North Tacoma, Tacoma, Washington

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"North Tacoma" redirects here. For the fictional state from The Simpsons, see North Tacoma (The Simpsons).

A residential neighborhood of North Tacoma

North Tacoma (also called the North End) is a neighborhood in Tacoma, Washington.

The generally accepted boundaries of the North End are 6th Avenue to the south and Division Avenue to the east. The north and west sides of the neighbourhood both border on Commencement Bay. Although the independent city of Ruston is not legally a part of the city of Tacoma, most residents of Ruston self-identify as being from Tacoma and it is considered acceptable for someone from Ruston to refer to the area as the "north end." Because Division Avenue does not run down the ridge above it and thus does not cross it, Schuster Parkway lacks a defined border between the north and south ends. However, this area is not populated, and extrapolating Division Avenue gives a good sense of where the area ends.

Relative to the rest of Tacoma, the north end is wealthier, being solidly middle class. Although the area has a traditional heritage of lower middle class residents such as fisherman, gentrification has resulted in increasing house prices. As a result, the north end is increasingly regarded as a bedroom community for commuters to Seattle. However, as evidenced by commute time figures from the 2000 Census, most residents of the north end still work in Tacoma. An unusual number of people in the area work in the fields of education, health, social, and human services. The population is also more educated than average, with just short of a quarter possessing a graduate or professional degree. North Tacoma is, behind Northeast Tacoma, the wealthiest part of the city.

The waterfront, especially around Old Tacoma, is increasingly an expensive place to live, although there are still a few moderately-priced apartments around the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

North Tacoma votes heavily Democratic on federal, state, and local areas, with all precincts giving sizeable victories to John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election. North Tacoma is generally the most Democratic part of the city.