Puyallup, Sumner, or Bonney Lake: Which One Fits You?

These three sit in a row along State Route 410 and State Route 167, each about ten minutes from the next. Buyers looking at one almost always end up comparing all three.

I can speak to this from experience. I have lived in Puyallup. I live in Bonney Lake now. I work in all three every week. They are close on the map and different in daily life.

At a glance

Population and elevation figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau and standard references.

One more number matters. The greater Puyallup area, counting unincorporated South Hill, is far larger than the city figure suggests. Bonney Lake is similar on a smaller scale: thousands of people with a Bonney Lake address live outside its city limits around Lake Tapps and in the Tehaleh community to the south.

Puyallup: the most of everything

The case for it

• The widest range of housing, from century-old homes downtown to new construction on South Hill
• A real downtown with restaurants, a park, a library, and a farmers market
• A hospital in town
• The most shopping and services
• A Sounder station
• Routes in every direction: State Route 512 west, State Route 167 north, River Road to Tacoma

The case against it

• The most traffic, especially Meridian on South Hill
• Valley floor hazard zones
• Confusing city and county boundaries
• Parts of the plateau are a long way from a freeway

Puyallup is the choice for people who want options. Whatever you are looking for, some part of it probably has it.

Sumner: the small town

The case for it

• A compact, well-kept main street with local shops and restaurants
• A Sounder station right downtown, one stop closer to Seattle than Puyallup
• Quick access to State Route 167 and State Route 410
• A strong sense of identity. It calls itself the Rhubarb Pie Capital and hosts part of the Daffodil Parade.
• Major employers in its industrial area on the north end
• Small enough that people know each other

The case against it

• Limited housing inventory, simply because it is small
• The whole city sits on the valley floor, in mapped lahar and river hazard zones
• Truck traffic to and from the warehouse district
• Fewer stores. You drive to Puyallup or Bonney Lake for big-box shopping
• Train noise near the tracks

Sumner is the choice for people whose top priority is small-town character and a walkable main street, and who are comfortable with the valley location.

Bonney Lake: the plateau suburb

The case for it

• Mostly newer housing, much of it built in the last few decades
• Up on the plateau, above the valley's lahar and river flood zones
• Lake Tapps next door, with public parks, swimming, and boating
• A full commercial corridor along State Route 410
• Closer to Enumclaw, Crystal Mountain, and the east side of Mount Rainier
• More new-construction choices nearby, including the Tehaleh master-planned community

The case against it

• One main road. State Route 410 is the route down the hill, and it backs up
• No train station and limited bus service. The city is outside the local transit district, though a commuter bus runs to the Sumner station at peak hours
• No traditional downtown
• A longer drive to Tacoma, Interstate 5, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord
• More snow than the valley

Bonney Lake is the choice for people who want a newer home, like being near the lake and the mountains, and can live with the drive down the hill.

I should say plainly that I chose it for my own household, so I have a bias. I also sell plenty of homes in the other two to people for whom Bonney Lake would be wrong.

Commute comparison

Where you work decides a lot of this.

From Bonney Lake, every trip toward Tacoma or Seattle starts with the drive down State Route 410 into Sumner. On a good morning it is quick. On a bad one it is the worst part of the commute.

Test your own route from each town at the real hour. It often settles the question before you look at a single house.

Housing compared

Age. Sumner and downtown Puyallup have the oldest homes, with real character. South Hill has everything from the 1960s on. Bonney Lake is the newest overall, with some older cabins and homes around the lake.

Size and lot. Newer two-story homes on modest lots dominate Bonney Lake and upper South Hill. Larger lots are found in older Puyallup neighborhoods, around Lake Tapps, and on the rural edges of all three.

New construction. Most active on the plateau around Bonney Lake and on the south and east edges of the Puyallup area. Very little in Sumner.

Waterfront. Lake Tapps is the area's main residential lake, with homes on the water and homes with shared access. It is its own market with its own prices.

Price. I will not quote numbers that will be out of date. As a pattern, similar homes in the three tend to be in the same general range, with location, age, lot, and views moving the price more than the city name.

Downtowns

• Puyallup: the largest of the three. A park, a library, a farmers market, a growing restaurant scene, and the fairgrounds next door.
• Sumner: the most picture-perfect. A few blocks of brick storefronts, well cared for, with seasonal events.
• Bonney Lake: no historic core. Shopping and dining are spread along the highway in centers you drive to.

If walking to a main street matters, it is between Puyallup and Sumner.

Schools

Puyallup is served mainly by the Puyallup School District. Sumner and Bonney Lake share the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District. Boundaries do not follow city lines exactly, so parts of each area fall into other districts.

I do not rank schools or districts. Look up any school on the Washington State Report Card, confirm the assignment for the specific address with the district, and visit.

