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Living in
Prairie Ridge.
Prairie Ridge 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.
About
Life in Prairie Ridge
Prairie Ridge is a community of 12,054 people in Washington. The median household income is $114,356, median rent runs about $1,965 per month, and median home values are around $462,000. The unemployment rate is 5.0%.
Prairie Ridge at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
36.3 yrs
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Foreign-Born
6.5%
Broadband Internet
98.1%
of households
Population Growth
+0.5%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics6.5% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Prairie Ridge: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Prairie Ridge, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (31.6%), and 5.6% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
25.8%
of residents
65 and Older
12.0%
of residents
Households with Kids
35.5%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
19.2%
of households
Married Couples
57.8%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.78
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 12% above WA average
Rent, home values, and income in Prairie Ridge
In Prairie Ridge, rent runs 12% above the WA average, and home values are 18% below the WA average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
51.5%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
22.3%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
111.1
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$3,825
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
88.3%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1993
median year built
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for WA
Unemployment in Prairie Ridge and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Pierce County, which includes Prairie Ridge, is close to the WA average.
Unemployment rate
Prairie Ridge: Pierce County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Pierce County (county-wide) · Annual averages
Prairie Ridge is about 1% of Pierce County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
What Prairie Ridge Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area
Commute36.4 min avg
How Prairie Ridge residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Prairie Ridge, most residents drive alone to work (72%), and 36% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 23 mi
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Major hub25.4M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 31% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in the area policed by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, which covers Prairie Ridge, runs 31% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
226.4
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,070.3
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Policed by Pierce County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate)
Natural Disasters
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively High
98.5 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Pierce County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
29 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Data not yet available
Air Quality44 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Pierce County, which includes Prairie Ridge, is typically good — 267 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
44
Good Days
267
per year
Moderate Days
98
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Pierce County, county-wide
Prairie Ridge is about 1% of Pierce County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Climate74°F summers, 33°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Prairie Ridge has mild summers (avg high 74°F) and mild winters (avg low 33°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
58°/40°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
74°/51°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
60°/42°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
46°/33°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
45.1"
Annual Snowfall
5.6"
Hot Days/Year
3
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
60
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
166
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 33°F | 6.12" |
| Feb | 48°F | 33°F | 4.33" |
| Mar | 52°F | 36°F | 4.80" |
| Apr | 57°F | 39°F | 3.90" |
| May | 64°F | 45°F | 2.97" |
| Jun | 69°F | 49°F | 2.28" |
| Jul | 76°F | 52°F | 0.92" |
| Aug | 77°F | 53°F | 0.90" |
| Sep | 70°F | 48°F | 1.78" |
| Oct | 59°F | 42°F | 4.08" |
| Nov | 50°F | 36°F | 7.06" |
| Dec | 45°F | 33°F | 5.99" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Prairie Ridge
Uninsured
7.1%
of residents
No hospitals inside Prairie Ridge's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 7.2 mi away · Puyallup
St Elizabeth Hospital
Critical Access Hospitals · ER available · 9 mi away · Enumclaw
Multicare Auburn Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 12.4 mi away · Auburn
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education16.9:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Prairie Ridge
Prairie Ridge's student/teacher ratio is 16.9:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 14.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
1
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
14.3%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
16.9:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Prairie Ridge (within 15 miles)
Public · 2-year · 4,965 students · in-state tuition $5,172 · 47% graduate · median earnings $54,621 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,401 students · in-state tuition $53,096 · 73% graduate · median earnings $71,109 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Mount Rainier National Park, 28 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Prairie Ridge
Prairie Ridge has 5 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Mount Rainier National Park (28 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Mount Rainier National Park
National Park
28 mi awayKlondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park
National Historical Park
33 mi awayWing Luke Museum Affiliated Area
Affiliated Area
33 mi awayEbey's Landing National Historical Reserve
National Historical Reserve
78 mi awayOlympic National Park
National Park
85 mi awayCities Near Prairie Ridge
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Prairie Ridge?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Prairie Ridge FAQ
Is Prairie Ridge, Washington affordable?⌄
Prairie Ridge's median rent is $1,965/month, which is significantly above the national average. The median household income is $114,356/year. Median home value is $462,000.
Is Prairie Ridge, Washington safe?⌄
Prairie Ridge is policed by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, whose violent crime rate across its service area was 226 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is below the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1070 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Prairie Ridge, Washington?⌄
Pierce County, which includes Prairie Ridge, has an unemployment rate of 5.0%, which is slightly above the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Prairie Ridge, Washington?⌄
The cost of living in Prairie Ridge is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,965/month and median household income is $114,356/year. The median home value is $462,000. About 52% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Prairie Ridge, Washington?⌄
The average commute in Prairie Ridge is 36 minutes, which is longer than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from