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CITY · 2020 ACS

Olympia

Washington · 55,605 residents · 18.2 sq mi
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The short version

With 55,605 people, Olympia is a city in Washington. 47% of homes are owner-occupied. This is an unusually credentialed place: 46% of adults have a four-year degree. People stay put here: 74% were in the same home a year ago. Growth has run 31% since 2000, or 13,091 more people. Households here earn about 18% less than in Washington as a whole.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.0
US median: 38.8
More educated
46% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 56%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

55,605
+31%since 2000
from 42,514 in 2000
1990 – 2025
39.0
+8%since 2000
from 36.0 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
18.2 sq mi
Population, 19902024
32K38K45K52K58K19902000201020202024Olympia
202456K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.1%(2,820)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.5%(3,041)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.5%(3,063)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 195.3%(2,933)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.8%(3,759)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3415.8%(8,773)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4414.5%(8,076)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.5%(6,418)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6411.8%(6,553)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7410.9%(6,070)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.2%(2,866)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.2%(1,233)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$63,185
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,846 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
$35,914
+59%since 2000
from $22,590 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
43.0%
+11.1 ptssince 2009
from 31.9% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
14.7%
+2.6 ptssince 2000
from 12.1% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information13%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade5.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services4.9%
US avg: 6.6%
Retail trade4.5%
US avg: 10%
Public administration3.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Finance & insurance3.3%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical2.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.6%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
US avg: 2%
Transportation & warehousing1%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$330,800
+56%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $140,700 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
$1,199
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $624 in 2000
US average: $1,124
46.7%
−3.7 ptssince 2000
from 50.3% in 2000
53.3% rent
2.21 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.28 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
5.2
+5%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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic83.1%(35,343)
Black1.8%(772)
Hispanic / Latino4.4%(1,863)
Asian5.8%(2,454)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic71.3%(39,622)
Black3%(1,661)
Hispanic / Latino9.1%(5,059)
Asian6.6%(3,683)
Other5.9%(3,272)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.1%(2,679)
Honduran0.8%(424)
Puerto Rican0.7%(367)
Spaniard0.5%(248)
Guatemalan0.4%(193)
Peruvian0.3%(182)
Panamanian0.3%(165)
Dominican0.2%(120)
Ecuadorian0.2%(99)
Cuban0.2%(85)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Colombian0.2%(79)
Chilean0.1%(61)
Asian origin
Vietnamese2.3%(1,195)
Filipino1.2%(621)
Korean1.1%(594)
Chinese0.9%(485)
Thai0.6%(322)
Asian Indian0.5%(268)
Pakistani0.3%(157)
Japanese0.3%(135)
Indonesian0.1%(31)
Hmong0%(22)
Nepalese0%(13)
Taiwanese0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.3%(181)
Samoan0.3%(165)
Ancestry
German16.5%(8,649)
English12.2%(6,369)
Irish12.1%(6,326)
Italian4.6%(2,382)
Norwegian4.3%(2,228)
French3.6%(1,877)
Scottish3.5%(1,838)
Swedish2.9%(1,535)
Polish2.8%(1,476)
Dutch2.7%(1,408)
American2%(1,045)
British1.9%(981)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish1.7%(875)
Russian1.1%(578)
Welsh0.9%(457)
Danish0.8%(409)
Finnish0.7%(389)
West Indian0.6%(303)
Ukrainian0.6%(289)
Swiss0.5%(278)
Haitian0.4%(218)
Austrian0.4%(192)
Canadian0.3%(175)
Portuguese0.3%(171)
Czech0.3%(169)
Romanian0.3%(166)
Greek0.3%(142)
Turkish0.3%(139)
Hungarian0.2%(114)
Slovak0.2%(102)
Latvian0.2%(83)
Lithuanian0.1%(76)
Croatian0.1%(64)
Belgian0.1%(62)
Slovene0.1%(45)
Somali0.1%(45)
Nigerian0.1%(42)
Serbian0.1%(41)
Kenyan0.1%(31)
Ethiopian0%(23)
Iranian0%(21)
Brazilian0%(20)
Bulgarian0%(15)
Guyanese0%(13)
Jamaican0%(11)
Israeli0%(7)
Section 05

Education

46.0%
+5.7 ptssince 2000
from 40.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
94.2%
+2.6 ptssince 2000
from 91.6% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
19.6%
+4.7 ptssince 2000
from 15.0% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

21.1 min
+51%since 2000
from 14.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
70.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 70.6% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
9.0%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

6.9%
Unchangedsince 2011
from 7.0% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
63.1%
−5.4 ptssince 2011
from 68.5% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.9%
US average: 73.3%
47.5%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 48.4% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

48.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
51.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
10.0%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
5.8%
−7.8 ptssince 2013
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
93.2%
US average: 91.9%
74.1%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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

5.8%
−7.8 ptssince 2013
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
59.1%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.5%
US average: 13.7%
20.4%
US average: 17.6%
21.6%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.2%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
71.6%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
37.7%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)28.7%(1,054)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)21.4%(787)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era32.4%(1,189)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War4.7%(174)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.6%(133)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 3,673 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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Olympia, Washington?

Olympia, Washington has about 55,605 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Olympia, Washington?

The typical household in Olympia, Washington earns about $63,185 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 $330,800, and the typical rent is about $1,199 a month.

How educated are people in Olympia, Washington?

About 46.0% 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 14.7% 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 21,765 residents, a change of about 64 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 →