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
median household income $81,302, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Olympia
What changed most since 1990
Median home value (2024 dollars)$186,005 → $486,200(+161%)US over the same years: +67%
Population33,840 → 55,951(+65%)US over the same years: +35%
Olympia's population equals 19% of Thurston County's. Its number of households without a car equals 34% of the county's. Its number of veterans equals 12% of the county's.
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
Over time
Olympia, decade by decade
Olympia population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
33,840
$66,686
$186,005
33.1%
21.8
2000
42,514
$74,407
$256,307
40.3%
37.6
2010
46,478
$71,153
$376,906
44.5%
43.2
2020
55,605
$76,583
$400,942
46.0%
59.4
2024
55,951
$81,302
$486,200
51.8%
58.6
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.
