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CITY

Lacey

Washington · 58,833 residents (2025 est.) · 18.6 sq mi
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The short version

With 57,737 people, Lacey is a city in Washington. Since 2000 the city has more than doubled, up 26,511 people. That puts it in the top 10% of US cities for household income. There are 3,110 people per square mile. 56% of homes are owner-occupied. Median rent is $1,870 a month.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $90,625, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 37.3
US median: 38.9
Average education
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 96%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Lacey

What changed most since 1990

  • Population19,279 → 57,737 (+199%)US over the same years: +35%
  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$173,525 → $457,100 (+163%)US over the same years: +67%
  • White share87.4% → 63.3% (−24.1 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts

Among the 12 cities and towns in the Lacey metro

  • 6th in household income$90,625
  • 3rd in share with a bachelor's degree34.1%
  • 3rd in home value$457,100
  • 1st in diversity score70.5

Its weight in Thurston County

Lacey's population equals 19% of Thurston County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 27% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
57,737
+85%since 2000
from 31,226 in 2000
58,833 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
3,110 / sq mi
+85%since 2000
from 1,682 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
37.3
+9%since 2000
from 34.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
18.6 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
15K27K39K50K62K19902000201020202024Lacey
202458K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.1%(3,520)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.8%(3,952)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.4%(3,103)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 194.7%(2,722)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.2%(3,574)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3417.1%(9,897)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.1%(8,114)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 549.9%(5,711)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.1%(5,807)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.6%(6,128)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.7%(3,316)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over3.3%(1,893)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$90,625
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $43,848 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$42,173
+109%since 2000
from $20,224 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
59.6%
+28.9 ptssince 2009
from 30.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.6%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 9.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.381
+1%since 2010
from 0.379 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13.8%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance6.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services5.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade4.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade4.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration3.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Transportation & warehousing1.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$457,100
+96%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $127,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,870
+52%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $677 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
55.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 55.5% in 2000
44.1% rent
Vacancy rate
5.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.41 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.42 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
24.4%
−6.1 ptssince 2009
from 30.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
57.0%
+11.6 ptssince 2009
from 45.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.0
+18%since 2009
from 4.3 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
62
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic75.4%(23,560)
Black4.6%(1,449)
Hispanic / Latino5.9%(1,843)
Asian7.7%(2,392)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic63.3%(36,554)
Black5.8%(3,320)
Hispanic / Latino11.4%(6,582)
Asian9.2%(5,328)
Other10.3%(5,953)
Diversity Score
70
+23%since 2009
from 57 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican6.8%(3,929)
Puerto Rican1.4%(785)
Salvadoran0.7%(413)
Spaniard0.7%(380)
Colombian0.4%(252)
Peruvian0.2%(106)
Cuban0.1%(83)
Venezuelan0.1%(53)
Dominican0.1%(50)
Panamanian0.1%(49)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Filipino3.1%(1,801)
Vietnamese2.2%(1,293)
Korean1.7%(974)
Cambodian0.9%(534)
Chinese0.4%(203)
Japanese0.2%(141)
Thai0.1%(85)
Taiwanese0.1%(40)
Laotian0.1%(39)
Burmese0%(23)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro1.7%(1,010)
Samoan0.4%(211)
Guamanian0.1%(66)
Ancestry
German13.7%(7,918)
English12.3%(7,088)
Irish10.2%(5,914)
Italian3.6%(2,106)
American3.6%(2,076)
Norwegian2.8%(1,602)
French2.5%(1,424)
Swedish2.3%(1,318)
Scottish1.9%(1,109)
Scotch-Irish1.5%(867)
Dutch1.1%(611)
+ 36 more ancestry groups with data
Polish1%(593)
British0.9%(501)
Welsh0.8%(463)
Finnish0.8%(435)
Portuguese0.6%(367)
Russian0.6%(352)
Danish0.6%(341)
Greek0.5%(298)
Canadian0.4%(205)
West Indian0.4%(204)
Arab0.4%(203)
Swiss0.3%(168)
Brazilian0.3%(162)
Ukrainian0.3%(154)
Austrian0.2%(106)
Nigerian0.1%(77)
Slovak0.1%(59)
Romanian0.1%(58)
Jordanian0.1%(55)
Kenyan0.1%(49)
Czech0.1%(48)
Belgian0.1%(43)
Jamaican0.1%(41)
Lebanese0.1%(38)
Australian0.1%(36)
Moroccan0.1%(34)
Hungarian0.1%(30)
Slovene0.1%(29)
Croatian0%(28)
Guyanese0%(26)
Egyptian0%(16)
Armenian0%(16)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
34.1%
+7.2 ptssince 2000
from 26.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.9%
+5.8 ptssince 2000
from 88.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
12.2%
+2.3 ptssince 2000
from 9.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.4 min
+58%since 2000
from 16.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
69.9%
−11.4 ptssince 2009
from 81.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.9%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
16.9%
+13.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.9%
−3.1 ptssince 2011
from 7.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
60.2%
−2.1 ptssince 2011
from 62.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.2%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 70.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
17.6%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 21.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
40.1%
+4.4 ptssince 2009
from 35.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
51.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
11.4%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
15.3%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 19.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
16.9%
+3.9 ptssince 2012
from 13.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.8%
−4.2 ptssince 2013
from 10.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.9%
+7.6 ptssince 2017
from 86.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.6%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 93.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
82.1%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 80.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
82.8%
−1.2 ptssince 2016
from 84.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2016
from 5.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married33.1%(7,488)
Married56.2%(12,697)
Widowed2.1%(476)
Divorced8.6%(1,949)
Women 15+
Never married24.5%(6,025)
Married49.9%(12,243)
Widowed10.8%(2,649)
Divorced14.8%(3,635)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.8%
−4.2 ptssince 2013
from 10.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
57.3%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 55.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.6%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
21.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 21.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 19.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
6.8%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 5.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
75.6%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 76.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 39.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)42.5%(2,806)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)34%(2,248)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.7%(1,893)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.4%(289)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(29)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 6,607 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Lacey, decade by decade

Lacey population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199019,279$70,624$173,52524.1%28.8
200031,226$79,876$232,62526.9%51.9
201042,393$82,436$342,95528.4%62.0
202053,526$84,542$346,88632.2%74.9
202457,737$90,625$457,10034.1%70.5

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

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Compare Lacey to nearby cities

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LACEY VS
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LACEY VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Lacey, Washington?

Lacey, Washington has about 57,737 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Lacey, Washington?

The typical household in Lacey, Washington earns about $90,625 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lacey, Washington expensive?

In Lacey, Washington, the median home is worth about $457,100, and the typical rent is about $1,870 a month.

How educated are people in Lacey, Washington?

About 34.1% of adults age 25 and over in Lacey, Washington hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lacey, Washington?

About 11.6% of people in Lacey, Washington live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lacey, Washington grown since 1990?

Yes, Lacey, Washington has grown since 1990. The population has added about 38,458 residents, a change of about 199 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →