City comparison
Bellevue, WA is about 30 miles (40 km) from Tacoma, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 35 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Bellevue, WA to Tacoma, WA takes about 3 min, covering roughly 30 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Tacoma has a population of 219,234, vs 150,606 in Bellevue — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Tacoma covers about 50 sq mi vs 33 sq mi for Bellevue.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bellevue | Tacoma | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,422/mo | $1,489/mo | 62.7% higher in Bellevue |
| Median home value | $1,139,500 | $415,300 | 174.4% higher in Bellevue |
| Median household income | $149,551 | $79,085 | 89.1% higher in Bellevue |
| Groceries index | 103.0 | 103.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 92.5 | 92.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 108.1 | 108.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 108.8 | 108.8 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bellevue, you'd need $97,773 in Tacoma to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tacoma, WA is about 2.2% cheaper overall than Bellevue, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Bellevue than in Tacoma. If you earn $80,000 in Bellevue, you'd need about $78,218 in Tacoma to keep the same standard of living.