City safety & data profile

Elk PlainWA

Elk Plain, WA is a 14K-resident city in Pierce County with a median household income of $107,313.

Pierce County, Washington. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Elk Plain, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Elk Plain has a population larger than 24% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $473,500.

Data updated 2026-07-20

14K
Population
Top 76%
By size
$107,313
Median income
$473,500
Median home
8.3%
Poverty rate

The read on Elk Plain

Elk Plain posts a median household income higher than 75% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 25%
by median income, US cities

Where Elk Plain income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$107,313 Top 25% higher than 75% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. WA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Elk Plain, WA beyond the headline numbers

Elk Plain sits inside Pierce County, Washington, at roughly 47.05°N, -122.40°W. Population 14,205, $107,313 median household income. Median home value $473,500, median rent $2,172. Poverty rate 8.3%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Elk Plain's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 38.6%, then short sleep duration at 37.8%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Elk Plain from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
14,205
Elk Plain
Median Income
$107,313
+58% vs avg
Median Home Value
$473,500
+108% vs avg
Median Age
38
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Pierce County) - Elk Plain's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
930K+16%
Median Income
$99,564+68%
Median Home Value
$526,600+119%
Poverty Rate
8.8%-29%
Unemployment
4.9%-53%

Economics

Economics indicators for Elk Plain, WA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$2,172/mo
Poverty Rate
8.3% -42% vs avg
Unemployment 2.9%
Bachelor's Degree+ 17.5%
Work From Home 10.9%
Public Transit 0%

Population

White 72.6%
African American 4.1%
Asian 4%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
38.6%
Short Sleep Duration
37.8%
High Blood Pressure
33.5%
Physical Inactivity
20%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.4%
Binge Drinking
17.5%
Frequent Physical Distress
15%
Current Smoking
13.5%
Current Asthma
11.4%
Diabetes
11.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 64.1%
Annual Checkup 70%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
8.6%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.6%
Stroke
3.2%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Elk Plain, WA? ▼
Elk Plain, WA has a population of 14,205 people, located in Pierce County, Washington.
What is the median household income in Elk Plain? ▼
The median household income in Elk Plain, WA is $107,313 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 8.3%.
What is the median home value in Elk Plain? ▼
The median home value in Elk Plain, WA is $473,500. Median rent is $2,172/month.
What are the top health concerns in Elk Plain? ▼
The top health indicators in Elk Plain include Obesity (38.6%), Short Sleep Duration (37.8%), High Blood Pressure (33.5%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Elk Plain? ▼
The median age in Elk Plain, WA is 38 years. 17.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Elk Plain, WA is located in Pierce County, Washington. With a population of 14K and a $107,313 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Safety alerts for the Elk Plain area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Washington

Real-time AQI for every monitored Washington location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Frederickson, WA 19K Spanaway, WA 27K Graham, WA 23K Parkland, WA 36K South Hill, WA 52K Puyallup, WA 40K Lakewood, WA 60K Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA 11K
All cities in Washington → Compare Elk Plain vs Frederickson → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Elk Plain's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Elk Plain area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Elk Plain against Washington peers on any ranking lens. Explore Washington

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Pierce County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.