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An editorial illustration of University Place, Washington
Pierce County · Washington

University Place, WA

University Place has one workplace job for every 5.7 residents.

Population
36,490
4% more from 2021 to 2026
Family households
66.4%
±4 points at 90% confidence
Local jobs
6,419
3% more from 2018 to 2023
Median income
$99,031
±$4,916 at 90% confidence
City overview

The forces shaping University Place now.

01
The city’s regional role

University Place has one workplace job for every 5.7 residents.

University Place has 0.18 workplace jobs per resident—6,419 jobs for 36,490 people. Tacoma is the largest observed outside destination for resident workers.

University Place can prosper without a large local employment base. Changes to regional commute corridors toward Tacoma and outside employers can reach households faster than changes in its own commercial districts.

Jobs and workplace flows: 2023 · population: 2026
02
The commute that shapes the city

University Place sends its largest stream of resident workers to Tacoma.

35% of observed resident job destinations are in Tacoma, followed by Seattle at 11%. Only 8% are inside University Place.

Current GTFS schedules 2,428 weekday stop departures at 77 stops inside University Place; that supply still needs to be tested against the route to Tacoma, the largest outside job destination. Schedule supply is not ridership.

Workplace flows: 2023 · commute modes: ACS 2024
03
The local economic engine

Healthcare leads at 20%, with retail close behind at 18%.

University Place contains 6,419 workplace jobs. Healthcare accounts for 20% of them. Retail is next at 18%.

Hospital capacity, shift-worker transportation, and health-sector hiring will affect University Place more directly than a conventional office cycle.

Workplace jobs: 2023
04
The trajectory

Both sides of University Place’s day are growing: the people who live there and the jobs located there.

University Place’s population rose 4% from 2021–2026; its workplace job count rose 3% from 2018–2023. The source periods differ because the two series are released on different schedules.

The opportunity in University Place is to connect the two gains: more residents can support local commerce, while more nearby jobs can shorten some trips now led outside the city by Tacoma. Housing and mobility decide whether that happens.

Population: 2021–2026 · jobs: 2018–2023
People

Who lives here—and which households shape demand?

The typical household estimate is 2.5 people. 66% are estimated to be family households, while 27% are estimated to be people living alone.

Average household size
2.5

±0.1 people at 90% confidence

Median age
40.1

±1.3 years at 90% confidence

Living alone
27%

±4 points at 90% confidence

Bachelor’s degree+
42%

Among residents age 25 and older. ±3 points at 90% confidence

Population composition

Who lives here

Estimated share of all University Place residents. Each percentage uses the city’s total population as its denominator.

White, non-Hispanic59% ±3 pts
Hispanic / Latino, any race12% ±3 pts
Two or more races, non-Hispanic9.5% ±2 pts
Black, non-Hispanic7.1% ±2 pts
Korean3.4% ±1 pts
Filipino2.3% ±0.8 pts
Vietnamese1.8% ±1 pts
Chinese, except Taiwanese1.1% ±0.7 pts
Asian Indian1.0% ±0.6 pts
American Indian / Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.6% ±0.3 pts
Japanese0.6% ±0.4 pts
Two or more Asian groups0.4% ±0.3 pts
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.4% ±0.3 pts
Cambodian0.2% ±0.3 pts
Another race, non-Hispanic0.2% ±0.1 pts
Hmong<0.1% ±0.1 pts
Thai<0.1% ±0.1 pts
Taiwanese<0.1% ±<0.1 pt
Laotian<0.1% ±0.1 pts
Other Asian, not specified<0.1% ±<0.1 pt

0% published estimate: Mongolian, Okinawan, Other East Asian, Burmese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Mien, Singaporean, Other Southeast Asian, Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Nepalese, Pakistani, Sikh, Sri Lankan, Other South Asian, Afghan, Kazakh, Uzbek, Other Central Asian, Other Asian, specified. Zero is not proof that no residents identify with that group.

ACS 2020–2024 · 5-year estimates
Dataset
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates · tables B03002 and B02015
Period
2020–2024
Geography
University Place Census place
Definition
Race and Hispanic/Latino origin are self-reported Census concepts. Hispanic/Latino may be of any race; the broad display uses non-Hispanic race categories plus Hispanic/Latino of any race.
Method
Every percentage is shown with its 90% margin of error. Detailed Asian estimates use the Asian-alone universe and are divided by the city population for display.
Open the official source ↗
Work

What powers the local economy—and how dependent is it?

Healthcare & Social Assistance accounts for 20% of jobs located in University Place. The city’s job base changed +17% between 2010 and 2023.

Jobs by sector

Workplace jobs inside the city—not the industries of residents who commute elsewhere.

