Pros and Cons of Living in Puyallup, Washington

Every town has a sales pitch and a list of complaints. Puyallup has both, and after living here and working here for years I think most of each list is fair.

Here are the trade-offs as I see them. I have tried to make each point specific enough that you can test it yourself.

The pros and cons at a glance

Pro: your housing dollar goes further

This is the reason most people start looking here. For the same budget, you generally get more square footage, a bigger lot, or a newer home than you would in King County.

It is not cheap by national standards. Nothing in the Puget Sound region is. But the gap between Puyallup and the cities closer to Seattle has been consistent for a long time, and it is large enough to change what kind of home a household can own.

Pro: a downtown that functions

Plenty of suburbs have a few blocks they call downtown. Puyallup's is the original townsite and it still works as one.

Within a short walk you have Pioneer Park, the library, the Saturday farmers market in season, restaurants, coffee, small shops, city hall, and the Sounder station. Homes on the surrounding blocks date back a century or more.

If you want to walk to dinner and still own a detached house with a yard, downtown Puyallup is one of the few places in Pierce County that offers it.

Pro: the town has an identity

The Washington State Fair has run here since 1900. The Daffodil Parade comes through each April. High school sports draw real crowds. People who grew up here often stay, and people who move here get pulled into the calendar quickly.

That counts for something. A lot of fast-growing suburbs feel interchangeable. Puyallup does not.

Pro: you are in the middle of everything

Look at a map and Puyallup sits at a crossroads.

Approximate driving distances. Drive times vary widely with traffic.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the Port of Tacoma, the warehouse and manufacturing districts in Sumner and the Kent Valley, and downtown Tacoma are all within commuting range. So are Seattle and Bellevue, with more effort.

For a household with two jobs in two directions, that central position is valuable.

Pro: the train

Sound Transit's Sounder S Line stops downtown and runs to Seattle in a little under 50 minutes. It runs on weekdays, mostly at commute hours.

For someone with a downtown Seattle office and regular hours, the train turns a hard drive into a predictable ride where you can read or work. Not every suburb has that option.

Pro: the outdoors are close

• Mount Rainier National Park is a day trip.
• Crystal Mountain ski area is up State Route 410.
• Lake Tapps is a short drive east.
• The Foothills Trail starts at the edge of town and runs toward Orting and beyond.
• Puget Sound beaches and Point Defiance are in Tacoma.

In town, the city maintains parks with lakes, creeks, wooded trails, ball fields, and a riverfront path about five miles long.

Pro: range of housing

Because Puyallup has grown for more than a century, it has almost every kind of home: early 1900s craftsman houses, mid-century ramblers, 1980s split-levels, 2000s two-stories, brand-new construction, townhomes, condos, and acreage on the fringes.

That range means you can move within the area as your needs change without leaving your routines behind.

Pro: everyday services are all here

Groceries, medical offices, a regional hospital with an emergency department and birth center, a community college campus, gyms, and nearly every retail chain you can name are local. You do not need to leave town for ordinary life.

Con: traffic

This is the top complaint and it is earned.

Meridian is the main north and south street. On South Hill it is lined with shopping centers and stoplights, and it is slow from mid-afternoon through the evening and on weekends. The highways back up at rush hour, especially State Route 167 northbound in the morning and southbound in the evening, and the State Route 512 interchanges.

You can reduce it with where you live. A home near your freeway on-ramp, or near the train, is a different daily experience from one deep on the plateau. But you will not avoid it entirely.

Con: you need a car

Outside downtown, very little is walkable. Most neighborhoods are residential subdivisions connected to arterials. Sidewalk coverage is uneven in the unincorporated areas. Bus service exists but is limited compared with a large city.

Plan on one car per working adult unless the train covers one commute.

Con: the gray season

From roughly October through March, expect overcast skies, frequent light rain, and early sunsets. In December it is dark by late afternoon.

Some people are unbothered. Some find it hard, especially in the first winter. It is worth being honest with yourself about which you are.

For a house, the wet season means maintenance: roofs, gutters, moss, drainage, and crawl spaces all need attention on a schedule.

Con: flood and lahar zones

The valley floor, including much of downtown, sits in mapped hazard areas. Parts are in the Puyallup River floodplain. The valley is also in the path a volcanic mudflow from Mount Rainier would follow.

Pierce County runs a siren warning system and tests it monthly. Residents in the valley should know their evacuation route to high ground.

This does not make the valley a bad place to live. Many of the most loved homes in town are there. It does mean you should check maps, understand insurance, and decide with open eyes. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood or mudflow.

Con: growth

South Hill and the areas south and east of it have added a great deal of housing. That brings new stores and restaurants. It also brings construction, more cars on roads that were built for fewer, and crowded schools in some attendance areas.

If you are buying in a newer area, ask what is planned for the vacant land nearby. Pierce County and the city both publish development activity.

