City comparison
Sammamish, WA is about 30 miles (50 km) from Tacoma, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 38 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 Sammamish, WA to Tacoma, WA takes about 4 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 66,586 in Sammamish — about 3.3× larger by population. By land area, Tacoma covers about 50 sq mi vs 20 sq mi for Sammamish.
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 | Sammamish | Tacoma | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,627/mo | $1,489/mo | 76.4% higher in Sammamish |
| Median home value | $1,139,100 | $415,300 | 174.3% higher in Sammamish |
| Median household income | $215,047 | $79,085 | 171.9% higher in Sammamish |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 103.0 | 0.9% higher in Sammamish |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 92.5 | 3.5% higher in Sammamish |
| 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 Sammamish, you'd need $97,362 in Tacoma to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tacoma, WA is about 2.6% cheaper overall than Sammamish, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Sammamish than in Tacoma. If you earn $80,000 in Sammamish, you'd need about $77,890 in Tacoma to keep the same standard of living.