Tacoma
University Place
Pierce County's school-district pick, ten minutes from JBLM's north gate.
On the map
Boundary is approximate — refined per neighborhood over time.
Pacific Relocation's take
The school-district move — and our most-requested JBLM placement.
University Place is the answer when the first question is schools: Curtis Senior High and Narrows View both rate 9/10, and the district's reputation quietly adds a premium to every rental on its rolls. We place more JBLM families here than anywhere else — the commute to the north gates runs 15–25 minutes against traffic, and BAH for an E-6 with dependents covers a respectable 3-bedroom townhome. The trade-off is honest suburbia: you will drive for nearly everything except Bridgeport Way's grocery cluster, and transit is thin. Micro-location matters less for lifestyle than for school assignment — UP runs primary, intermediate and junior-high tiers, so verify the full feeder pattern for your exact address rather than assuming Curtis. PCS season (June–August) is brutal here; military families with firm report dates should engage us 90 days out, while civilian relocators get better selection and pricing October through February.
Lifestyle figures
Best of University Place for you
Schools
- Curtis Senior High School1.0 km
GreatSchools 9/10 — the flagship of the University Place School District and the reason families move here.
- Charles Wright Academy2.6 km
Pre-K–12 independent school on a 100-acre wooded campus at the district's southern edge.
Outdoors / hiking / parks
- Chambers Bay Loop Trail2.2 km
3.25-mile paved loop above the 2015 U.S. Open links, with Sound and Olympic views the whole way.
- Chambers Creek Regional Park2.3 km
Two miles of shoreline, playgrounds, an off-leash area and a pedestrian bridge to the beach.
Family-friendly
- Whole Foods Market0.4 km
Full-size Whole Foods on Bridgeport Way — the suburb's daily-errand anchor.
- Trader Joe's0.5 km
Directly across Bridgeport from Whole Foods, keeping the week's errands to one intersection.
To buy (USD)
| Type | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 325,000 | 395,000 | 505,000 |
| 2 BR | 395,000 | 480,000 | 615,000 |
| 3 BR | 505,000 | 615,000 | 785,000 |
Estimated from local rents — placeholder, pending verified sale data.
Rent ranges (USD)
| Type | Low | Median | High | Δ 12mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 1,475 | 1,725 | 2,455 | ↑ 6.0% |
| 2 BR | 1,720 | 2,100 | 2,735 | ↑ 6.5% |
| 3 BR | 2,200 | 2,700 | 3,400 | ↑ 5.5% |
Source: Rentals.ca + Zumper Q1 2026, refreshed weekly via our rent worker.
Our advice
Before you sign a lease
- School-boundary marketing is rampant — confirm the full UP feeder pattern (primary → intermediate → junior high → Curtis) for the exact address with the district, in writing
- Townhome rentals inside HOAs carry second rulebooks: parking limits, pet/breed caps and even flag and basketball-hoop rules that the lease won't mention
- Listings priced suspiciously at common BAH ceilings in summer often drop $100–$200/mo by October — date-flexible families should not sign in July
Pacific Relocation
Want our help finding a place here?
Book a free 30-min Discovery Call with Pacific Relocation.
Last reviewed 2026-06-09.