CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

47.23° N · 122.52° W · GEOID 5323970

Fircrest

Pierce County, Washington · part of the Seattle, WA metro

WashingtonFircrest, WAFircrestFircrest

The short answer

Fircrest is home to 7,069 people. Median household income is $113,926 a year and median rent is $1,554 a month, 16.4% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $583,500, about 5.1x annual median household income.

Fircrest is defined by its growth. Home value growth is 11.2% a year, against 7.9% a year in its closest peers. Also notable: Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 99 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

74OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

Fircrest scores better than 74% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 34th of 190 in Washington.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%53
Economy 20%62
Safety 20%63
Amenities 15%47
Education 10%80
Commute 10%61
Growth 5%47
Median gross rent
$1,554
14% above the median place
Median household income
$113,926
42% above the median place
Median home value
$583,500
83% above the median place
Unemployment
5.2%
5% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to Fircrest

Pierce County gains about 0.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in50,429
Moved out49,870
Net+559

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Washington, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within WashingtonOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$74K
Leavers$71K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Pierce County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.9% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Pierce County report $73,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $70,700.
Income you would need
$62,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,554 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,331 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $583,500.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 20.5% work from home; 2.1% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Hamburg, NY matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
2.9%
45% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
6.8%
18% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
0.7
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureFircrestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.8%18% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.9%45% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure0.7above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$73,5504% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$70,7181% above
02

What it costs to live here

35% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 86% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track.

Fircrest16.4%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$62,160
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.4%
20% below the median place
Home price to income
5.1x
35% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$92,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Fircrest, $1,554 a month, and local prices for everything else (102.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Fircrest, but easier on the budget

Places that match Fircrest on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Hamburg, NY8111.7% vs 16.4%$7,700Compare
Allison Park, PA8112.9% vs 16.4%$7,200Compare
Plymouth, MI8013.0% vs 16.4%$3,600Compare
Northborough, MA7910.2% vs 16.4%$27,200Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Fircrest.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Fircrest? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
0.0%
below the median place (median 7.1%)
Renters paying 30%+1
35.2%
30% below the median place
Median home value1
$583,500
83% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureFircrestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,55414% above
Rent to income116.4%20% below
Property tax rate10.8%11% below
Home price to income15.1x35% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure111.110% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,06428% above
Property tax paid (median)1$4,71444% above
Median home value1$583,50083% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.9%9% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure45.5%12% below
Homeownership171.8%8% above
Renters paying 30%+135.2%30% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,33125% above
Vacant homes10.0%below (median 7.1%)
Median year built119661% below
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 17.1 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 96% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Poverty rate1
5.7%
47% below the median place
Income per person1
$57,655
44% above the median place
Works from home1
20.5%
64% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureFircrestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$113,92642% above
Income per person1$57,65544% above
Unemployment1County figure5.2%5% above
Average annual pay5County figure$73,97312% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure5.1%38% above
Jobs5County figure337,071124% above
Poverty rate15.7%47% below
Mean commute123 min6% below
Works from home120.5%64% above
Commutes by transit1County figure2.1%152% above
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 98.3%, 6% above the median place.

High school or higher1
98.3%
6% above the median place
Population change since 20206
-2.7%
below the median place (median 1.1%)
Median age1
44.5
14% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher50.8% +59%
Homes with broadband94.7% +3%
Household size2.4 −6%
No health insurance5.6% −13%
Born abroad11.1% +26%
All 9 people measures
MeasureFircrestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17,0695360th largest
Population change since 20206-2.7%below (median 1.1%)
Median age144.514% above
Bachelor's or higher150.8%59% above
High school or higher198.3%6% above
Household size12.46% below
Born abroad111.1%26% above
No health insurance15.6%13% below
Homes with broadband194.7%3% above
05

Life in Fircrest

OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 84% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 190 Washington places we track.

198 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 6 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents22.6 2.2×
Playgrounds per 10k8.5 −10%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k17.0 +52%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −95%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi17.1 81.2×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Mount Rainier National Park 45 miles
  • Mount Rainier Wilderness 46 miles
  • Olympic National Park 66 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars18.3 −12%
Shops22.9 −24%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.3 −20%
Doctors' offices and clinics16.9 −16%
Child care centers2.3 +0%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
44.6
45% above the median place
Public schools13
274
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students13
137,738
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureFircrestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13County figure274above (median 9)
Public school students13County figure137,738above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher13County figure18.721% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure18.312% below
Shops per 10k8County figure22.924% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.320% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure16.916% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.30% above
Parks per 10k922.6123% above
Playgrounds per 10k98.510% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k917.052% above
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.195% below
Transit stops per sq mi917.1above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1044.645% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1020% above
National Register listings11County figure198above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 144, 25% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
144
25% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
907
25% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

July average high14
73°F
16% below the median place
Annual precipitation14
65.4 in
49% above the median place
Average temperature14
47°F
14% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureFircrestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure73°F16% below
January average low14County figure31°F24% above
Average temperature14County figure47°F14% below
Annual precipitation14County figure65.4 in49% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure98.57% above
Tornado risk15County figure41.249% below
Wildfire risk15County figure76.825% above
Heat wave risk15County figure97.38% above
Median air quality index16County figure442% above
Good air days16County figure73.2%7% above
08

Fircrest in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 16% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Fircrest does better than 52% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 83%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,554/mo (2024)$1,990/mo$1,630 to $2,430/mo+4.2%
Median household income$113,926 (2024)$146,000$123,500 to $173,000+4.2%
Median home value$583,500 (2024)$861,000$625,000 to $1,186,000+6.7%
Population6,959 (2025)6,8906,610 to 7,190−0.2%

The median home would be worth 5.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Fircrest

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Belle Isle, FL$1,452$104,559Compare
North Attleborough Town, MA$1,509$112,665Compare
Amesbury, MA$1,683$103,554Compare
Maywood, NJ$1,854$117,912Compare
Maywood, NJAmesbury, MANorth Attleborough Town, MABelle Isle, FLFircrest, WAFircrestBelle IsleNorth Attleborough TownAmesburyMaywoodFircrestBelle IsleNorth Attleborough TownAmesburyMaywood

Places built like Fircrest

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Fircrest performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Fircrest, WA16.4%7.1%/yr-2.7%
Ben Lomond, CA23.2%6.3%/yrn/aCompare
Cedar Hills, OR19.3%5.4%/yrn/aCompare
Aptos, CA18.4%3.6%/yrn/aCompare
Old Fig Garden, CA16.2%4.8%/yrn/aCompare
Rockcreek, OR18.9%4.2%/yrn/aCompare
Wrightwood, CA29.6%2.8%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Fircrest a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 74 out of 100, better than 74% of the places we rate and 34th of 190 in Washington. On cost, space and class size it scores 66 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Fircrest expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $583,500.

What salary do you need to live in Fircrest?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $62,160 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Fircrest safe?

There were 144 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Fircrest?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Belle Isle, FL, North Attleborough Town, MA, Amesbury, MA and Maywood, NJ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Fircrest with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Fircrest itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/fircrest-washington

Citytistics. “Fircrest, Washington.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/fircrest-washington/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.