Median Home Price in Tacoma, WA: What the Latest Data Shows
Tacoma's median home price sits near $490,000 to $510,000, depending on the source and the date. This guide explains why the figures differ and what they mean for your budget.
The median home price in Tacoma, WA falls between $488,463 and $510,000, depending on which data provider you read. [1] That gap is wide enough to matter if you are setting a budget or deciding whether to list a home. Here is what three major data providers report for the latest period. For a closer look, read Median Home Price in Temecula CA: What the Latest Figures Show.
Zillow reports a median home value of $488,463 as of August 2026, up 0.1% from the prior month. [1]
Redfin reports a median sale price of $500K over the last three months, up 1.0% from the same period a year earlier. [2] Realtor.com reports a median listing price of $510,000 for homes currently for sale. [3] The rest of this article explains what separates these numbers and how to read them. Learn more in Median Home Price in Chattanooga, TN: What the Numbers Mean.
Why do the Tacoma price figures differ by source?
The four Tacoma figures differ because each source measures something different, so none of them is wrong by default. Zillow reports home values, Redfin reports recent sales, Realtor.com reports asking prices, and Homes.com reports only single-family homes. Knowing what each one counts tells you which number answers your question.
Source | What it measures | Basis | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
Zillow | Median home value | Estimated values | Tacoma as a whole |
Redfin | Median sale price | Recent closed sales | Tacoma as a whole, three-month window |
Realtor.com | Median listing price | Asking prices | Homes currently for sale |
Zillow's figure is a median home value, not a price anyone paid for a house. It is built from estimated values across the city, so it shows which way Tacoma values are moving rather than what one sale will close at. [1]
Redfin's figure is a median sale price, based on sales over the last three months. That window smooths out a single unusual month of closings, so the number moves more slowly than a one-month count would. [2]
Realtor.com's figure is a median of asking prices for homes currently for sale. It shows what sellers ask, not what buyers agree to pay, so it sits on the seller's side of the deal. The same page lists 1,344 active homes for sale in Tacoma, so the figure rests on a broad set of listings. [3]
Homes.com reports a median for single-family homes only, so condos and townhomes are left out of its figure.
In short, Zillow and Redfin describe the whole city, one through estimated values and one through recent sales. Realtor.com shows asking prices, and Homes.com narrows the count to single-family homes, which lifts its median.
For example, if you want to know what buyers recently paid, Redfin's sales-based figure fits your question better than Zillow's value estimate. If you are pricing a home for sale, Realtor.com's asking-price figure shows what competing sellers are asking. Compare figures only when they measure the same thing. To go further, see Median Home Price in Reno, NV: Latest Figures and What They Mean.
Has the median home price in Tacoma been rising?
Tacoma's median home price has risen only slightly. The latest Redfin figure shows a 1.0% year-over-year increase [2]. That is a small change, not a sharp jump, so the market looks steady rather than accelerating.
Why 1.0% is a small change
Redfin's median is a sale price over the last three months, compared with the same three months a year earlier [2]. Because the window is short, one quarter can move the figure for reasons unrelated to a lasting trend.
The 2024 figure is not a clean comparison
An article dated March 25, 2024 gives a Tacoma median of $478,988 [4]. That number sits below the current figures, but it comes from a different publisher and a different date than the Redfin number. The gap between them mixes real price movement with differences between the two sources.
The result would look like a trend when it is really two unrelated measurements.
Why the FRED index is not a price
The FRED series for Tacoma-Lakewood is an index with a 1995:Q1 base set to 100, and its 2026 value is 485.09 [5]. It is not a dollar figure, and it cannot be placed beside a median home price. To go further, see Median Home Price in Spokane Valley, WA: How It Compares in 2026.
The index is estimated from sales prices and is not seasonally adjusted [5]. That method makes it useful for following the broad direction of prices over many years, but not for judging a single year's change.
What the trend shows
Taken together, the current data point to a Tacoma market that is roughly flat to slightly rising over the past year.
What does a Tacoma median price mean for your budget?
Single-family homes give you the clearest starting budget in Tacoma, with a median of $502,500 [6]. That is the middle price for one house type, and the neighborhood you pick can push your target well above it.
Neighborhood changes the number
North Tacoma has a median of $639,100 [6]. Compared with the citywide single-family median, that is a gap of $136,600, so a neighborhood choice can change your budget by more than $100,000.
If you are willing to look at other parts of the city, the same budget may cover a wider range of homes. Decide on your neighborhoods first, then look up the median for each one.
How Tacoma compares nationally
Tacoma's median home value is $506,872, while the national average home value is $359,870 [7]. That puts Tacoma about $147,000 above the national average [7].
These two numbers measure different things. Tacoma's figure is a median, the middle value of homes in the city, while the national figure is an average, which a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes can pull up or down. So the gap is a rough signal of cost, not an exact comparison. If you are moving from a lower-cost area, expect a larger down payment and a higher monthly payment for a similar house.
Using these figures in your budget
Start with the figure that matches the home you want. A single-family house in a specific neighborhood needs a different starting number than a condo or a home across the whole city. Then add the costs that sit on top of the price, such as your down payment and monthly housing costs, before you decide what you can afford.
Keep the median in its place. It shows where the middle of the market sits, but the home you find may be priced above or below it. Use it to set expectations, then compare specific listings against your budget.
How should you use these Tacoma price figures?
Use these figures to compare Tacoma with itself over time, not as one price to plan around. Pick one source and stick with it. Mixing a Zillow home value with a Realtor.com asking price tells you little about whether prices are moving.
Before you trust a number, check its scope: the whole city, one neighborhood, or single-family homes only. A citywide figure can hide wide gaps between areas. A single-family figure will not match one that includes condos or townhomes.
A median is a middle point: half of homes sell above it and half below. It is not the price of any particular house. Use it to set a rough budget range, then compare it with listings in the neighborhoods you want.