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COUNTY

Thurston County

Washington · 304,261 residents (2025 est.) · 723 sq mi
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Part of the Lacey metro area
The short version

Thurston County is a county of 299,067 people in Washington. Few US counties rank higher on income. 91,712 more people live here than in 2000. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $480,300. 8% of people here were born outside the United States. Households take in $96,563 a year at the median, 17% more than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.0
US median: 38.9
Average education
38% 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
299,067
+44%since 2000
from 207,355 in 2000
304,261 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
414 / sq mi
+25%since 2009
from 331 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.0
+10%since 2000
from 36.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
723 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
147K189K230K272K313K19902000201020202024Thurston County
2024299K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.3%(15,827)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.9%(17,624)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.1%(18,229)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.6%(16,697)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.5%(16,506)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.3%(42,783)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.5%(43,407)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.9%(35,633)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.1%(36,289)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.4%(34,019)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.4%(16,263)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.9%(5,790)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$96,563
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,975 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$46,136
+106%since 2000
from $22,415 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
61.6%
+24.5 ptssince 2009
from 37.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
9.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 8.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.403
−1%since 2010
from 0.407 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade6.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade5.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services5.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$480,300
+90%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $138,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,736
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $655 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
67.7%
+1.1 ptssince 2000
from 66.6% in 2000
32.3% rent
Vacancy rate
5.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.48 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.51 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
23.6%
−6.8 ptssince 2009
from 30.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
52.9%
+5.0 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.0
+19%since 2009
from 4.2 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
68
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic83.4%(172,963)
Black2.3%(4,714)
Hispanic / Latino4.5%(9,392)
Asian4.4%(9,034)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic69.5%(207,943)
Black3.2%(9,445)
Hispanic / Latino10.6%(31,748)
Asian6%(18,056)
Other10.7%(31,875)
Diversity Score
61
+46%since 2009
from 42 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
18
−16%since 2020
from 21 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican6.2%(18,591)
Puerto Rican1.4%(4,220)
Central American0.9%(2,655)
Spaniard0.5%(1,600)
South American0.5%(1,485)
Salvadoran0.4%(1,123)
Guatemalan0.2%(640)
Colombian0.2%(612)
Cuban0.2%(581)
Panamanian0.1%(419)
Honduran0.1%(355)
Peruvian0.1%(203)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Bolivian0.1%(193)
Chilean0.1%(190)
Dominican0.1%(171)
Venezuelan0.1%(152)
Argentine0%(34)
Uruguayan0%(12)
Asian origin
Filipino1.6%(4,714)
Vietnamese1.3%(3,962)
Korean0.9%(2,838)
Chinese0.5%(1,529)
Asian Indian0.4%(1,078)
Cambodian0.4%(1,052)
Japanese0.3%(840)
Thai0.1%(252)
Burmese0.1%(241)
Nepalese0.1%(202)
Pakistani0.1%(179)
Laotian0.1%(174)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Taiwanese0%(137)
Okinawan0%(11)
Kazakh0%(8)
Hmong0%(3)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.6%(1,816)
Chamorro0.6%(1,677)
Samoan0.4%(1,190)
Guamanian0.1%(236)
Fijian0%(32)
Tongan0%(4)
Ancestry
German16.3%(48,884)
English13%(38,947)
Irish11.7%(34,942)
American3.9%(11,720)
Norwegian3.6%(10,811)
Italian3.3%(9,846)
Scottish3%(8,949)
Swedish2.7%(8,188)
French2.4%(7,042)
Polish1.7%(5,209)
Dutch1.6%(4,742)
Scotch-Irish1.3%(3,862)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
Danish0.9%(2,836)
Welsh0.8%(2,542)
Finnish0.8%(2,473)
British0.8%(2,391)
French Canadian0.5%(1,498)
Russian0.5%(1,413)
West Indian0.4%(1,309)
Swiss0.3%(1,016)
Portuguese0.3%(1,006)
Arab0.3%(1,002)
Greek0.3%(869)
Czech0.3%(862)
Ukrainian0.3%(787)
Canadian0.2%(653)
Romanian0.2%(604)
Hungarian0.2%(546)
Austrian0.2%(520)
Haitian0.2%(514)
Australian0.2%(489)
Croatian0.1%(437)
Nigerian0.1%(363)
Slovak0.1%(316)
Belgian0.1%(265)
Jordanian0.1%(262)
Lithuanian0.1%(252)
Egyptian0.1%(236)
Turkish0.1%(229)
Brazilian0.1%(189)
Jamaican0.1%(189)
Iranian0.1%(167)
Lebanese0%(148)
Armenian0%(120)
Kenyan0%(93)
Latvian0%(91)
Slovene0%(77)
Moroccan0%(72)
Iraqi0%(61)
Ethiopian0%(47)
Guyanese0%(35)
Serbian0%(35)
Syrian0%(13)
Israeli0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
38.5%
+8.7 ptssince 2000
from 29.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.7%
+5.2 ptssince 2000
from 89.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.9%
+3.7 ptssince 2000
from 11.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.8 min
+56%since 2000
from 16.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
66.9%
−10.4 ptssince 2009
from 77.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.5%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.0%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
20.5%
+16.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.2%
−2.4 ptssince 2011
from 7.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
61.5%
−3.8 ptssince 2011
from 65.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 73.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
21.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 21.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
46.0%
+6.0 ptssince 2009
from 40.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
Female
50.9%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
Foreign born
8.3%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
12.6%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 16.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
16.1%
+3.8 ptssince 2012
from 12.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.0%
−6.7 ptssince 2013
from 11.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.5%
+9.5 ptssince 2017
from 85.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.4%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 94.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
85.4%
+4.1 ptssince 2020
from 81.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
88.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2016
from 88.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2016
from 4.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.9%(39,611)
Married55.3%(66,488)
Widowed2.4%(2,867)
Divorced9.4%(11,296)
Women 15+
Never married25.7%(32,679)
Married51.8%(65,852)
Widowed7.7%(9,793)
Divorced14.8%(18,801)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.0%
−6.7 ptssince 2013
from 11.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
59.7%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 58.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.5%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 12.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 19.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 18.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
5.0%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 4.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
75.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 75.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.7%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 36.9% 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)40.3%(11,649)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)32.1%(9,301)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era27.9%(8,058)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.7%(784)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(106)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 28,932 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 Thurston County to nearby counties

THURSTON COUNTY VS
Lewis County
Income$74,796−23%
Home value$385,800−20%
Population88,062−71%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
THURSTON COUNTY VS
Pierce County
Income$99,564+3%
Home value$526,600+10%
Population946,288+211%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
THURSTON COUNTY VS
Mason County
Income$83,270−14%
Home value$411,800−14%
Population71,165−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
THURSTON COUNTY VS
Grays Harbor County
Income$64,414−33%
Home value$314,000−35%
Population78,144−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Thurston County, Washington?

Thurston County, Washington has about 299,067 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Thurston County, Washington?

The typical household in Thurston County, Washington earns about $96,563 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Thurston County, Washington expensive?

In Thurston County, Washington, the median home is worth about $480,300, and the typical rent is about $1,736 a month.

How educated are people in Thurston County, Washington?

About 38.5% of adults age 25 and over in Thurston County, Washington hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Thurston County, Washington?

About 9.5% of people in Thurston County, Washington live below the federal poverty line.

Has Thurston County, Washington grown since 1990?

Yes, Thurston County, Washington has grown since 1990. The population has added about 137,829 residents, a change of about 85 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 →