City comparison
Burien, WA is about 20 miles (30 km) from Tacoma, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 20 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 Burien, WA to Tacoma, WA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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 51,505 in Burien — about 4.3× larger by population. By land area, Tacoma covers about 50 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Burien.
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 | Burien | Tacoma | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,649/mo | $1,489/mo | 10.7% higher in Burien |
| Median home value | $566,500 | $415,300 | 36.4% higher in Burien |
| Median household income | $84,583 | $79,085 | 7.0% higher in Burien |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 103.0 | 0.9% higher in Burien |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 92.5 | 3.5% higher in Burien |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 108.1 | 1.3% higher in Tacoma |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 108.8 | 2.0% higher in Tacoma |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Burien, you'd need $99,684 in Tacoma to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Burien and Tacoma have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Burien, you'd need about $79,747 in Tacoma to keep the same standard of living.