Until 2015, you couldn’t order a glass of wine in Fircrest, Washington. It was the last dry city in the state. Today, it’s one of the most in-demand small towns around Tacoma.
I help people relocate to the South Sound every day, and as an investor who has flipped homes and owns rentals, I look at a town the same way I look at a house: what’s the foundation, and what holds its value?
Fircrest is small, about 7,000 people tucked between Tacoma and University Place. The people who move here tend to stay, and when homes come up, they don’t sit long. Here’s what living in Fircrest is really like, plus a townhome that gets you in for under $500K.
25 MPH Streets and Mid-Century Homes
Fircrest has been its own city since 1925 and celebrated its 100th birthday last year. The first thing you’ll notice is the speed limit: 25 mph, and people actually drive it.
It has its own city hall and its own police department. It’s small enough that when the town hired a new police chief, there was a meet-and-greet at the community center.
Most homes are mid-century ramblers and split-levels from the 1950s and ’60s, on streets with sidewalks and big mature trees. If you’ve been hunting for a classic mid-century home near Tacoma, Fircrest is one of the first places I’d take you.
Fircrest Park: The Town’s Backyard
Almost everything in Fircrest revolves around one spot: Fircrest Park. Fun fact, it used to be a lake called Spring Lake. The town filled it in and turned it into its backyard.
In 2019, Fircrest voters approved a bond to rebuild the pool and community center. The new pool opened in 2021 and the community center followed in 2022.
Here’s why that matters to me as an investor: this is a town that votes to invest in itself. When residents put their own money back into the community, it tends to show up in home values.
A Town That Knows How to Throw a Party
Fircrest Fun Days has been running since 1957, with live bands, rides, and fireworks in the park. Every July, the picnic and rod run brings in around 300 classic cars. There are haunted trails at Halloween, a holiday market and tree lighting, and even a father-daughter dance.
If you’re moving here and don’t know a soul, this is how you meet your neighbors in one summer.
Quiet by Design
For about 90 years, Fircrest didn’t allow alcohol to be sold by the glass. In 2015, voters overwhelmingly said enough. I don’t blame them.
Here’s why that history matters: Fircrest was built as a place to live, not a place to go out. It’s quiet, and most of your dinners out will be a few minutes away in Tacoma or University Place. Some people love that. Some don’t.
Fircrest Golf Club is private and was founded in 1924, a year before the city itself, with 18 holes, a clubhouse, and its own pool.
Schools: Check the Boundary, Not the Address
Schools are why a lot of families choose Fircrest, but Fircrest doesn’t have its own school district. Many homes here are served by University Place schools. If you’ve seen my University Place video, you know why buyers seek that district out.
Here’s the most important lesson in this post. A listing might have a Tacoma mailing address, sit inside Fircrest city limits, and be served by University Place schools. That’s three different answers for one house.
In Pierce County, your zip code, your city, and your school district don’t always match, and each one changes something real: who plows your street, who shows up when you call the police, your property tax rate, and where your kids go to school.
On every home my clients are serious about, I:
- Pull up the county assessor record.
- Check the taxing district.
- Confirm the school boundary directly with the school district.
Two minutes, and you’ll never buy the wrong city by accident. Don’t take the listing’s word for it, or mine.
Hospitals, JBLM, and the Narrows Bridge
Location is one of Fircrest’s best features. If you work in healthcare at MultiCare Allenmore, Tacoma General, or St. Joseph, you’re a short drive away. If you’re military, JBLM is about 20 minutes. Tacoma Community College is practically next door.
I-5 and Highway 16 are close, and the Narrows Bridge to Gig Harbor is about 15 minutes. You’re not living in the city, but you’re not far from it either.
Who Fircrest Isn’t For
- You want to walk out your door to bars and restaurants. This isn’t it.
- You need a lot of options at once. It’s a town of 7,000, so inventory is tight.
- You don’t want to budget for older systems. Mid-century homes have character, and they also have older systems you’ll want to plan for.
But if you want quiet streets, a real community feel, and a short drive to almost everything, that’s living in Fircrest.
A Way In Under $500K: The Commons at Fircrest
The Commons at Fircrest townhomes were built in 2003 by J. Scott Homes. The one I’m featuring, 129 Birch St, has had one owner since new, and this is its first time on the market.
- End unit that shares just one wall and backs to trees, not neighbors.
- Fiber cement, wood, and stone exterior. Fiber cement is what you want in our wet climate because it holds paint and doesn’t rot.
- HOA around $146 a month, covering front yard maintenance, the common areas, and the neighborhood park.
- Double-deep garage that fits two cars tandem, or one car plus bikes, kayaks, or a small gym.
- Open main floor with kitchen, dining, and family room, windows on more than one side, a gas fireplace, a private deck, and a patio.
- Main-floor bedroom for guests, an office, or a parent who’d rather skip the stairs.
- Two primary suites upstairs, each with its own bathroom, plus upstairs laundry. Great for co-buyers or healthcare professionals sharing with a roommate.
My investor take: one owner for 23 years, and it’s been kept clean. To bring it from 2003 to today, I might paint the cabinets or swap the counters and run luxury vinyl plank through the main floor. Honestly, it doesn’t need a thing.
At $499,999, it works out to about $293 a square foot, with a median home value in Fircrest around $615,000. If you want a Fircrest address and University Place schools for under $500K, this is how you get there. Contact me for a private showing.
Let’s Find Your Fit in the South Sound
Small-town quiet with a short drive to everything, or big-city energy where you can walk everywhere? Whichever you’re after, I’ll tell you where I’d look, and where I wouldn’t, in Fircrest and across the South Sound.
Download the free PNW Relocation Guide to start planning your move.
Contact Lianne Hall at 253-853-6200 for a quick 15-minute relocation call covering Fircrest, University Place, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, and anywhere in Western Washington.