Outdoors and recreation

• Puyallup: the most developed park system, a riverfront trail, the recreation center, and the fair.
• Sumner: trails along the rivers and easy access to the same regional paths.
• Bonney Lake: Lake Tapps, a city park on the lake with a swim beach and boat launch, and the shortest drive to the Cascades.

For skiing, hiking on the Sunrise side of Mount Rainier, and summer days on the water, Bonney Lake has the edge. For in-town parks and programs, Puyallup does.

Natural hazards

This is one of the clearest differences among the three.

• Sumner lies entirely on the valley floor, where the Puyallup and White rivers meet. It is in mapped lahar and flood hazard areas.
• Puyallup is split. Downtown and the valley floor are in those zones. South Hill is above them.
• Bonney Lake sits on the plateau, above the river and lahar zones for the most part.

Pierce County's warning sirens cover the valley and are tested at noon on the first Monday of each month. If avoiding these zones is a priority, look at South Hill or Bonney Lake. If you choose the valley, check the maps, plan your route to high ground, and talk to an insurance agent about flood coverage.

Weather

All three share the Puget Sound climate. Elevation adds a wrinkle. South Hill and Bonney Lake, at 500 to 600 feet, get more snow than the valley towns, and the hills between are the hard part on icy days. From Bonney Lake, the State Route 410 hill is the main concern.

Services and shopping

Puyallup has the hospital, the most medical offices, the mall, and the most retail. Bonney Lake has a full set of grocery stores, big-box retail, and restaurants along the highway. Sumner has the basics and relies on its neighbors for the rest.

From any of the three, the others are ten minutes away, so nobody goes without.

City limits and mailing addresses

The same caution applies to all three. A mailing address is not a city limit.

• A Puyallup address may be unincorporated South Hill.
• A Bonney Lake address may be unincorporated land around Lake Tapps or the Tehaleh area.
• A Sumner address may be outside the city too.

That affects police, permits, utilities, and taxes. Check any address in Pierce County's About My Property tool.

Growth and what is changing

All three are growing, in different ways.

• Puyallup is adding housing on the south and east edges of the plateau and denser housing near downtown and the station. The state is also completing State Route 167 as an expressway from Puyallup to the Port of Tacoma, which will change how valley traffic moves.
• Sumner has limited room for new housing. Its growth has been in jobs, with distribution and manufacturing on the north end.
• Bonney Lake and the plateau around it continue to add homes, including the large Tehaleh community, which puts more cars on State Route 410.

When you choose, think about the next ten years as well as today. Ask what is planned near any home you like, and how the main road you depend on will handle more traffic.

Which one fits which priorities

Lean toward Puyallup if you want:

• The most housing choices
• A hospital and the most services close by
• The shortest drive to Tacoma or the base
• A real downtown with a park and a market

Lean toward Sumner if you want:

• A true small town
• To walk to the train
• The fastest access to State Route 167
• Older homes on a main-street grid

Lean toward Bonney Lake if you want:

• A newer home
• To be above the valley hazard zones
• A lake and the mountains close by
• A suburban setting and do not need a train

How to choose in a weekend

1. Saturday morning: downtown Puyallup. Walk the market and the park.
2. Saturday midday: drive to Sumner. Walk Main Street and have lunch.
3. Saturday afternoon: drive up State Route 410 to Bonney Lake. Visit the lake.
4. Sunday: tour one home at the same price in each.
5. Monday morning: drive your commute from whichever one you liked best.

By Monday at nine you will have your answer.

Frequently asked questions

Is Puyallup, Sumner, or Bonney Lake better?

None is better overall. Puyallup offers the most housing choices and services. Sumner offers a small-town main street and a train station. Bonney Lake offers newer homes on the plateau near Lake Tapps.

Which has the best commute to Seattle?

Sumner generally has the fastest access to State Route 167 and has a Sounder station. Puyallup also has a Sounder station. Bonney Lake residents drive down State Route 410 first.

Is Bonney Lake in a lahar zone?

Most of Bonney Lake sits on a plateau above the mapped lahar and river flood zones that cover the valley floor in Sumner and downtown Puyallup. Check each address.

Does Bonney Lake have a train station?

No. The nearest Sounder station is in Sumner, a short drive down the hill.

How far apart are Puyallup, Sumner, and Bonney Lake?

They are neighbors. Sumner is a few miles east of downtown Puyallup, and Bonney Lake is a few miles farther east and uphill. Each is roughly a ten-minute drive from the next outside of rush hour.

Related reading

• Puyallup vs. Tacoma: How Living in Each Compares
• Which Parts of Puyallup Are Best for Your Commute?
• What Is It Really Like Living in Puyallup, Washington?
• Downtown Puyallup vs. South Hill: What Is the Difference?

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.