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CITY

Olympia

Washington · 56,724 residents (2025 est.) · 18.2 sq mi
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The short version

With 55,951 people, Olympia is a city in Washington. This is an unusually credentialed place: 52% of adults have a four-year degree. 50% of homes are owner-occupied. Growth has run 32% since 2000, or 13,437 more people. Density works out to 3,071 people per square mile. The typical home is worth $486,200, having roughly tripled since 2000.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.5
US median: 38.9
More educated
52% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 90%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
55,951
+32%since 2000
from 42,514 in 2000
56,724 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
3,071 / sq mi
+24%since 2009
from 2,478 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.5
+13%since 2000
from 36.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
18.2 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
32K38K45K52K58K19902000201020202024Olympia
202456K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(2,876)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 93.4%(1,888)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145%(2,811)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.7%(3,750)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.3%(2,961)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3416.2%(9,047)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4415.1%(8,474)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.6%(6,511)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.8%(6,593)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.2%(6,281)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.2%(3,460)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.3%(1,299)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$81,302
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,846 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$45,674
+102%since 2000
from $22,590 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
52.9%
+21.0 ptssince 2009
from 31.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.0%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 12.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.436
−4%since 2010
from 0.456 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services3.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade3.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade2.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration2.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food2.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.2%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$486,200
+90%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $140,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,599
+41%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $624 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
49.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2000
from 50.3% in 2000
50.2% rent
Vacancy rate
5.0%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.16 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.28 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
21.7%
−6.5 ptssince 2009
from 28.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
57.0%
+4.6 ptssince 2009
from 52.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.0
+20%since 2009
from 5.0 in 2009
2009 – 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
66
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic83.1%(35,343)
Black1.8%(772)
Hispanic / Latino4.4%(1,863)
Asian5.8%(2,454)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic71.2%(39,834)
Black2.7%(1,528)
Hispanic / Latino10.6%(5,910)
Asian6.7%(3,748)
Other8.8%(4,931)
Diversity Score
59
+42%since 2009
from 41 in 2009
2009 – 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
Mexican4.7%(2,646)
Puerto Rican1.7%(929)
Spaniard0.8%(463)
Guatemalan0.4%(232)
Cuban0.4%(215)
Panamanian0.4%(207)
Salvadoran0.3%(152)
Honduran0.2%(124)
Chilean0.2%(120)
Colombian0.2%(116)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Bolivian0.2%(84)
Ecuadorian0.1%(57)
Nicaraguan0.1%(42)
Argentine0.1%(34)
Peruvian0%(27)
Asian origin
Vietnamese1.9%(1,070)
Korean1.4%(764)
Filipino1.1%(622)
Chinese0.8%(428)
Asian Indian0.7%(402)
Japanese0.3%(194)
Laotian0.1%(74)
Pakistani0.1%(52)
Thai0%(17)
Nepalese0%(15)
Okinawan0%(11)
Kazakh0%(8)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.4%(203)
Chamorro0%(20)
Fijian0%(13)
Ancestry
German17.9%(10,015)
English15.8%(8,852)
Irish12.4%(6,929)
Norwegian4.6%(2,567)
Swedish3.5%(1,952)
Italian3.3%(1,823)
Scottish3.2%(1,788)
Polish2.9%(1,598)
French2.8%(1,578)
American2.6%(1,456)
Scotch-Irish2%(1,142)
Dutch1.9%(1,083)
+ 38 more ancestry groups with data
Danish1.5%(827)
British0.9%(528)
West Indian0.9%(500)
Finnish0.9%(497)
Welsh0.9%(477)
Swiss0.6%(359)
Ukrainian0.6%(326)
Arab0.5%(300)
Romanian0.4%(231)
Greek0.4%(222)
Slovak0.4%(218)
Russian0.4%(212)
Turkish0.3%(179)
Haitian0.3%(173)
Egyptian0.3%(165)
Czech0.3%(150)
Austrian0.2%(122)
Portuguese0.2%(116)
Hungarian0.2%(107)
Lebanese0.2%(88)
Belgian0.1%(76)
Nigerian0.1%(70)
Croatian0.1%(54)
Jamaican0.1%(48)
Australian0.1%(45)
Lithuanian0.1%(43)
Iranian0.1%(42)
Armenian0.1%(41)
Serbian0.1%(35)
Latvian0.1%(33)
Canadian0.1%(31)
Slovene0%(26)
Brazilian0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
51.8%
+11.4 ptssince 2000
from 40.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.5%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 91.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
20.6%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 15.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.0 min
+43%since 2000
from 14.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
59.4%
−11.2 ptssince 2009
from 70.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.3%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.9%
−4.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
25.6%
+21.0 ptssince 2009
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.1%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.6%
−2.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.3%
+0.3 ptssince 2011
from 7.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
62.6%
−5.9 ptssince 2011
from 68.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.9%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 79.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
26.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 25.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
54.2%
+5.8 ptssince 2009
from 48.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
Female
51.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
Foreign born
8.4%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.8%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
19.0%
+6.9 ptssince 2012
from 12.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.6%
−8.0 ptssince 2013
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.8%
+14.4 ptssince 2017
from 80.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.7%
+4.5 ptssince 2020
from 93.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
83.0%
+8.9 ptssince 2020
from 74.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
88.2%
+0.8 ptssince 2016
from 87.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.2%
−0.9 ptssince 2016
from 4.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married45.2%(10,405)
Married43.3%(9,977)
Widowed2.3%(535)
Divorced9.2%(2,111)
Women 15+
Never married32.6%(8,269)
Married40%(10,140)
Widowed7.5%(1,897)
Divorced19.9%(5,042)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.6%
−8.0 ptssince 2013
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
59.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 59.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.2%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 12.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 20.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
21.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 21.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.9%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
71.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 71.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
39.8%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 37.7% 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)33.2%(1,178)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.2%(718)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.7%(1,125)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.8%(135)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(14)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,549 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Olympia to nearby cities

OLYMPIA VS
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Home value$472,200−3%
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OLYMPIA VS
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Home value$457,100−6%
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OLYMPIA VS
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OLYMPIA VS
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Home value$455,300−6%
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Olympia, Washington?

Olympia, Washington has about 55,951 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Olympia, Washington?

The typical household in Olympia, Washington earns about $81,302 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Olympia, Washington expensive?

In Olympia, Washington, the median home is worth about $486,200, and the typical rent is about $1,599 a month.

How educated are people in Olympia, Washington?

About 51.8% of adults age 25 and over in Olympia, Washington hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Olympia, Washington?

About 14.0% of people in Olympia, Washington live below the federal poverty line.

Has Olympia, Washington grown since 1990?

Yes, Olympia, Washington has grown since 1990. The population has added about 22,111 residents, a change of about 65 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 →