Pierce County, Washington

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Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Mount Rainier from Ricksecker Point, 1932
Tacoma—seat of Pierce County
Mount Rainier hazard map

Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 921,130,<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> and was estimated to be 941,170 in 2024,<ref name="QF"/> making it the second-most populous county in Washington, behind King County, and the 60th-most populous in the United States. The county seat and largest city is Tacoma,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory,<ref name="reinartz">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="historylink">Template:Cite web</ref> it was named for U.S. President Franklin Pierce. Pierce County is in the Seattle metropolitan area (formally the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, metropolitan statistical area).

Pierce County is home to the volcano Mount Rainier, the tallest mountain in the Cascade Range. Its most recent recorded eruption was between 1820 and 1854. There is no imminent risk of eruption, but geologists expect that the volcano will erupt again. If this should happen, parts of Pierce County and the Puyallup Valley would be at risk from lahars, lava, or pyroclastic flows. The Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System was established in 1998 to assist in the evacuation of the Puyallup River valley in case of eruption.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (7.61%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is the 23rd largest county in Washington by total area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The highest natural point in Washington, Mount Rainier, at Template:Convert, is located in Pierce County. Rainier is locally called Tahoma or Takhoma, both native names for the mountain.

Geographic features

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Pierce County also contains the Clearwater Wilderness area.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Template:US Census population

As of the second quarter of 2025, the median home value in Pierce County was $587,138.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As of the 2024 American Community Survey, there are 362,111 estimated households in Pierce County with an average of 2.54 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $100,529. Approximately 9.1% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Pierce County has an estimated 60.2% employment rate, with 32.2% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 93.0% holding a high school diploma.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> There were 378,928 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.

The top five reported languages (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (84.0%), Spanish (7.1%), Indo-European (2.8%), Asian and Pacific Islander (5.5%), and Other (0.7%).

The median age in the county was 37.5 years.

Pierce County, Washington – racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold
Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) Pop. 1980<ref name=1980CensusScope>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop. 1990<ref name="Census 1990">Template:Cite web</ref> Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>
White alone (NH) 420,011
(86.49%)		 488,396
(83.32%)		 532,934
(76.04%)		 559,160
(70.31%)		 569,815
(61.86%)
Black or African American alone (NH) 29,334
(6.04%)		 41,105
(7.01%)		 47,399
(6.76%)		 51,436
(6.47%)		 63,059
(6.85%)
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 5,919
(1.22%)		 7,725
(1.32%)		 9,018
(1.29%)		 9,143
(1.15%)		 9,642
(1.05%)
Asian alone (NH) 14,622
(3.01%)		 27,769
(4.74%)		 35,091
(5.01%)		 46,520
(5.85%)		 62,126
(6.74%)
Pacific Islander alone (NH) — — 5,708
(0.81%)		 10,205
(1.28%)		 18,182
(1.97%)
Other race alone (NH) 2,865
(0.59%)		 646
(0.11%)		 1,666
(0.24%)		 1,415
(0.18%)		 5,560
(0.60%)
Mixed race or multiracial (NH) — — 30,383
(4.34%)		 44,497
(5.60%)		 80,935
(8.79%)
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 12,892
(2.65%)		 20,562
(3.51%)		 38,621
(5.51%)		 72,851
(9.16%)		 111,811
(12.14%)
Total 485,643
(100.00%)		 586,203
(100.00%)		 700,820
(100.00%)		 795,225
(100.00%)		 921,130
(100.00%)

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 921,130 people, 339,840 households, 230,520 families residing in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 359,489 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 64.64% White, 7.17% African American, 1.39% Native American, 6.89% Asian, 2.05% Pacific Islander, 5.26% from some other races and 12.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 12.14% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

23.2% of the population was under 18, and 6.1% of people were under 5. 14.4% of people were over 65. The gender ratio was 49.8% female and 50.2% male. The average household size was 2.65 people.<ref name="QF"/>

The median income for a household was $82,574, but the per capita income was $39,036. 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line.<ref name="QF"/>

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 795,225 people, 299,918 households, 202,174 families residing in the county.<ref name=dp1>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 359,489 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 74.20% White, 6.79% African American, 1.37% Native American, 5.97% Asian, 1.33% Pacific Islander, 3.50% from some other races and 6.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 9.16% of the population.

