Population 22,779 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Central
Household size in Central
| Period | Central | Tacoma | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.51 | 2.52 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.61 | 2.58 | 2.59 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.51 | 2.56 | 2.62 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.30 | 2.49 | 2.60 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | −0.02 | +0.09 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Central is a place of small households, averaging 2.30 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.44, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of Tacoma's ten neighborhoods, only two have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Central
| Period | Central | Tacoma | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.1 | 36.5 | 37.5 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.9 | 37.5 | 38.1 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.6 | 37.5 | 38.5 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.4 | 38.3 | 38.8 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.3 | +1.8 | +1.3 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Central are younger than 39.4 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 35.1 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the northeast, the oldest in the southwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Central
| Period | Central | Tacoma | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.6% | 14.3% | 10.3% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.7% | 13.4% | 10.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 11.6% | 9.2% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.0% | 13.5% | 9.1% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in six households in Central (16.0%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 1.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Central
Renters in Central
| Period | Central | Tacoma | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.9% | 43.3% | 37.7% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 48.3% | 46.1% | 40.0% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.5% | 44.9% | 39.9% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 42.3% | 41.9% | 40.0% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.6 pts | −1.4 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over four in ten households in Central rent their homes (42.3%), above the national share of 34.8%. About one in five owners (20.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northeast; owners are most common in the south. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 5.6 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Central
| Period | Central | Tacoma | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 8.6% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 9.4% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 5.6% | 6.6% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.5 pts | −3.0 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.5% of homes in Central are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 8.5 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Few Tacoma neighborhoods have a lower vacancy rate: only two of 10.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Central
| Period | Central | Tacoma | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1951 | 1964 | 1977 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1952 | 1965 | 1978 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1953 | 1967 | 1980 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1953 | 1968 | 1983 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Central is a place of older homes: half were built before 1953, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the north has the oldest housing. Only one other Tacoma neighborhood has older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Central
| Period | Central | Tacoma | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $980 | $1,024 | $1,162 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,050 | $1,110 | $1,284 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,222 | $1,297 | $1,644 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,680 | $1,845 | $2,193 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$700 | +$821 | +$1,031 | +$858 | +$606 |
Rent in Central runs $1,680 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in Tacoma as a whole ($1,845). Rent has climbed $700 a month since 2006–10, up 71%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 35.7% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Central
Bachelor's degrees in Central
| Period | Central | Tacoma | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.9% | 22.3% | 36.7% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.6% | 24.4% | 38.0% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.7% | 28.5% | 42.3% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.0% | 32.6% | 46.3% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.2 pts | +10.3 pts | +9.6 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a third of adults 25 and older in Central (35.0%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 13.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Central
| Period | Central | Tacoma | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.1% | 87.5% | 91.3% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.8% | 88.0% | 91.6% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.8% | 89.2% | 92.5% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.1% | 90.2% | 93.1% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +2.8 pts | +1.8 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Central is above the national rate: 93.1% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 5.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Central
| Period | Central | Tacoma | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 9.3% | 6.9% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 11.2% | 8.3% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 5.6% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 6.2% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.2 pts | −3.2 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Central runs below the national rate: 3.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. No other Tacoma neighborhood has lower unemployment. Unemployment has fallen 9.2 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Central compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | 2.30 | 39.4 | 16.0% | 42.3% | 4.5% | 1953 | $1,680 | 35.0% | 93.1% | 3.7% |
| New Tacoma | 1.69 | 33.8 | 11.8% | 83.1% | 7.9% | 1961 | $1,475 | 38.4% | 89.6% | 7.8% |
| North End | 2.32 | 39.8 | 7.3% | 33.0% | 4.9% | 1943 | $1,813 | 65.7% | 98.3% | 4.1% |
| South Tacoma | 2.34 | 34.1 | 18.5% | 58.7% | 5.5% | 1975 | $1,692 | 22.1% | 87.8% | 8.2% |
| West End | 2.14 | 45.8 | 8.4% | 46.7% | 5.9% | 1977 | $1,967 | 42.6% | 95.0% | 4.1% |
| Eastside Enact | 2.91 | 35.8 | 18.2% | 30.6% | 5.8% | 1964 | $1,713 | 21.7% | 83.5% | 6.7% |
| South End | 2.72 | 37.0 | 15.6% | 36.8% | 5.8% | 1960 | $1,767 | 21.1% | 86.8% | 7.7% |
| Northeast Tacoma | 2.72 | 39.5 | 10.3% | 26.4% | 3.2% | 1989 | $2,369 | 39.6% | 95.4% | 4.5% |
| Twin Lakes | 2.94 | 40.6 | 13.6% | 25.9% | 5.2% | 1977 | $1,978 | 36.5% | 90.2% | 3.9% |
| Waller | 2.63 | 41.0 | 9.4% | 14.2% | 3.9% | 1982 | $1,600 | 30.6% | 93.6% | 4.2% |
| Summit | 2.48 | 41.0 | 13.3% | 38.5% | 5.6% | 1985 | $1,646 | 18.1% | 93.7% | 8.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Southeast Boulder, Boulder, CO · Fort Bend Houston, Missouri City, TX · Golden Glades-The Woods, Jacksonville, FL · The Plaza, Long Beach, CA · Tierrasanta, San Diego, CA · Western Branch North, Chesapeake, VA · Arverne, Queens, NY · North Central Omaha, Omaha, NE · Mountain View, El Monte, CA · North Gateway, Phoenix, AZ
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Central. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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