Con: boundaries are confusing

A Puyallup address can be inside the city or in unincorporated Pierce County. It can be in the Puyallup School District or a neighboring one. It can be on city sewer or a private septic system. Two houses a block apart can differ on all three.

This is solvable. You just have to verify each address instead of assuming. I explain how in my post on mailing addresses versus city limits.

Con: it is far from Seattle and Bellevue by car

If your job is in downtown Seattle and you can take the train, fine. If it is in Bellevue, Redmond, or north Seattle, the daily drive is long and unpredictable.

Hybrid schedules have made this workable for more people. A two-day-a-week commute is a very different thing from five.

Pro: mild temperatures

The gray gets the attention, but the temperatures deserve credit. Winters rarely stay below freezing for long. Summers are warm and dry without the humidity of the South or Midwest, and most evenings cool off.

That means lower heating bills than a cold-winter state and, until recently, many homes with no air conditioning at all. Hotter summer stretches have changed that. Heat pumps are now a common upgrade because they heat and cool with one system.

Pro: healthcare is close

MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital is in town, with a 24-hour emergency department and a birth center. Clinics and specialists line the nearby streets and Meridian. For anything more specialized, the larger Tacoma hospitals are a short drive west.

For households with young children, aging parents, or an ongoing medical need, having a hospital ten minutes away is a real quality-of-life factor.

Con: the cost of everything else

Housing costs less here than in King County, but most other costs are regional. Groceries, fuel, childcare, and services are priced for the Puget Sound, not for a small town.

Washington has no income tax on wages. It makes up for that with sales tax on most purchases and with property taxes that rise when voters approve school and fire levies. Newcomers from low-sales-tax states notice it at the register.

Childcare deserves its own mention. It is expensive across the region and openings can be scarce. If you have young children, price it before you set a housing budget.

Con: sewer is not a given

Inside the city, most homes are on sewer. Outside it, many are on septic systems. That is not a flaw, but it is a responsibility. Systems need inspection and pumping on a schedule, and they limit additions.

Buyers from regions where every suburban house is on sewer are often surprised. Ask the question early for each home you consider.

Pro or con: the fair

It belongs on both lists. For about three weeks each September, the Washington State Fair brings concerts, rides, traffic, and crowds to the middle of town. Residents who love it call it the best part of the year. Residents who do not plan their errands around it. If you are buying within a few blocks of the fairgrounds, visit during the fair before you decide which list it goes on for you.

Things that depend on you

Some features are a pro for one household and a con for another.

• Homeowner associations. Common in newer subdivisions. Some buyers want the consistency. Others want no rules.
• Septic systems. Common outside the city. Some buyers like lower monthly bills. Others do not want the responsibility.
• The fair. Three weeks of fun, or three weeks of traffic near the fairgrounds.
• Lot size. Newer subdivisions trade yard for house. Older areas often do the reverse.

How to weigh it

Here is how I suggest people decide.

1. Rank your top three priorities. Commute, budget, schools, yard, walkability, new construction. Pick three.
2. Match them to a part of Puyallup. The valley, lower South Hill, upper South Hill, the east side, and the rural edges all score differently.
3. Test the worst case. Drive the commute in the rain at 5 p.m. If that is tolerable, the rest is easy.
4. Check the address. City or county, sewer or septic, hazard zones, school assignment, association.

If Puyallup still fits after that, it probably fits.

Frequently asked questions

What are the downsides of living in Puyallup?

The main downsides are traffic, especially on Meridian and the highways at rush hour, dependence on a car, gray and wet winters, and flood and lahar hazard zones on the valley floor.

What are the benefits of living in Puyallup?

Housing generally costs less than in Seattle and the Eastside, the downtown is walkable and active, the town has strong traditions, and Tacoma, the mountains, and Puget Sound are all close.

Is Puyallup better than Tacoma?

Neither is better. Tacoma offers a larger city with a waterfront and more urban neighborhoods. Puyallup offers a smaller downtown, more suburban housing, and a more local feel. The right choice depends on your priorities.

Is traffic bad in Puyallup?

It can be. Meridian on South Hill is slow in the afternoons and on weekends, and the highways back up at commute hours. Living close to your main route reduces the impact.

Related reading

• What Is It Really Like Living in Puyallup, Washington?
• Moving to Puyallup: What to Know Before You Go
• Puyallup, Sumner, or Bonney Lake: Which One Fits You?
• Puyallup vs. Tacoma: How Living in Each Compares

Equal Housing Opportunity. Austin Robertson, License # 21036843, Austin Robertson and Allena Robertson Real Estate Brokers, regulated by the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL). This article is general information only. It is not legal, tax, insurance, lending, or construction advice, and it is not an appraisal of any property. Robertson & Co. supports fair housing and does not describe or recommend neighborhoods based on who lives there. Costs, rates, and rules change. Confirm the details with the sources linked above before you act.