Housing data for McChord AFB, WA
McChord AFB, WA has an estimated 2,999 residents and 914 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Pierce County.
97.3% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,323 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 2,999 (±393)
- Housing units
- 914 (±135)
- Households that rent
- 97.3%
- Median gross rent
- $2,323
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −11.3%
What stands out in McChord AFB
Households that rent: 97.3% (±4.1 points) in McChord AFB, higher than in Pierce County (35.3%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 72.6% (±11.7 points) in McChord AFB, higher than in Pierce County (28.0%).
Working from home: 1.5% (±1.3 points) in McChord AFB, lower than in Pierce County (13.9%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 6.0% (±3.7 points) in McChord AFB, lower than in Pierce County (18.2%).
- Renters and owners in McChord AFB
- How long people stay in McChord AFB
- Commute and cars in McChord AFB
- Types of homes in McChord AFB
Housing in McChord AFB at a glance
- Median rent: $2,323 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,232 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 78.9% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 97.3% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $54,808 median household income
- Types of homes: 6.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 86.5% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Age of homes: 38.5% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 2.4% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 82.8% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 13.6 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −11.3% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 72.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 4.6% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
McChord AFB against Pierce County, its state and the nation
| McChord AFB | Pierce County | Washington | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,999 (±393) | 930,319 (exact) | 7,816,116 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 914 (±135) | 369,709 (±177) | 3,306,620 (±517) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 97.3% (±4.1 points) | 35.3% (±0.6 points) | 36.2% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,323 (±$52) | $1,806 (±$18) | $1,760 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $54,808 (±$13,754) | $99,564 (±$1,209) | $98,141 (±$414) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | — | $526,600 (±$5,524) | $564,600 (±$1,940) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | — | $4,770 (±$47) | $4,556 (±$16) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 38.5% (±11.7 points) | 42.4% (±0.9 points) | 43.4% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 13.6 minutes (±2.7) | 31.3 minutes (±0.4) | 26.6 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 100.0% (±4.9 points) | 94.6% (±0.3 points) | 93.6% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 23.4 years (±0.6) | 37.0 years (±0.1) | 38.3 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
McChord AFB covers 5.9 square miles of land, about 510 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How McChord AFB has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,381 (±333) | 2,999 (±393) | −11.3% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 900 (±51) | 914 (±135) | +1.6% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,743 (±$70) | $2,323 (±$52) | +33.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $56,495 (±$4,411) | $54,808 (±$13,754) | −3.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 100.0% (±4.1 points) | 97.3% (±4.1 points) | −2.7 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.4% (±2.3 points) | 2.4% (±3.6 points) | +1.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Pierce County
McChord AFB has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Pierce County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Pierce County recorded 411 violent and 2,060 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in McChord AFB
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98438 | 100% | 613 | — | — | — |
| 98439 | 90% | 5,671 | $1,873 | — | $50,509 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near McChord AFB
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkland | 2.6 mi | $1,663 | $423,000 | 48.2% |
| Lakewood | 2.8 mi | $1,525 | $461,200 | 52.5% |
| Spanaway | 4.0 mi | $1,813 | $445,700 | 26.3% |
| Fort Lewis | 4.4 mi | $2,282 | — | 99.0% |
| Midland | 4.7 mi | $1,546 | $412,800 | 41.6% |
| North Fort Lewis | 4.9 mi | $2,475 | — | 99.2% |
| Clover Creek | 5.3 mi | $1,814 | $471,900 | 37.2% |
| Steilacoom | 5.4 mi | $1,818 | $655,000 | 37.1% |
HUD Fair Market Rent for McChord AFB, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,491 | $1,682 | $2,064 | $2,849 | $3,219 |
HUD income limits for McChord AFB, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $26,750 | $44,600 | $71,300 |
| 2 people | $30,600 | $50,950 | $81,500 |
| 3 people | $34,400 | $57,300 | $91,700 |
| 4 people | $38,200 | $63,650 | $101,850 |
| 5 people | $41,300 | $68,750 | $110,000 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $73,850 | $118,150 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $78,950 | $126,300 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $84,050 | $134,450 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Tacoma, WA HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $127,300.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
McChord AFB is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about McChord AFB
What is the average rent in McChord AFB, WA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in McChord AFB is $2,323 (±$52) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a two-bedroom apartment in McChord AFB?
The median gross rent for a two-bedroom home in McChord AFB, WA is $2,232 (±$36) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in McChord AFB rent-burdened?
78.9% of renting households in McChord AFB pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in McChord AFB?
McChord AFB has an estimated 780 (±128) renting households, 97.3% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in McChord AFB?
The median household income in McChord AFB is $54,808 (±$13,754) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in McChord AFB?
McChord AFB, WA has an estimated 914 (±135) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is McChord AFB growing?
In McChord AFB, the number of residents went from 3,381 in 2015–2019 to 2,999 in 2020–2024 (−11.3%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in McChord AFB?
The ZIP codes that cover McChord AFB are 98438, 98439.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — McChord AFB CDP, Washington
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — McChord AFB CDP, Washington
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — McChord AFB CDP, Washington
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — McChord AFB CDP, Washington
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — McChord AFB CDP, Washington
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — McChord AFB CDP, Washington
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — McChord AFB CDP, Washington
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Tacoma, WA HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Tacoma, WA HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for McChord AFB CDP, Washington (place:41155, in state:53).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .