Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department released its 2025 Community Health Assessment (CHA) on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Published about every five years, the CHA gives a broad picture of health and well-being in Pierce County. It brings together community experiences, health data, and input from local organizations. We use it to better understand community strengths, health concerns, and the conditions that shape them.
We found many strengths across Pierce County. People told us their health and well-being benefited from:
- Strong social connections.
- Cultural and community resources.
- Access to nature.
- Trusted organizations.
They also identified concerns related to:
- Housing.
- Transportation.
- Economic stability.
- Healthcare and behavioral health access.
- Digital access.
- Environmental conditions.
- Structural racism.
The findings reflect structural and social conditions that shape access, opportunity and well-being in Pierce County. They help provide context for the health concerns and inequities identified in the data:
- Lower life expectancy and higher years of potential life lost reflect the combined effects of preventable deaths and broader social and health conditions.
- Chronic diseases, including obesity and asthma, reflect the impact of poverty, food insecurity, transportation barriers, and limited opportunities for physical activity.
- Adult depression, like many other behavioral health issues, calls for more services and community support.
- Sexually transmitted infection rates are high. Chlamydia and gonorrhea rates in particular remain higher in Pierce County than statewide, despite recent declines.
- Discrimination in healthcare, housing, food access, and other parts of life compounds inequities.
- Homelessness and housing instability create cascading barriers to health.
- Tobacco use continues to affect healthy births, chronic disease, and overall health in Pierce County.
- Many Pierce County families face barriers to adequate prenatal care and healthy birth outcomes.
- Youth substance use and mental health remain important concerns.A substantial minority of youth report at least one.
Health outcomes are not the same for everyone. The data shows differences across race and ethnicity, income, geography, sex, disability, and other characteristics. These findings are best understood within the broader social and structural conditions that shape health.
The CHA includes three connected assessments:
- The Community Context Assessment centers community experiences, strengths and concerns. More than 200 people shared thoughts with us through interviews, community conversations, focus groups, and art.
- The Community Status Assessment examines population health data and differences in health outcomes. We used data from a broad range of sources.
- The Community Partner Assessment looks at the strengths, gaps, and capacity of organizations working to improve health across Pierce County. We engaged more than 100 people from 83 organizations.
The CHA provides the foundation for the next phase of work: The 2025–2030 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The CHIP process will bring community members and partners together to identify shared priorities and develop strategies for action.
In the months ahead, we’ll share more about the CHA findings and launch new CHA and CHIP webpages. We’ll also continue adding data dashboards to help you understand local health trends and track progress.
The CHA gives us a shared understanding of where we are today. The next step is to build on community strengths and work together for a healthier Pierce County.
About Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department: Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s mission is to protect and improve the health of all people and places in Pierce County. As part of our mission, the Health Department tackles known and emerging health risks through policy, programs, and treatment to protect public health. Learn more at tpchd.org.