City comparison
Richland, WA is about 175 miles (275 km) from Tacoma, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 30 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 Richland, WA to Tacoma, WA takes about 20 min, covering roughly 175 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 60,867 in Richland — about 3.6× larger by population. By land area, Tacoma covers about 50 sq mi vs 42 sq mi for Richland.
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 | Richland | Tacoma | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,321/mo | $1,489/mo | 12.7% higher in Tacoma |
| Median home value | $365,800 | $415,300 | 13.5% higher in Tacoma |
| Median household income | $89,283 | $79,085 | 12.9% higher in Richland |
| Groceries index | 104.9 | 103.0 | 1.8% higher in Richland |
| Utilities index | 96.4 | 92.5 | 4.2% higher in Richland |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 108.1 | 8.1% higher in Tacoma |
| Healthcare index | 99.9 | 108.8 | 8.9% 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 Richland, you'd need $124,605 in Tacoma to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Richland, WA is about 19.7% cheaper overall than Tacoma, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 55% higher in Tacoma than in Richland. If you earn $80,000 in Richland, you'd need about $99,684 in Tacoma to keep the same standard of living.