What is the average rent in Sumner, WA?

Apartments in Sumner averaged $2,285 as of August 5, 2026, up 4.39% from $2,189 a year earlier, according to RentCafe using Yardi Matrix data. One bedrooms averaged $1,984, two bedrooms $2,323 and three bedrooms $3,048. That is well above the Tacoma average of $1,718 reported by Zillow in August 2026.

Why do Sumner rentals lease so consistently?

Sumner has roughly 11,200 residents but more than 18,000 people working in its manufacturing and industrial base, per the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County. The city imports most of its workforce daily. Warehouse and manufacturing hiring is not tied to the school calendar, so applicant flow stays steadier through the winter than in nearby bedroom communities.

Does Sumner require a rental license?

We found no Sumner rental registration, inspection program or landlord specific ordinance in published City material. The City does require a general business license for businesses located in or conducting business within city limits, at $50 to originate and $50 to renew, with an exemption for non-resident businesses earning $4,000 or less. Confirm with the City how it applies to your rental.

How much should I raise the rent at renewal in Sumner?

Sumner rents grew 4.39% in the year to August 2026, well below the 2026 statewide cap of 9.683% set under RCW 59.18.700 to .730. The legal ceiling is not the right target. We bring you a renewal recommendation based on what comparable Sumner homes are actually leasing for, weighed against what turnover would cost you.

What school district serves Sumner?

The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District serves Sumner, and it also serves Bonney Lake. School boundaries follow parcel lines rather than zip codes, so we verify the assigned schools for your exact address and include them in the listing, which matters to family applicants.

Do you manage apartment buildings in Sumner, not just houses?

Yes. We manage single family homes, condos and apartment complexes, and we work on multi-family as well as commercial property. Sumner’s mix of valley employment and tight for-sale inventory makes small multi-family a reasonable hold here. See our multi family property management page for how that engagement works.

Sumner Property Management

Sumner has about 11,200 residents and more than 18,000 people working in its manufacturing and industrial base. That gap is the reason Sumner rentals lease. We manage to it.

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The number that explains the Sumner rental market

Row of suburban brick houses with peaked shingle roofs, garages, driveways, and manicured lawns under a clear blue sky

Low-angle view of glass skyscrapers surrounding a cloudy city sky

Bright modern living room with large windows, beige seating, turquoise accent pillows, fireplace, and city view

Sumner has roughly 11,200 residents. More than 18,000 people work in the city in manufacturing and industry, across about 2,000 acres of industrial land. Employers include Costco, REI, Dillanos Coffee Roasters, Helly Hansen, Keurig Dr Pepper and Pacific Northwest Baking, which supplies West Coast McDonald’s locations. The city sees more than 8,000 truck trips a day, and two industrial buildings totaling 1.18 million square feet are under development. Source: Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County, Sumner city spotlight.

The EDB city spotlight page is not dated. Recheck these figures with the EDB or the City of Sumner before publishing and add a date to the citation.

Read that gap. Sumner imports most of its workforce every single day, because the city does not have anywhere near enough housing for the people who work in it. That is the demand driver behind Sumner rentals, and it is very different from a bedroom community like Bonney Lake. Your applicant is frequently someone who works in the valley and is tired of driving into it.

It also tells you something about lease timing. Warehouse, distribution and manufacturing hiring is not tied to the school calendar the way an office market is. Sumner has real applicant flow year round, which means a winter vacancy here is less punishing than it is on the plateau.

What Sumner rents and sells for

  
        Sumner rent
        Amount
        Average size
      
        All apartments
        $2,285
        962 sq ft
      
        1 bedroom
        $1,984
        730 sq ft
      
        2 bedroom
        $2,323
        990 sq ft
      
        3 bedroom
        $3,048
        1,550 sq ft

Sumner rent	Amount	Average size
All apartments	$2,285	962 sq ft
1 bedroom	$1,984	730 sq ft
2 bedroom	$2,323	990 sq ft
3 bedroom	$3,048	1,550 sq ft

Source: RentCafe, using Yardi Matrix data, Sumner WA, August 5, 2026. Up 4.39% from $2,189 a year earlier.

Sales. The median sale price in Sumner was $623,061 over the three months ending June 2026, up 3.8% year over year, with a median 6 days on market. Source: Redfin, June 2026.

For comparison, the Tacoma average rent was $1,718 in August 2026 per Zillow Rental Manager, and the Pierce County median gross rent was $1,806 per the Census ACS 2020 to 2024 estimates. Sumner apartment rents run well above both.

Three practical takeaways. First, Sumner is a genuinely higher rent submarket than Tacoma, so pricing a Sumner home off Tacoma comparables leaves money on the table. Second, Sumner rents grew 4.39% in a year, comfortably under the 2026 statewide cap of 9.683%, so market growth, not the cap, is what should be setting your renewal number. Third, six days on market for sales tells you inventory is very tight, and that pressure pushes would-be buyers into the rental pool.

Our services

Property management services in Sumner, WA.

Sumner rentals stay in demand with commuters and families. Pick a service to learn how we help Sumner owners.

Talk to our Sumner team.

Sumner pairs a small-town main street with an easy commute, so rentals here stay in demand. Whether you own a rental, live in one of our homes, or want to move to Sumner, our local team is ready to help.

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Sumner licensing, and what applies

The business license

The City of Sumner requires a license for all businesses located within city limits or conducting business within city limits. The origination fee is $50 and the annual renewal is $50. Non-resident businesses with gross annual income of $4,000 or less are exempt. Nonprofits with IRS 501(c) certification are exempt from city fees. Source: Washington State Department of Revenue, Sumner city endorsement page.

What we could not confirm

We found no Sumner rental registration program, rental inspection program or landlord specific rental ordinance in published City material, and we could not confirm from published sources whether the general business license applies to a long term residential landlord.

Call the City of Sumner and confirm whether a residential landlord must hold the general business license and whether any rental registration or inspection requirement exists. Record the answer and the date before publishing.

What definitely applies

All of Washington’s landlord tenant law: the statewide rent cap of 7% plus CPI or 10%, whichever is less, under RCW 59.18.700 to .730, at 9.683% for 2026 and 10.0% for 2027; 90 days written notice for an increase under RCW 59.18.140; just cause eviction under RCW 59.18.650; the signed move-in condition checklist required before any deposit under RCW 59.18.260; the 30 day deposit return with a full itemized statement under RCW 59.18.280; repair timelines of 24 hours, 72 hours and 10 days depending on the defect under RCW 59.18.070; and source of income protection under RCW 59.18.255. Tacoma’s TMC 1.95 and TMC 1.100 do not apply in Sumner.A tenant who gives proper written notice and gets no response has remedies under RCW 59.18, including repair and deduct, and a defense if the tenancy later goes sideways. Meeting the deadline is cheaper than every alternative.