Healthcare & Social Assistance20%
Retail18%
Education (includes academia/research)15%
Hospitality13%
Construction / Real Estate7%

Historical employer snapshot

Jobs attributed to employers in University Place · Historical employer snapshot · 2023. The source is older than the current employer publication window; headcounts are historical, not current.

University Place School District615 · 2023
Fred Meyer250 · 2023
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health244 · 2023
West Pierce Fire & Rescue226 · 2023
University Place Care Center198 · 2023
Charles Wright Academy170 · 2023
Whole Foods Market165 · 2023
KemperSports150 · 2023
Safeway115 · 2023
Pierce County Public Works—Sewer Utilitiesabout 110 · 2023

City of University Place Annual Comprehensive Financial Report ↗. Headcounts change faster than Census employment totals.

Housing

What kinds of homes exist—and where is pressure showing?

57% of occupied homes are estimated to be owner-occupied and 43% rented. The firmer current signal is construction intent: 211 homes were authorized in 2025, versus a recent pace of about 163 per year.

Home value profile

What owner-occupied homes are worth

Owner estimates from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey—not listings, recorded sales, or appraisals. The final Census band is open-ended: $2 million and above.

Median estimate$625k±19256.0 at 90% confidence
Middle half of homes$463k–$801kLower to upper quartile of owner estimates
Luxury-home concentration1%≈40 homes · estimated at $2M+
Under $500k30%
$500–749k41%
$750–999k22%
$1–1.49M6%
$1.5–1.99M1%
$2M+1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year tables B25075–B25078. Values cover owner-occupied homes only and do not measure current asking prices or recent purchase prices.

The housing mix we can estimate confidently

This describes the existing stock. It does not imply that one building type is preferable.

Detached houses54%
Attached houses6%
2–4 unit buildings12%
5+ unit buildings26%
Other1%
Owner-occupied
57%

±5 points at 90% confidence

Owner cost-burdened
27%

Spending 30% or more on selected owner costs. ±5 points at 90% confidence

Homes authorized, 2025
211

Permit authorizations—not construction starts or completed homes.

Residential buildings, 2025
9

One building can contain one home or many housing units.

Permit activity: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, final annual estimate for 2025. Housing units authorized are not starts or completions.

Mobility

Where do residents need to go—and who has a real alternative to driving?

Current transit schedules include 77 stops and 2,428 weekday stop departures inside University Place. The 2020–2024 ACS separately estimates how workers usually commuted; it does not count every transit trip or describe today's schedule.

Weekday departures
2,428

Scheduled stop departures in the current covered-feed snapshot—not riders.

Transit stops
77

Matched inside city limits; nearby cross-border stops are separate.

Top outside workplace
Tacoma

35% of observed resident job destinations in 2023 LODES.

Work inside the city
8%

Share of observed resident job destinations located in the same city in 2023 LODES.

Where resident workers go

Top observed workplace destinations. 8% work inside University Place.

Tacoma35%
Peak drive: 20–40 min
Seattle11%
Peak drive: 60–110 min
Lakewood9%
Peak drive: 10–30 min
Puyallup3%

The strongest outside connection is Tacoma. Employer or corridor changes there can alter everyday life in University Place, even when nothing changes inside the city boundary.

How residents usually get to work

Citywide ACS 2020–2024 estimates describe workers’ usual commute—not every trip made today.

Drive alone
69%

Share of workers usually driving alone. ±5 points at 90% confidence

Work from home
17%

Share of workers usually working from home. ±2 points at 90% confidence

Use public transit
1.9%

Usual commute mode—not all transit trips. ±0.8 points at 90% confidence

Commute 45+ minutes
19%

Share of workers with a one-way commute of at least 45 minutes. ±3 points at 90% confidence

For someone choosing a home in University Place, the practical test is the trip to Tacoma, the leading outside workplace destination in the published flows. These citywide shares cannot show whether that trip works from a particular address.

Typical drive times

About how long does it take to get where people go?

Work destinations are selected from observed resident job flows. These are broad, reviewed planning ranges from representative parts of University Place—not live-traffic or door-to-door predictions.

Starting area
Tacoma employment area

Tacoma is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for University Place, representing 29% of matched resident jobs from this city.

15–40 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Local arterial-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.40x circuity factor and an assumed 28 km/h peak-effective / 42 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Downtown Seattle employment core

Seattle is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for University Place, representing 9% of matched resident jobs from this city.

60–110 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Highway-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.25x circuity factor and an assumed 45 km/h peak-effective / 70 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Lakewood employment area

Lakewood is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for University Place, representing 7% of matched resident jobs from this city.

5–20 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Local arterial-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.40x circuity factor and an assumed 28 km/h peak-effective / 42 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

University Place employment area

University Place is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for University Place, representing 6% of matched resident jobs from this city.

