Graham, Washington

About Graham

Graham is located in Pierce County.  It is about 10 miles south of Puyallup, 9 miles southeast of Spanaway, and 25 miles southeast of Tacoma.  It is east of Joint Base Lewis McChord.  It is a charming small town with breathtaking views of Mount Rainier, and is the annual host of the Pierce County Fair in August.

Geography

Graham is just a short drive from Interstate 5, which goes from Bellingham in the north of Washington all the way through California.  From I-5, Seattle is accessible to the north, and Olympia, the state capital, to the south.  Another two hours past Olympia is Portland, Oregon, a popular destination.  Pacific beaches are about an hour to the west of Olympia.  Amtrak passenger stations are available in Tacoma and Lacey, and are stopping points in Amtrak's primary north/south rail corridor for the West Coast.  Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA-TAC) is approximately one and a half hours north on I-5.  There are also smaller airfields in Spanaway, Tumwater, and Tacoma.

Graham Real Estate

Mean real estate prices in 2008:

All housing units $348,089
Detached houses $408,352
Townhouses or other attached units $200,035
In 2-unit structures $953,916
Mobile homes $101,158

Weather

Graham shares a similar climate with surrounding areas, although its situation in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range causes slightly cooler temperatures.

  Jan April July Oct
Avg. Temp 39 49 62 50
Precip in inches 5.7 3.5 1 4

Population

As of July, 2007, the population of Graham was 9,597.  Median age in Graham is 35.3 years, which is the same as the average for Washington State.

Employment

Besides the U.S. Military, the top ten private sector employers in Pierce county are MultiCare Health System, Franciscan Health System, Fred Meyer Stores, Good Samaritan Hospital, Intel Corporation, Emerald Queen Casino, The Boeing Company, Comcast Cable, State Farm Insurance and Costco.  Most frequently, men are employed in the industries of construction, transportation, public administration and healthcare, while female workers are most frequently employed in health care, education, and transportation.  The nearby cities of Spanaway, Puyallup, and Tacoma offer other opportunities for employment.  Graham residents travel an average of 35 minutes each way for employment.

Income

In 2008, the median household income in Graham was 68,031.  Washington State's average household income is 58,000.  As of 2008, 7% of Graham residents lived below the poverty line.

Cost of Living

As of December 2009, the Cost of Living Index was 108 in Graham, compared to the national average of all participating areas of 100.

Schools

Public schools in Graham are administrated by the Bethel School District.  Bethel is the 13th largest school district in Washington, with an enrollment of approximately 17,500 students.  Graham has 6 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school.  64% of Bethel School District teachers have obtained at least a Master's Degree.

Of Graham residents aged 25 or older, 88.6% have obtained at least a high school diploma.  11% have obtained a Bachelor's Degree or higher level of education.  Opportunities for post-secondary education abound, including Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom, Clover Park Technical College, Bates Technical College, Green River Community College, South Puget Sound Community College, Pacific Lutheran University, University of Puget Sound, University of Washington Tacoma Campus, The Evergreen State College, and Saint Martin's University.