The Town FilesNorth Fort Lewis, Washington
Community in Pierce County · population 5,978 (2020 Census)
- Household income
- $70,114
- Jan low / Jul high
- 36° / 76°
- Snow a year
- 4 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 23.8
North Fort Lewis is a community of 5,978 people in Pierce County, Washington. It ranks more of a college town than 99% of Washington towns, better for young professionals than 98% of Washington towns, better for cycling than 97% of Washington towns.
How North Fort Lewis 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
Median rent is $2,475 a month. 0.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | North Fort Lewis | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | — | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $2,475 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $70,114 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 0.8% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 2002 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in North Fort Lewis
| People | North Fort Lewis | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 23.8 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 0.0% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 26.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.4% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.5% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 25.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 8.4% | — |
| Work from home | 3.7% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 10.2 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 100.0% | 93.9% |
Weather in North Fort Lewis
July highs average 75.5°F and January lows 36.4°F. About 42.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 3.5 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 21 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of North Fort Lewis since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an F0, struck on September 24, 1981 about 2.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 24, 1981.
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 North Fort Lewis itself the ACS puts it at 16.1%.
Public schools in North Fort Lewis
2 public schools with 671 students, about 17.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beachwood Elementary School | PK-5 | 411 | 17.9 |
| Meriwether Elementary School | PK-5 | 260 | 17.3 |
Towns near North Fort Lewis
- Fort Lewis, WA2.2 mi · 14,052 people · home —
- DuPont, WA2.7 mi · 10,151 people · home $583,600
- Steilacoom, WA3.3 mi · 6,727 people · home $655,000
- Lakewood, WA4.3 mi · 63,612 people · home $461,200
- McChord AFB, WA4.9 mi · 3,188 people · home —
- University Place, WA6.9 mi · 34,866 people · home $624,800
- Parkland, WA7.5 mi · 38,623 people · home $423,000
- Spanaway, WA8.2 mi · 35,476 people · home $445,700
North Fort Lewis questions
Is North Fort Lewis, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, North Fort Lewis scores better for retirees than 4% of Washington towns and quieter than 5%. 0.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 23.8).
What is the weather like in North Fort Lewis?
July highs average 75.5°F and January lows 36.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.0 inches of precipitation a year and 3.5 inches of snow.
Does North Fort Lewis get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of North Fort Lewis since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on September 24, 1981. 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)