In terms of ancestry, 20.5% were German, 13.1% were Irish, 10.7% were English, 6.3% were Norwegian, and 4.2% were American.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

There were 299,918 households, 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.6% were non-families, and 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 35.9 years.<ref name=dp1/>

The median income for a household in the county was $57,869 and the median income for a family was $68,462. Males had a median income of $50,084 versus $38,696 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,446. About 8.1% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

The area was originally home to the present-day Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin, Steilacoom, and Muckleshoot tribes. The majority of Puyallup villages were situated in proximity to the area that would eventually develop into Tacoma, while Nisqually settlements were primarily located in what is now southern Pierce County. The tribes had two main routes: a northern path traversing Naches Pass and a southern route following the Mashel River, which connected them to Eastern Washington tribes. Trade networks among the region's indigenous peoples were well-established long before the arrival of white settlers.<ref name="historylink.org">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1792 British Captain George Vancouver and his party of explorers came via ship to the shores of the region, and named a number of sites in what would become Pierce County, i.e. Mount Rainier.Template:Citation needed

In 1832 Fort Nisqually was sited by the British Hudson's Bay Company's chief trader, Archibald McDonald. It was the first permanent European settlement on the Salish Sea. In cooperation with the local indigenous people, a storehouse for blankets, seeds, and potatoes was built at the mouth of Sequalitchew Creek.

In 1839 the Nisqually Methodist Episcopal Mission was established,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> bringing the first U.S. citizens to settle in the Puget Sound region, near the Sequalitchew Creek canyon.

In 1841 the United States Exploring Expedition set up an observatory on the bluff near the creek to survey, map and chart the waters of Puget Sound.

In 1843 the Second Fort Nisqually was erected. Business became mainly agricultural, and the fort was relocated on a flat-plains area near the banks of Sequalitchew Creek for cattle.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Fort Nisqually property was turned over to American control in 1859.

In 1846 the Oregon Treaty established the 49th Parallel as the boundary between British Canada and the United States, which left what was to become Pierce County on U.S. territory. In response to increasing tensions between Indians and settlers, the United States Army established Fort Steilacoom in 1849 at the site of the traditional home of the Steilacoom Tribe.

In 1850, Captain Lafayette Balch sited his land claim next to the fort and founded Port Steilacoom. In 1854 the town of Steilacoom became Washington Territory's first incorporated town.

In 1854 the Treaty of Medicine Creek was enacted between the United States and the local tribes occupying the lands of the Salish Sea. The tribes listed on the Treaty of Medicine Creek are Nisqually, Puyallup, Steilacoom, Squawskin (Squaxin Island), S'Homamish, Stehchass, T'Peeksin, Squi-aitl, and Sa-heh-wamish. The treaty was signed on December 26, 1854, by Isaac I. Stevens, governor and superintendent of Indian Affairs of Washington territory at the time. The native tribes were told the treaty would help them by paying them for some of the land. It ended up taking prime farmland and relocating the tribes onto rough reservations. Chief Leschi of the Nisqually tribe protested the treaty. He and his people marched to Olympia to have their voices heard but Isaac Stevens ordered them away.Template:Citation needed When the natives refused to leave, Isaac Stevens would eventually call martial law and - after the beginning of the Puget Sound War in 1855 - initiate a search for Chief Leschi in order to arrest him. Chief Leschi was eventually captured and put on trial. The first jury couldn't come to a verdict, so Isaac Stevens had the trial done a second time. This time Leschi was found guilty. Chief Leschi was hanged on February 19, 1858.<ref name="historylink.org" /> On December 10, 2004, a historical court convened in Pierce County ruled "as a legal combatant of the Indian War Leschi should not have been held accountable under law for the death of an enemy soldier," thereby exonerating him of any wrongdoing.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Government

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The logo often used to depict county government services and departments

Pierce County has adopted and is governed by a Charter. This is allowed by section 4 of Article XI of the Washington State Constitution. The Pierce County Executive, currently Ryan Mello (D), heads the county's executive branch.<ref name=":0" /> The Assessor-Treasurer Marty Campbell,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> auditor Linda Farmer, Prosecuting Attorney Mary Robnett,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Sheriff Keith Swank.

