© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
Moving to
South Hill.
South Hill is an unincorporated community in Pierce County, WA. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in South Hill
South Hill is a large unincorporated community in Washington with household incomes running above the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. South Hill deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- High student-teacher ratio
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How South Hill compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to South Hill
Based on South Hill's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,176
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $83,520 a year
- 48% of South Hill renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$108,720
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $54,360
- Homes cost 4.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 48% above US
$2,088/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,088 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $543,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $543,600 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Pierce County is 5.0%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Pierce County (county-wide)
Safety
226 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
South Hill doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Pierce County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1070/100k · Policed by Pierce County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 30% above US
34 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.9 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 74°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 33°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
33% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 33% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
14 public schools inside the boundary
There are 14 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park (33 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
South Hill's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,088/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (15% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget, people who dread long commutes, and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near South Hill
All Washington guides →Not sure South Hill is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.