Where we go
North End, Stadium District, Hilltop, South Tacoma, Eastside, Point Defiance, Proctor; Lakewood, University Place, Fircrest, Fife, Puyallup, Parkland, Spanaway, Federal Way, Gig Harbor. Tacoma’s rental rules (TMC 1.95, 2.01) apply inside city limits; the state statute applies everywhere in Washington.
About the rankings you may have read
Orkin’s annual list places the Seattle metro area at No. 30 for 2026, up nine places, after No. 39 (2025), No. 44 (2024) and No. 39 (2023). The list ranks Orkin’s own treatment volume by metro, never names Tacoma, and does not say whether Pierce County is counted. It tells you the region has a lot of bed bug work; it does not tell you anything about your block.
Local resources
Washington State Department of Health bed bug guidance (doh.wa.gov, pests); Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Healthy Homes line (253) 649-1017 for general healthy-housing questions (the department does not run a bed bug complaint program); Northwest Justice Project’s WashingtonLawHelp for tenant rights; WSU Puyallup’s insect identification service if you want a second opinion on a specimen.