The Town FilesElk Plain, Washington
Community in Pierce County · population 14,534 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $473,500
- Household income
- $107,313
- Jan low / Jul high
- 33° / 76°
- Snow a year
- 6 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 38.0
Elk Plain is a community of 14,534 people in Pierce County, Washington. The median home is worth $473,500, close to the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks easier by car than 74% of Washington towns.
How Elk Plain ranks
Percentile among Washington towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Washington towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Elk Plain is worth $473,500, close to the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 4.4 times the median household income of $107,313, which is more affordable than 78% of Washington towns. Median rent is $2,172 a month. 84.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Elk Plain | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $473,500 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $2,172 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $107,313 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.4× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 84.2% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1993 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Elk Plain
| People | Elk Plain | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.0 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.4% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 23.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.5% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.3% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 16.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 8.1% | — |
| Work from home | 10.9% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 36.5 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.3% | 93.9% |
Weather in Elk Plain
July highs average 75.7°F and January lows 33.3°F. About 45.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 5.6 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 60 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Elk Plain since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on September 30, 2013 about 3.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 30, 2013.
Severe weather in Pierce County since 1996
Pierce County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, biological.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2026 | Flood | DR-4906: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| December 12, 2025 | Flood | EM-3629: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| September 9, 2020 | Fire | FM-5360: Sumner Grade Fire |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4481: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3427: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Pierce County
Pierce County had 333,492 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $70,395 a year. Unemployment was 4.7% in 2023; in Elk Plain itself the ACS puts it at 3%.
Towns near Elk Plain
- South Creek, WA3.1 mi · 2,519 people · home $610,600
- Frederickson, WA3.5 mi · 24,906 people · home $477,400
- Graham, WA4.2 mi · 32,658 people · home $516,700
- Spanaway, WA4.7 mi · 35,476 people · home $445,700
- Summit View, WA6.6 mi · 9,758 people · home $524,300
- South Hill, WA6.6 mi · 64,708 people · home $543,600
- Clover Creek, WA7.0 mi · 7,161 people · home $471,900
- Parkland, WA7.7 mi · 38,623 people · home $423,000
Elk Plain questions
Is Elk Plain, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Elk Plain scores better for retirees than 8% of Washington towns and quieter than 42%. 14.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.0).
How much does a house cost in Elk Plain?
The median owner-occupied home in Elk Plain is valued at $473,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $107,313, so homes cost about 4.4 times income. Median rent is $2,172 a month.
What is the weather like in Elk Plain?
July highs average 75.7°F and January lows 33.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.1 inches of precipitation a year and 5.6 inches of snow.
Does Elk Plain get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Elk Plain since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on September 30, 2013. The typical Washington town has had 1.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)