The 10 Worst Tacoma Suburbs For 2021


We used science and data to determine which Tacoma suburbs are the real pits.

Chris Kolmar, RoadSnacks
December 22, 2020 - 1,456 views
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Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don’t freak out we updated this article for 2021. This is our seventh time ranking the worst suburbs around Tacoma.

Not everyone is cut out for city life. Some people would prefer to live in the cities and towns that surround Tacoma.

So the question arises, do the suburbs maintain a semblance of the larger-than-life appeal of their more famous neighbor?

Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Tacoma 'burbs need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Tacoma area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the suburbs to live up to Tacoma proper, although Clyde Hill certainly tries.

Of course, not all suburbs of Tacoma are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones..

We examined the 45 biggest suburbs of Tacoma to find out the worst places to live. And while you won't necessarily find them on the worst places to live in washington lists, these ten places are a little too far downwind of Tacoma in terms of quality of life.

Here are the 10 worst suburbs around Tacoma for 2021:

  1. Tukwila
  2. Rainier
  3. Eatonville
  4. Bremerton
  5. Lakewood
  6. Fife
  7. SeaTac
  8. Algona
  9. Port Orchard
  10. Olympia

What's the worst suburb of Tacoma? Tukwila ranks as the worst suburb of Tacoma for 2021 based on the most recent Census and FBI data.

Read on to see how we determined the places around Tacoma that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don't blame the messenger.

Or, if you're thinking of moving to elsewhere in washington check out the best places in washington overall or the worst.

And remember, there are some good places to live around Tacoma too.

Editor's Note: If you see a slight difference between the worst in state rankings and this suburb ranking, it's because of the methodology. We needed a way to include more places, so we eliminated crime and commute times as criteria for this analysis.

For more Washington reading, check out:

The 10 Worst Tacoma Suburbs To Live For 2021

1. Tukwila

Tukwila Location In Washington

Tukwila, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Joe Mabel | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 20,196
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $58,097 (3rd lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 7.6% (4th highest)
Median Home Value: $315,000 (15th lowest)
More on Tukwila:  Data | Photos

We'll get the ball rolling with Tukwila, the absolute worst place to live around Tacoma according to the data.

And in the world of worst rankings, Tukwila beat the competition pretty handily thanks to scoring in the bottom 15% in three major categories. Income is the 3rd worst in the Tacoma area, and to make matters worse, the city ranks 15th worst when it comes to home values.

But hey, at least it's cheap to live there. But there's a reason for that... it's Tukwila.

You won't feel bad about not having a great income for the area, there aren't a bunch of places to spend your money anyway.

2. Rainier