Living Here
Wells, septic, propane, ferry-dependent everything. A plain look at what life on the island actually involves before you decide to make it yours.
Numbers
Getting On and Off
The ferry shapes daily life more than anything else. The schedule decides when you can leave, when you can come home, and whether a quick errand to Tacoma is a quick errand or a half-day commitment.
Commutes work, but they require planning. Some residents work remotely. Others commute to Steilacoom or Tacoma and live by the timetable. School-age kids who go past third grade ferry to the mainland every day.
Missing the last boat means staying the night. That's not a saying. That's a real thing that happens. Most residents have at least one story about it.
- No reservations. First come, first served. Show up early on summer weekends.
- Last boat is the last boat. Miss it and you're staying the night.
- Walk-ons get priority. Cars wait. People don't.
- Disruptions happen. One-boat days, weather cancellations, mechanical issues. Plan accordingly.
Utilities
Electric service is provided via a submarine cable from the mainland. Service is generally reliable but outages do happen, sometimes for several hours during winter storms.
There is no municipal water or sewer. Properties inside the Riviera are served by Josephine Water. Everywhere else is on a private well. Every property is on its own septic system. Well yields, water quality, and septic condition all vary considerably; all three are things to investigate carefully before buying.
Most homes heat with electric. Wood is plentiful on the island and many residents use it as a supplement, especially during outages. Propane shows up in most homes too, typically powering fireplaces, cooktops, and home generators. Whites Propane (10919 Yoman Rd) delivers and refills portable tanks.
Garbage and recycling pickup is provided by LeMay: weekly for garbage, every other week for recycling. The island also has its own Pierce County transfer station with limited hours for bulk drop-off.
No retail gas on the island. The General Store and gas station closed in early 2026. Fill up on the mainland.
No gas cans on the ferry. Pierce County prohibits gasoline containers, full or empty, under hazmat rules. DOT-approved diesel containers (up to two 5-gallon) are allowed. AICAB is working with the county on a permitting solution.
No grocery, no hardware, no cafe. All closed with the General Store. Plan mainland runs around the ferry schedule.
For current updates on the gas situation, check the News page.
Internet & Cell
Internet on the island has gotten much better in the last few years, and remote work is now genuinely viable. The catch is that service quality varies street by street. Before you sign anything on a property, ask the neighbors what they actually use.
Cell coverage is similarly uneven. Some parts of the island have strong signal from mainland towers; others have dead zones. Higher elevation generally helps. Some carriers work better than others depending on where you are.
For people working from home, having both a primary internet service and a backup option is common. Storms can knock out one without the other.
Satellite internet is what many remote workers rely on. Multiple providers serve the island; reliability and speed vary by hardware and weather.
CenturyLink DSL is available in much of the island, with speeds and reliability that vary by location. Check the address before assuming.
T-Mobile and Verizon 5G home internet work in some parts of the island. Coverage maps overstate actual reliability; ask a neighbor.
Cellular works for most carriers in most places. Test on your specific property before committing.
Where the Packages Go
Home delivery works the way it always has. Most mailboxes sit in clusters around the island rather than at individual properties, and the carrier runs daily. None of that changed when the Post Office closed in early 2026.
What the island lost is the counter. The Post Office had been the last contract postal station in Washington, and it never had P.O. boxes. It was the place to drop an outgoing package, buy stamps, and handle the errands a post office counter covers. For those, you now ride the ferry to the mainland.
Incoming deliveries are still reliable. UPS, FedEx, and Amazon all serve the island, riding the ferry with the rest of the traffic. Most things arrive on schedule; occasionally a missed ferry connection delays a package by a day.
For prescriptions, perishables, and anything time-sensitive, plan ahead the way you would anywhere rural. Outgoing mail and overnight services are a mainland errand now, so build the ferry into your timing.
Schools & Healthcare
Anderson Island Elementary serves kindergarten through third grade on the island, part of Steilacoom Historical School District 1. The school is small, the teachers know everyone, and many families speak well of it.
Fourth grade and up means ferrying to Steilacoom every school day. The district handles transportation logistics, but families have to coordinate around the schedule. It works, but it's a real commitment.
There is no clinic, no urgent care, and no hospital on the island. Emergency response is provided by Pierce County Fire District 27. For serious medical situations, the helipad and medevac coordination is good, and the volunteer EMTs are well-trained.
Day-to-day healthcare means appointments on the mainland and the kind of preventive planning that suburbs don't require. Anderson Island Healthcare Advocates (AIHA) works to bring mobile clinics and basic services to the island periodically.
Call 911. FD 27 will respond.
For serious situations, medevac coordination is the standard. Helicopters can reach Tacoma hospitals in roughly the same time the ferry takes.
For everything else, plan the ferry into your appointment time. Be early. Always.
Smaller Than a Town, Bigger Than a Crossroads
Without a ferry trip, you have access to a small library, several faith communities, the Anderson Island Community Fitness Center, the Johnson Farm museum, the volunteer fire station, and the public parks. The Anderson Island Community Club building hosts events year-round. Rick Anderson Place, the Lutheran church building, is being renovated to also house the fitness center and the Anderson Island Arts offices, while the Lutheran congregation continues to meet in part of the building.
For full details on faith communities, fitness, arts, and other organizations, head to the Community section.
Who Thrives Here
Anderson Island works well for people who can plan ahead, who don't mind the schedule, and who value quiet over convenience. Remote workers, retirees, families who want a slower pace, and anyone who treats the ferry as part of the deal rather than an obstacle.
It works less well for people who need spontaneous access to a city, who have chronic medical needs requiring frequent specialist visits, or who underestimate what well-and-septic ownership involves. None of those are dealbreakers, but they're worth thinking about honestly before you sign.
The island doesn't try to sell itself. Come visit a few times, in different seasons, before you decide. That's the best advice anyone here will give you.
Where to Next
Riv vs Off-Riv
What the Riviera Community Club is, what it isn't, and the differences that actually matter when you're deciding which side of the line to buy on.
Riv vs Off-RivHow to Plug In
Organizations, volunteer opportunities, events, and the people who make this place a community rather than just an address.
Explore the Community