5–20 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Local arterial-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.40x circuity factor and an assumed 28 km/h peak-effective / 42 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Method, review date, and sources

Planning estimate; actual time varies by departure time, route, traffic, weather, incidents, and closures.

Estimates are derived from reviewed origin/destination coordinates using a documented distance-to-time heuristic (circuity factor and assumed effective speed by corridor type and period), then deliberately widened and rounded to a broad band. No live routing or traffic API was called.

Estimates reviewed 2026-09-10. Starting point: selected representative area.

City boundary and regional context● nearby   ● work destinations
Daily life

Community institutions and local activity

Public schools, libraries, pharmacies, and listed everyday places show part of the local inventory inside University Place; taxable sales show the scale and direction of local commercial activity. Residents also use places across city lines, so a boundary count is not the same as access.

Local field guide

Places for everyday needs in University Place

Care, errands, food, fitness, and personal services gathered into one browsable directory.

Hospitals0 in cityFind nearby
Explore all hospitals near University PlaceOpen
Clinics and urgent care12 listedView 8 places
Brian J Berry, MDMapBriejer Kristin MdMapBrooks Mark F MdMapCarrie Jenner, MdMapFox Medical CenterMapFranciscan Medical Clinic - University PlaceMapMountains Meet Medical Osteopathic Physicians Direct CareMapMultiCare University Place Urgent CareMapExplore all clinics and urgent care in MapsOpen
Pharmacies7 listedView all
Emerald Titan Holdings Inc7311 40TH ST W · UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA 98466-4316MapFred Meyer Pharmacy6305 BRIDGEPORT WAY W · UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA 98467-5117MapPharmacy Compounding Solutions2310 MILDRED ST W STE 138 · UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA 98466-6055MapRite Aid Pharmacy 052753840 BRIDGEPORT WAY WEST · UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA 98466-4416MapSavon Pharmacy3905 BRIDGEPORT WAY W · UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA 98466-4417MapWalgreens #071372650 BRIDGEPORT WAY W · UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA 98466-4720MapWalgreens #37237451 CIRQUE DR W · UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA 98467-2273MapExplore all pharmacies in MapsOpen
Coffee8 listedView all
Classic Coffee Drive-Thru & CaféMapCutters Point Coffee Co.MapGreen Spot Tea House & Art GalleryMapHappy Duo CafeMapPaper LuxeMapRainier valley coffee co. University place MapStarbucksMapSweet WheatMapExplore all coffee in MapsOpen
Fitness20 listedView 8 places
20 Minute FitnessMapAdvocare with Sarah QMapAnytime FitnessMapBody & Brain Tacoma Yoga and Tai ChiMapCommunity Connection Place Community CenterMapDahn Yoga CtrMapFit4Mom University PlaceMapFitness Quest University PlaceMapExplore all fitness in MapsOpen
Groceries7 listedView all
Chambers Bay SandwichMapHarbor GreensMapThe Lumberyard TaproomMapP&H MarketMapSafewayMapTrader Joe'sMapWhole Foods MarketMapExplore all groceries in MapsOpen
Convenience5 listedView all
7-ElevenMapampmMapCircle KMapRite AidMapRocketMapExplore all convenience in MapsOpen
Restaurants49 listedView 8 places
Al's Hot ChickenMapAle House Pub & EateryMapAntojo Mexican GrillMapApplebee'sMapCasa de los ChilaquilesMapChambers Bay GrillMapCharles & Terry- Gourmet ChineseMapCheers Bar & Grill University PlaceMapExplore all restaurants in MapsOpen
Salons and barbers47 listedView 8 places
Affinity SalonMapALX Beauty LoungeMapArtful Beauty StudioMapBeauregard'sMapBelle. A Boutique SalonMapBlanka RosaMapBlush And Braids Beauty BarMapBrassfields Salon and Day SpaMapExplore all salons and barbers in MapsOpen

Counts reflect current directory records associated with the city, not a complete business census or a measure of access. Large categories show a sample.

Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), snapshot 2026-08-13; Overture Maps Foundation, release 2026-08-19.0; U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (NPPES NPI Registry), snapshot 2026-09-09.

Public library footprint

University Place Library

Floor area shows the scale of the physical branches. Physical circulation is 2024 checkouts—not visits, unique users, or digital borrowing—and people routinely use libraries across city lines.

Branch floor area
15,000 sq ft

All matched branches must report floor area before a city total is shown.

Physical checkouts
362,511

Annual branch activity; not limited to city residents. All matched branches must report before a city total is shown.

University Place LibraryPierce County Library System
15,000 sq ft362,511 physical checkouts63 scheduled hours/week

Source: Washington State Library public-library statistics, 2024. System-wide visits, digital circulation, and program attendance cannot be assigned honestly to one branch, so they are not folded into these city totals.

