City comparison
South Hill, WA is about 10 miles (20 km) from Tacoma, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 15 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 South Hill, WA to Tacoma, WA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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 67,835 in South Hill — about 3.2× larger by population. By land area, Tacoma covers about 50 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for South Hill.
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 | South Hill | Tacoma | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,864/mo | $1,489/mo | 25.2% higher in South Hill |
| Median home value | $442,400 | $415,300 | 6.5% higher in South Hill |
| Median household income | $103,707 | $79,085 | 31.1% higher in South Hill |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 103.0 | 0.9% higher in South Hill |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 92.5 | 3.5% higher in South Hill |
| 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 South Hill, you'd need $99,161 in Tacoma to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tacoma, WA is about 0.8% cheaper overall than South Hill, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in South Hill than in Tacoma. If you earn $80,000 in South Hill, you'd need about $79,329 in Tacoma to keep the same standard of living.