Template:As of, Pierce County had approximately 3,400 employees and a 2022–2023 biennium general fund budget of $3 billion.<ref name="audit23">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Pierce County Council is the elected legislative body for Pierce County and consists of seven members elected by district. The council is vested with all law-making power granted by its charter and by the State of Washington, sets county policy through the adoption of ordinances and resolutions, approves the annual budget and directs the use of county funds. The seven members of the County Council are elected from each of seven contiguous and equally populated districts, with each councilmember representing approximately 114,000 county residents. Each county councilmember is elected to serve a four-year term.

Beneath the Washington Supreme Court and the Washington Court of Appeals, judicial power rests first in the Pierce County Superior Court, which is divided into 23 departments - each headed by an elected judge, as well as a clerk of the superior court and nine superior court commissioners. Below that is the Pierce County District Court - with eight elected judges, the Tacoma Municipal Court - with three elected judges, and the Pierce County Juvenile Court. Tacoma houses the Pierce County Courthouse.

The people of Pierce County voted on November 5, 1918, to create a Port District. The Port of Tacoma is Pierce County's only Port District. It is governed Port of Tacoma Commission - five Port Commissioners, who are elected at-large countywide and serve four-year terms. The Port of Tacoma owns six container terminals, one grain terminal and an auto import terminal; all of which are leased out to foreign and domestic corporations to operate. In addition, the port owns and operates two breakbulk cargo terminals.

Many charter amendments have been on the ballot in the last five years, but sequential numbering does not carry over from year-to-year.

Politics

Pierce County has long been a Democratic stronghold, though much more moderately so than neighboring King County, as Republicans typically gain over 40% of the vote in presidential elections. Since 1932 the county has only voted majority Republican in 4 elections, each of which was a national landslide Republican victory. Democratic support lies mainly in Tacoma itself, while much of the southeast part of the county is strongly Republican.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Pierce County is split between three U.S. congressional districts:<ref name="districts">Template:Cite web</ref>

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Economy

The largest public employer in Pierce County is Joint Base Lewis–McChord, which contributes about 60,000 military and civilian jobs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The largest private employers are MultiCare Health System and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, which operate the two largest hospitals in the county.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> About a quarter of workers in the county commute to King County for their jobs.<ref name="esd25">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:As of, Pierce County had an unemployment rate of 4.7% without adjustments for seasonal labor, up from 4.3% the previous year.<ref name="esd25" />

Template:As of, the average annual wage in the county for all industries was $66,977, and the top five employment sectors were:<ref name=":2" />

  • Government (58,671)
  • Health care and social assistance (54,778)
  • Retail trade (36,867)
  • Accommodation and food services (29,482)
  • Administrative and waste management services (24,768)

Pierce County agriculture has been an instrumental part of the local economy for almost 150 years. However, in the last half-century, much of the county's farmland has been transformed into residential areas. Pierce County has taken aggressive steps to reverse this trend; the county recently created the Pierce County Farm Advisory Commission.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This advisory board helps local farmers with the interpretation of land use regulations as well as the promotion of local produce. The creation of the Pierce County Farm Advisory Commission will attempt to save the remaining 48,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> acres of Pierce County farmland. Despite the loss of farmland, Pierce County continues to produce about 50% of the United States' rhubarb.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

The following is a list of the public school districts in Pierce County, including those that overlap with other counties:<ref>Template:Cite map - Text list</ref> Template:Div col

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Private schools include the Cascade Christian Schools group, Life Christian School and Academy, Bellarmine, Annie Wright Schools and Charles Wright Academy.

Chief Leschi Schools, affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), is in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Higher education

The largest institutions of higher education are University of Puget Sound in Tacoma and Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland. Both are religiously affiliated private universities.

Tacoma Community College in Tacoma and Pierce College in Steilacoom are public community colleges. Bates Technical College and Clover Park Technical College are public technical colleges.

Central Washington University has a branch campus in Steilacoom. University of Washington Tacoma is a branch campus of University of Washington.The Evergreen State College also has a campus in Tacoma.

Library system

Libraries include the Pierce County Library System, the Tacoma Library System, and the Puyallup Public Library.

