8 Best Internet Providers in South Tacoma, Tacoma, WA

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in South Tacoma, Tacoma, WA for most people based on high speed internet coverage, speeds, and customer reviews. Click below to see all providers in your neighborhood.

All Providers

Speed and technology may vary by address for all providers. Please note we may have a financial relationship with some of the providers above, which does not impact the customer ratings displayed. Customer ratings listed above are national ratings, local South Tacoma ratings may vary and are shown below.

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in South Tacoma, Tacoma, WA?

Centurylink is the best internet provider in South Tacoma based on Tacoma customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, Centurylink had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in South Tacoma, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. Centurylink is an option for 79.52% of the neighborhood.

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in South Tacoma, Washington, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in South Tacoma

Local, State, and National Ratings for all South Tacoma Internet Providers

Based on 179 reviews from Tacoma internet customers, Centurylink is the best internet service provider for South Tacoma residents. Centurylink was rated at an average of 3.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. XFINITY from Comcast wins for second-place in Tacoma, with 3.33 out of 5 stars and 100.0% coverage in South Tacoma.

At a national level, based on 4348 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Lightcurve is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 3.84 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in South Tacoma?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the neighborhood, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Centurylink. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, Quantum Fiber should have faster speeds at a local level. While we typically put more weight on real-world customer ratings, we display both satisfaction and technical maximum information for customers to decide for themselves.

Data Reported to FCC by ISPs: Average Maximum Available in South Tacoma

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Quantum Fiber	2,000 Mbps
	Lightcurve	2,000 Mbps
	XFINITY from Comcast	2,000 Mbps
	Centurylink	1,000 Mbps
	Verizon	1,000 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	EarthLink	100 Mbps
	AT&T	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in South Tacoma

Based on data reported by South Tacoma ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the neighborhood are available through Quantum Fiber. The company offers speeds up to 2,000 Mbps in South Tacoma. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 1,860 Mbps if they're willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

Additionally, actual customers in the neighborhood rated their satisfaction with internet speed highest with Centurylink. This indicates Centurylink reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in South Tacoma?

Tacoma customers rate Centurylink as the cheapest internet service provider in city. Data comes from customers in the city rating their satisfaction with pricing. This feedback is valuable because it considers price changes and whether the speeds paid for are worth it.

Centurylink received a local rating of 5.00 out of 5, which is higher than the average across all internet providers in the country. Lightcurve is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s South Tacoma customers with an average price rating of 3.00 out of 5.

The chart and graph below show how customers in South Tacoma, Tacoma, and the United States rated the affordability of their internet service.

Rated Affordability in South Tacoma

South Tacoma Internet Health Assessment

ISP Reports evaluates the technological infrastructure across the United States. This includes assessing a grade for ISP providers and infrastructure in the neighborhood and setting an index number for the digital connectivity of its residents. You can view the ISP Report Card and the Digital Connectivity Index for South Tacoma below, including the metrics used and how South Tacoma compares to the rest of Tacoma and nation.

South Tacoma ISP Report Card: B

	Metric (hover for details)	South Tacoma	Washington	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in South Tacoma that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	56.00%	55.02%	67.25%
	Average Download SpeedThe maximum download speed most households can get on average. This is measured by availability in a block group and weighted by the population in that area.	1,867 Mbps	1,964 Mbps	3,293 Mbps
	Provider CountThe number of providers available for most people. This is a weighted average by block rather than a total for South Tacoma.	7.2	6.9	6.8

 

South Tacoma Digital Connectivity Index: 62 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	South Tacoma	Washington	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a neighborhood indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	2.4	2.5	2.7
	Work From Home PercentA higher percent of the population working from home indicates bandwidth requirements being more widely needed rather than consolidated to commercial portions of the city.	10%	14%	14%
	Households with DevicesA higher percentage of households with computing devices in the home indicates a higher level of infrastructure needed to support those households.	97%	96%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	92%	93%	90%
	Households with BroadbandA higher percentage of households with a broadband connection (defined as speeds above 25 Mbps) indicates heavier usage needs within these households.	75%	80%	75%
	Broadband Usage vs. AvailabilityThis measures what percentage of households who have a broadband connection to their home actually have an active subscription to that service.	75%	80%	76%

South Tacoma ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in South Tacoma is B, which is better than other neighborhoods. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in South Tacoma is high with a score of 62 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in South Tacoma have done a good job meeting the needs of its residents.

The South Tacoma ISP Report Card evaluates the neighborhood on availability and speed metrics compared to other neighborhoods in the United States. ISP Infrastructure can vary greatly and on its own isn’t a perfect measure of what a neighborhood needs. Please see our ISP Report Card along with the Digital Connectivity Index above to evaluate how well the connectivity demand is met by the existing infrastructure.

92% of South Tacoma households have an internet connection despite having 99.98% availability. 75% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 3% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 2% of households have internet but don’t pay for a subscription because it’s subsidized by the Affordable Connectivity Program.

As you can see in the table above, while 75% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 75% subscribe to it. A large amount of South Tacoma residents are taking advantage of the available internet infrastructure.

For more details, please visit our ISP Report Card and Digital Connectivity Index pages.

How do Neighboring Neighborhoods Compare to South Tacoma?

How Much Speed does a South Tacoma Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in South Tacoma is 2.4, which is smaller than the Tacoma average of 2.5 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. South Tacoma's average household income is $72,832 which is about average for the Tacoma average of $91,609 and about average for the national average of $90,606. Homes with fewer people living in them and with higher incomes tend to indicate a fairly average device usage pattern.

South Tacoma also has 19% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is higher than the Tacoma average of 15%. Additionally, 10% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 14% of residents in Tacoma who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of South Tacoma has a high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, South Tacoma households are more technology-engaged. 97% of households have some sort of computing device, 83% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 94% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in South Tacoma?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in South Tacoma?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in South Tacoma?

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in South Tacoma?

Which ISP Should You Choose in South Tacoma?

The right ISP for you depends upon your needs, but in general we can make the following suggestions:

• The best all-around internet service provider in South Tacoma is Centurylink.
• The fastest internet provider should be Quantum Fiber. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Centurylink may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in South Tacoma is Centurylink.
• XFINITY from Comcast, Viasat, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in South Tacoma, and is most likely to cover your home. To find out exactly what's available at your home, please use our address search tool.

How does South Tacoma compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how South Tacoma stacks up on the national level, it's useful to look at some other cities with similarly sized populations. Below you can see a list of these cities and how they compare to South Tacoma's B ISP Report Card and 62 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.