Tacoma

The “City of Destiny,” otherwise known as Tacoma, Washington, received its nickname after it was chosen to be the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the late 1800s. Today, trade and logistics continue to fuel its economy, along with military, healthcare, finance, aerospace, government, and education. Founded in 1872 on the banks of Puget Sound, it covers 62.42 square miles, and has a median age of 36 (2022).

Tacoma’s residential streets, laid out on a grid pattern, are lined with homes built in Craftsman, Foursquare, Queen Anne, Spanish Revival, and English Colonial styles. The typical home value is $500,011, up 7.3% over the past year (Zillow, 2022). Enhancing the city’s appeal are annual events, including the Destiny City Film Festival, Mosaic: Tacoma’s Arts and Culture Festival, and Tacoma Arts Month.

I-5 and I-705, and State Routes 7, 16, 163, 167 and 509 all serve Tacoma. The Central Tacoma neighborhood, bordered by State Route 16 to the south and west, is only five minutes from downtown. It offers budget-friendly housing options. New Tacoma, which covers the areas around the port and part of downtown, features everything from 19th-century homes to luxury condos. West End is a popular area, full of unique restaurants and trendy bars, as well as apartments and single-family homes.

With Mount Rainier as a backdrop, Tacoma has grown to be a desirable location for creatives, musicians, writers, artists, and entrepreneurs, being far less expensive than nearby Seattle.