauna | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 76°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 35°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–47°
Spring41–59°
Summer53–74°
Fall44–60°
Nov 14
typical first frost
Mar 29
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
77°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Older than Washington overall
People 65 and older are 24% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (24% statewide). Wauna’s median age is 45.2 years. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across Washington.
45.2median age · WA 38.3
| Wauna | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 45.2 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 22% | 22% |
WaunaWashingtonUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school24%
Some college28%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.9 points. Across Washington, 49.6% of residents are women.
| Wauna | WA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.1% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.7% | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.6% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10% | 15.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.2% | 14.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.3% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.2% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.6% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.4% | 7.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.7% | 21.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.7% | 21% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.5% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.5% | 24% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.2% | 15.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,800, single groups can be off by several points
HousingCost of living grade C
The median home in Wauna sells for about $845K
86% of households own their home in Wauna.
$845Kmedian sale price
| Wauna | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,602 a month | $1,740 a month | $1,185 a month |
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wauna
17pages on Wauna
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of Wauna
Faith International UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Tacoma10.1 mi$8,850 tuitionTacoma Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Tacoma11.7 mi$5,507 in-state tuitionUniversity of Washington-Tacoma CampusUniversity or college · Public · Tacoma14.4 mi$13,168 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Wauna residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Washington.
About Wauna
Unincorporated community in Washington, United States
Wauna is a census-designated place in Pierce County, Washington, United States. As of the 2020 census, Wauna had a population of 4,421.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 16 ft
- ZIP code
- 98395
- Area code
- 360
Wauna’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Wauna.
Stansberry LakeKey CenterWauna
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wauna | #60 | B+ | C | — | A | B+ |
| Stansberry Lake | — | — | B− | — | A | B+ |
| Key Center | #139 | B− | C+ | — | A | B− |
Stansberry Lake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Wauna, Stansberry Lake and Key Center report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Wauna with a neighbor →
Questions about Wauna
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wauna, WA a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Wauna grades B+ overall, better than 69% of U.S. towns and #60 of 285 in Washington. It grades B+ for health and A for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Wauna, WA expensive?
The typical home is worth about $503,000, 14% 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.