Education footprint

The schools inside University Place.

Institution counts and enrollment will remain separate. A school can serve students from outside the city, and residents may attend a school across the boundary or elsewhere in their district.

Public elementary4
  • Chambers Elementary SchoolUniversity Place School District
  • Evergreen Primary SchoolUniversity Place School District
  • Sunset Primary SchoolUniversity Place School District
  • University Place Primary SchoolUniversity Place School District
Public middle2
  • Drum Intermediate SchoolUniversity Place School District
  • Narrows View Intermediate SchoolUniversity Place School District
Public high2
  • Curtis Junior High SchoolUniversity Place School District
  • Curtis Senior High SchoolUniversity Place School District
Other public programs0

None in the current OSPI city-boundary match.

Public-school names and levels come from OSPI. Private schools, complete IPEDS college coverage, enrollment by level, and graduate destinations are active additions; absence here should not yet be read as “none.”

Retail role

University Place records relatively little retail activity for its population.

Retail sales per resident fall below 83% of the cities tracked by Metroscope. That may mean residents rely more on nearby cities for shopping, but sales records alone cannot prove where they shop.

Retail sales per resident, 2024
$6,073

Higher than 17% of 82 tracked cities.

Change from 2023
+6%

Nominal retail-sales change; inflation can account for some or all of an increase.

See the underlying sales totals
Retail trade, 2024
$221.6M

Sales reported by businesses classified in retail trade.

All taxable sales
$506.1M

Includes taxable activity outside retail trade.

Retail share
44%

Retailing industries’ share of all taxable sales.

Tracked-city median
$10,670

Median retail sales per resident across cities with comparable data.

Civic life

University Place only became a city in 1995.

University Place voters elect the council, which hires a professional city manager to run administration. The mayor is selected from the council, so executive oversight works through the council rather than a separately elected chief executive.

Government form
Council–Manager

The elected council hires and oversees the city manager.

Mayor listed
Stan Flemming

Generally selected from the council—not a separately elected executive.

Council representatives listed
7

Current directory entries; vacancies or updates can make this differ from authorized seats.

Incorporated
1995

Code city under Washington law.

Where decisions happen

When does the University Place council meet?

Regular meeting schedule listed in the current municipal directory:

1st & 3rd Mon - 6:30pm

Schedules change and special meetings are separate. Check the city site for the live agenda, staff reports, public-comment rules, and video.

Official city site ↗Current officials directory ↗
Election record

Where to check University Place election results.

Regular municipal offices generally return in 2027. Special measures can appear earlier, and charter provisions can differ.

The next data step is city-specific turnout, contested-seat share, ballot measures, and campaign money. Until those are normalized, Metroscope links the official record instead of guessing from partisan elections.

Structure, meetings, and current officials: Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington (MRSC), checked 2026-09-08. Election administration and certified results: the county election offices listed above. Confirm live agendas and officeholders at the source.

Change

What is changing the city’s trajectory?

Population and jobs do not always move together. Reading both helps distinguish a growing employment center from a city whose households are increasingly tied to opportunities elsewhere.

Residents
36,490

4% more from 2021 to 2026

Local jobs
6,419

3% more from 2018 to 2023

Retail trade, 2023–2024
+6%

Nominal taxable-sales change; not adjusted for inflation.

Data & details — selected comparable metrics across 82 places
Local jobs
LODES
6,419
1,506656,821
Higher than only 21% of places
Long-run job change
LODES
+17%
−3%+166%
Higher than only 19% of places
Weekday transit departures
GTFS snapshot
2,428
19256,385
Higher than only 47% of places
Multifamily permitting
Census BPS
Faster than usual
Recent annual pace compared with this city's own 2010–2025 record
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD, county-level
$2,064
FY2027 HUD program benchmark; chart shows FY2020–FY2027 history. Shared across this HUD metro area—not a place-specific market rent.
Work — sector breakdown
Share of local jobs by sector · LODES · workplace location, not resident industry
Healthcare & Social Assistance20% (1,273)
Retail18% (1,155)
Education (includes academia/research)15% (950)
Hospitality13% (816)
Construction / Real Estate7% (456)
Professional Services (partial technology proxy)6% (378)
Administrative & Support Services6% (354)
Government (Public Administration)5% (316)
Other4% (238)
Finance3% (199)
Logistics / Industrial3% (194)
Manufacturing (includes, but is not limited to, aerospace)1% (45)
Information (partial technology proxy)1% (45)
Where University Place's workforce lives (inbound)
LODES OD — commuting flows into local jobs
Tacoma
30.7%
University Place
22.5%
Lakewood
10.2%
Puyallup
3.7%
Seattle
3.4%