Elk Plain is a community in Pierce County, Washington, home to about 14,276 people across 8.4 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 98338 and 98387.
Homes sold for a median of $292 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.
Mostly Graham; part is in Elk Plain
Mostly Spanaway; part is in Elk Plain
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Elk Plain. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Elk Plain’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)27 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Tacoma Narrows Airport (TIW)18 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Seattle, WA39 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Elk Plain; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Elk Plain had 14,534 residents in the 2020 census, down 7% since 2000.
It’s the 95th largest of 628 towns in Washington by population.
Pierce County grew from 55,515 residents in 1900 to 921,130 in 2020.
Pierce County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
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.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Mcmillin Rsvr, WA weather station (7 miles away).
294,765 jobs at 20,051 businesses in Pierce County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
272 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Elk Plain’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 6 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 3 |
| Dentists | 21 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 20 |
| Mental health providers | 124 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 77 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 20 |
| Pharmacies | 11 |
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.
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries
Museums
Counts are within about 2 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.
Public schools here are run by Bethel School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel Hope Early Learning CenterSpanaway | Pre-K–K | 163 | Public | 4.8 mi |
| Nelson Elementary SchoolGraham | Pre-K–5 | 497 | Public | 3.6 mi |
| Bethel Virtual AcademySpanaway | K–12 | 482 | Alternative Education | 1.7 mi |
| Camas Prairie ElementarySpanaway | K–5 | 529 | Public | 4.1 mi |
| Centennial ElementaryGraham | K–5 | 540 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Evergreen ElementarySpanaway | K–5 | 530 | Public | 3.9 mi |
| Graham ElementaryGraham | K–5 | 428 | Public | 3.2 mi |
| Kapowsin ElementaryGraham | K–5 | 321 | Public | 4.4 mi |
| North Star ElementaryGraham | K–5 | 446 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Pioneer Valley ElementarySpanaway | K–5 | 524 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Rocky Ridge ElementaryGraham | K–5 | 430 | Public | 2.7 mi |
| Shining Mountain ElementarySpanaway | K–5 | 613 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Spanaway ElementarySpanaway | K–5 | 371 | Public | 5.0 mi |
| Bethel Middle SchoolSpanaway | 6–8 | 661 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Cedarcrest Middle SchoolSpanaway | 6–8 | 765 | Public | 3.1 mi |
| Cougar Mountain Middle SchoolGraham | 6–8 | 605 | Public | 2.6 mi |
| Frontier Middle SchoolGraham | 6–8 | 620 | Public | 3.5 mi |
| Liberty Middle SchoolSpanaway | 6–8 | 857 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Challenger High SchoolSpanaway | 7–12 | 318 | Alternative Education | 4.1 mi |
| Acceleration AcademySpanaway | 9–12 | 450 | Alternative Education | 5.0 mi |
| Bethel High SchoolSpanaway | 9–12 | 1,688 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Graham Kapowsin High SchoolGraham | 9–12 | 2,087 | Public | 3.5 mi |
| Spanaway Lake High SchoolSpanaway | 9–12 | 1,787 | Public | 4.1 mi |
| Transition 18-21 ProgramSpanaway | 12 | 58 | Special Education | 4.1 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel Baptist Christian SchoolSpanaway | K–12 | 148 | Baptist | 3.9 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Graham, Spanaway, Frederickson, South Creek and Kapowsin.
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.