Key Center is a community in Pierce County, Washington, home to about 3,544 people across 15 square miles. Its ZIP code is 98394, and parts of 98329 and 98349 are in Key Center too.
Homes sold for a median of $496 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Key Center; also Vaughn
Mostly Wauna; part is in Key Center
Mostly Longbranch; part is in Key Center
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Key Center. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Key Center’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)21 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Tacoma Narrows Airport (TIW)9 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Seattle, WA26 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Key Center; 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.
Key Center had 3,863 residents in the 2020 census, up 5% since 2010.
It’s the 236th 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 76°F in summer, and winter lows average 36°F. About 42.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Tacoma Narrows Ap, WA weather station (9 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).
2 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Key Center.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Mental health providers | 2 |
|---|
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.
Parks (1 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies
Libraries (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 2.5 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.
Public schools here are run by Peninsula School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaughn Elementary SchoolVaughn | Pre-K–5 | 326 | Public | 1.5 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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Shares ZIP codes with Wauna, Longbranch, Stansberry Lake, Home, Vaughn and Herron Island.
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.