The Town FilesPrairie Ridge, Washington
Community in Pierce County · population 12,288 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $462,000
- Household income
- $114,356
- Jan low / Jul high
- 33° / 76°
- Snow a year
- 6 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 36.3
Prairie Ridge is a community of 12,288 people in Pierce County, Washington. The median home is worth $462,000, close to the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks better for families than 78% of Washington towns, better for first-time buyers than 74% of Washington towns.
How Prairie Ridge 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 Prairie Ridge is worth $462,000, close to the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $114,356, which is more affordable than 86% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,965 a month. 88.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Prairie Ridge | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $462,000 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $1,965 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $114,356 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.0× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 88.3% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1993 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.2% | — |
Who lives in Prairie Ridge
| People | Prairie Ridge | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.3 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.0% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 25.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.3% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 12.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 6.5% | — |
| Work from home | 12.5% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 36.4 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 98.1% | 93.9% |
Weather in Prairie Ridge
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 Prairie Ridge since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on September 6, 2009 about 3.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 6, 2009.
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 Prairie Ridge itself the ACS puts it at 5.8%.
Towns near Prairie Ridge
- Prairie Heights, WA1.5 mi · 4,561 people · home $500,200
- Tehaleh, WA2.7 mi · 5,784 people · home $741,700
- Bonney Lake, WA4.0 mi · 22,487 people · home $607,900
- Alderton, WA4.5 mi · 3,274 people · home $431,500
- Orting, WA4.7 mi · 9,041 people · home $493,100
- Buckley, WA5.7 mi · 5,114 people · home $574,100
- Lake Tapps, WA6.2 mi · 12,962 people · home $742,400
- South Hill, WA7.1 mi · 64,708 people · home $543,600
Prairie Ridge questions
Is Prairie Ridge, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Prairie Ridge scores better for retirees than 3% of Washington towns and quieter than 41%. 12.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.3).
How much does a house cost in Prairie Ridge?
The median owner-occupied home in Prairie Ridge is valued at $462,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $114,356, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $1,965 a month.
What is the weather like in Prairie Ridge?
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 Prairie Ridge get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Prairie Ridge since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on September 6, 2009. 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)