City safety & data profile

University PlaceWA

University Place, WA is a 33K-resident city in Pierce County with a median household income of $99,031.

Pierce County, Washington. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for University Place, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. University Place has a population larger than 66% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $624,800.

Data updated 2026-07-20

33K
Population
Top 34%
By size
$99,031
Median income
$624,800
Median home
8.2%
Poverty rate

The read on University Place

University Place posts a median household income higher than 68% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 32%
by median income, US cities

Where University Place income ranks nationally

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

$99,031 Top 32% higher than 68% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $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 University Place, WA beyond the headline numbers

University Place sits inside Pierce County, Washington, at roughly 47.24°N, -122.55°W. Population 32,842, $99,031 median household income. Median home value $624,800, median rent $1,762. Poverty rate 8.2%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: University Place's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 36%, then obesity at 35.2%.

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

Population
32,842
University Place
Median Income
$99,031
+46% vs avg
Median Home Value
$624,800
+174% vs avg
Median Age
40.1
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Pierce County) - University Place'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 University Place, WA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,762/mo
Poverty Rate
8.2% -42% vs avg
Unemployment 5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 42.1%
Work From Home 16.9%
Public Transit 1.9%

Population

White 61.6%
African American 7.1%
Asian 10.9%
Two or More Ethnicities 8%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
36%
Obesity
35.2%
High Blood Pressure
33.3%
Physical Inactivity
17.8%
Frequent Mental Distress
16.7%
Binge Drinking
15.8%
Frequent Physical Distress
13%
Current Asthma
10.8%
Diabetes
10.8%
Current Smoking
9.9%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 68.5%
Annual Checkup 72.8%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
6.9%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.4%
Stroke
3%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of University Place, WA? ▼
University Place, WA has a population of 32,842 people, located in Pierce County, Washington.
What is the median household income in University Place? ▼
The median household income in University Place, WA is $99,031 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 8.2%.
What is the median home value in University Place? ▼
The median home value in University Place, WA is $624,800. Median rent is $1,762/month.
What are the top health concerns in University Place? ▼
The top health indicators in University Place include Short Sleep Duration (36%), Obesity (35.2%), High Blood Pressure (33.3%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in University Place? ▼
The median age in University Place, WA is 40.1 years. 42.1% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

University Place, WA is located in Pierce County, Washington. With a population of 33K and a $99,031 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Safety alerts for the University Place 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

Lakewood, WA 60K Artondale, WA 13K Tacoma, WA 223K Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA 11K Parkland, WA 36K Spanaway, WA 27K Vashon, WA 11K Frederickson, WA 19K
All cities in Washington → Compare University Place vs Lakewood → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using University Place'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 University Place 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 University Place 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.