What it's like to live in Sumner
Sumner is a small city in Washington with household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Sumner 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
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- High student-teacher ratio
How Sumner compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Sumner
Based on Sumner's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,948
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $78,960 a year
- 46% of Sumner renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$103,980
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $51,990
- Homes cost 5.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 40% above US
$1,974/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,974 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 $519,900. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $519,900 · 46% 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)
SafetyNear US average
320 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2084/100k · Sumner Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 14% above US
30 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% 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 & workforce▼ 27% below US
26% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 26%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, 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 (27 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Sumner's strongest point is household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,974/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Sumner
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