The Pierce County Library is the fourth largest library system in the state.<ref name="piercecountylibrary.org">Template:Cite web</ref> There are currently 20 branches, including:

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  • Administrative Center and Library
  • Anderson Island
  • Bonney Lake
  • Buckley
  • Dupont
  • Eatonville
  • Fife
  • Gig Harbor
  • Graham
  • Key Center
  • Lakewood
  • Milton/Edgewood
  • Orting
  • Parkland/Spanaway
  • South Hill
  • Steilacoom
  • Summit
  • Sumner
  • Tillicum
  • University Place

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The Pierce County Library System currently employs 394 people, and serves 579,970 citizens throughout 1,773 square miles. Established in 1944, the library system serves all of unincorporated Pierce County, as well as annexed cities and towns of: Bonney Lake, Buckley, DuPont, Eatonville, Edgewood, Fife, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Milton, Orting, South Prairie, Steilacoom, Sumner, University Place and Wilkeson.<ref name="piercecountylibrary.org" /> There are currently more than 1 million physical materials (books, videos, etc.) in the system, and more than 480,000 online or downloadable media items.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Total 2016 general fund revenue is estimated at $29,709,541.

Transportation

The Port of Tacoma is the sixth busiest container port in North America and one of the 25 busiest in the world,<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> playing an important part in the local economy. This deep-water port covers Template:Convert and offers a combination of facilities and services including 34 deepwater berths, two million square feet (190,000 m2) of warehouse and office space, and Template:Convert of industrial yard. An economic impact study showed that more the 28,000 jobs in Pierce County are related to the Port activities.

Pierce County is home to Pierce County Airport and Tacoma Narrows Airport, both are general aviation airports.

Pierce County's official transportation provider is Pierce Transit. It provides buses, paratransit, and rideshare vehicles. The regional Sound Transit runs the Tacoma Link light rail line through downtown Tacoma, and provides several regional express buses. Sound Transit also runs Sounder, the regional commuter railroad through Pierce County that stops in the following places: Sumner, Puyallup, Tacoma, South Tacoma, and Lakewood. Amtrak also travels through the county with a stop in Tacoma. Also, Intercity Transit provides transportation between Lakewood and Thurston County.

On December 18, 2017, an Amtrak train derailed in the county, at an overpass over southbound Interstate 5, hitting several vehicles. Thirteen of 14 rail cars derailed, killing three on board the train, and injuring dozens more on board and on the highway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

Pierce County operates ferries to Anderson Island and Ketron Island

Ferry routes

Arts and culture

Pierce County is home to a diverse array of arts organizations, including the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Grand Cinema,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lakewood Playhouse, Museum of Glass,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Northwest Sinfonietta, Speakeasy Arts Cooperative,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tacoma Art Museum,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tacoma Little Theater, Tacoma Concert Band, Tacoma Musical Playhouse,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tacoma Opera, Symphony Tacoma, Dance Theater Northwest, Washington State History Museum, and others. The city of Tacoma hosts an annual event called "Art at Work" month every November, promoting participation in and support for the local arts community. ArtsFund,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a regional United Arts Fund, has assisted the arts community in Pierce County. In 2012, LeMay-America's Car Museum opened its doors in Tacoma. Additionally, the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, houses a large collection of original manuscripts and documents.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Pierce County Daffodil Festival and Parade is held annually in April.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Washington State Fair is held every September in Puyallup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Law enforcement

The Pierce County Sheriff's Department was founded in 1853, shortly after incorporation of the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Pierce County was noted for gangs, drugs, and criminal activity starting in the mid to late 1980s. Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood had gangs that were selling crack cocaine and gang violence. Increased police patrols and community watch programs led to reduced crime in the mid to late 2000s. As of 2006, 38% of the methamphetamine labs (138 sites) cleaned up by the Washington State Department of Ecology were in Pierce County. This reduction from a high of 589 labs in 2001 comes in part to a new law restricting the sale of pseudoephedrine and in part due to tougher prison sentences for methamphetamine producers.<ref>Mulick, Stacey; Meth battle sees new fronts Template:Webarchive; The News Tribune (Tacoma); February 19, 2007.</ref>

Communities

Cities

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Towns

Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Ghost towns

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Notable people

See also

References

Specific

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Template:Geographic location Template:Pierce County, Washington Template:US state navigation box Template:Seattle Metro Template:Franklin Pierce Template:Authority control

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