Town guide

Alder, Washington

Alder is a community in Pierce County, Washington, home to about 96 people across 3.2 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 98328.

Homes sold for a median of $355 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.

Population9630 per sq mi
Price per sq ft$355Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026

ZIP codes in Alder

1 ZIP code, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Alder. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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We’re writing up Alder’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Alder

Distances

Nearest major airportSeattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)40 miles away
Closer regional airportOlympia Regional Airport (OLM)31 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Seattle, WA52 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Alder; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Alder

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Alder had 212 residents in the 2020 census, down 7% since 2010.

It’s the 601st largest of 628 towns in Washington by population.

Pierce County grew from 55,515 residents in 1900 to 921,130 in 2020.

Alder population by census2010: 227, 2020: 21222720102122020

Pierce County, 1900–2020

Pierce County population, 1900 to 20201900: 55,515, 1910: 120,812, 1920: 144,127, 1930: 163,842, 1940: 182,081, 1950: 275,876, 1960: 321,590, 1970: 411,027, 1980: 485,643, 1990: 586,203, 2000: 700,820, 2010: 795,225, 2020: 921,13056K’00’10144K’20’30182K’40’50322K’60’70486K’80’90701K’00’10921K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 77°F in summer, and winter lows average 33°F. About 45.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 6 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near AlderJan: high 46°F, low 33°F, 6.1 in; Feb: high 48°F, low 33°F, 4.3 in; Mar: high 52°F, low 36°F, 4.8 in; Apr: high 57°F, low 39°F, 3.9 in; May: high 64°F, low 45°F, 3 in; Jun: high 69°F, low 49°F, 2.3 in; Jul: high 76°F, low 52°F, 0.9 in; Aug: high 77°F, low 53°F, 0.9 in; Sep: high 70°F, low 48°F, 1.8 in; Oct: high 59°F, low 42°F, 4.1 in; Nov: high 50°F, low 36°F, 7.1 in; Dec: high 45°F, low 33°F, 6 in46°33°Jan6.148°33°Feb4.352°36°Mar4.857°39°Apr3.964°45°May3.069°49°Jun2.376°52°Jul0.977°53°Aug0.970°48°Sep1.859°42°Oct4.150°36°Nov7.145°33°Dec6.0Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Mcmillin Rsvr, WA weather station (18 miles away).

Jobs in Pierce County

294,765 jobs at 20,051 businesses in Pierce County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Pierce CountyHealth care and social assistance: 58,577 jobs; Retail trade: 39,264 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 31,464 jobs; Construction: 26,504 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 20,124 jobs; Administrative and support: 19,630 jobs; Manufacturing: 16,642 jobs; Other services: 13,413 jobsHealth care and social assistance 20% Retail trade 13% Hotels and restaurants 11% Construction 9% Transportation and warehousing 7% Administrative and support 7% Manufacturing 6% Other services 5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

23 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Alder.

Nearest hospitals

  • Multicare Good Samaritan HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Puyallup21.2 miles
  • Arbor Health Morton HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Morton21.8 miles
  • St. Clare HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Lakewood22.5 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors3
Dentists2
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants8
Mental health providers5
Physical and occupational therapists3
Chiropractors2
Pharmacies1

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Alder

Parks (5 nearby)

  • Smallwood Park · 11 acres0.8 mi
  • Ohop Lake Access Area · 9 acres1.0 mi
  • Paul Kruger Memorial Field · 7 acres0.7 mi
  • Millpond Park · 6 acres0.6 mi
  • Glacier View Park · 2 acres0.1 mi

Grocery stores (1 nearby)

  • Plaza Market0.4 mi

Pharmacies (1 nearby)

  • Kirk's Pharmacy0.3 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Eatonville Library0.3 mi

Museums (1 nearby)

  • Stage Stop Museum0.6 mi

Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Schools in Alder

Public schools here are run by Eatonville School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (6)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Eatonville Elementary SchoolEatonvilleK–5406Public0.3 mi
Weyerhaeuser ElementaryEatonvilleK–5344Public5.3 mi
Eatonville Middle SchoolEatonville6–8425Public0.3 mi
Eatonville Online AcademyEatonville6–107Alternative Education0.4 mi
Eatonville High SchoolEatonville9–12573Public0.1 mi
ESD New BeginningsEatonville9–1231Alternative Education0.1 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Alder is

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Towns near Alder

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Shares ZIP codes with Eatonville, Clear Lake (Pierce County), La Grande and Elbe.

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.