City comparison
Seattle, WA is about 30 miles (40 km) from Tacoma, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 32 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 Seattle, 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.
Seattle has a population of 734,603, vs 219,234 in Tacoma — about 3.4× larger by population. By land area, Seattle covers about 84 sq mi vs 50 sq mi for Tacoma.
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 | Seattle | Tacoma | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,945/mo | $1,489/mo | 30.6% higher in Seattle |
| Median home value | $879,900 | $415,300 | 111.9% higher in Seattle |
| Median household income | $116,068 | $79,085 | 46.8% higher in Seattle |
| 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 Seattle, you'd need $98,898 in Tacoma to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tacoma, WA is about 1.1% cheaper overall than Seattle, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Seattle than in Tacoma. If you earn $80,000 in Seattle, you'd need about $79,118 in Tacoma to keep the same standard of living.