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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Thurston County

Washington · 294,793 residents · 723 sq mi
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The short version

Thurston County is a county of 294,793 people in Washington. 87,438 more people live here than in 2000. The foreign-born share is 8%. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $315,600. Poverty is uncommon here, at 9.8% of people here. Households take in $75,867 a year at the median, 14% more than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.5
US median: 38.8
Average education
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 51%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
294,793
+42%since 2000
from 207,355 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
39.5
+8%since 2000
from 36.5 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
723 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
147K189K230K272K313K19902000201020202024Thurston County
2024299K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.6%(16,573)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.1%(17,956)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.2%(18,328)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 195.9%(17,431)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246%(17,670)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.7%(40,456)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.7%(40,284)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.8%(34,884)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.7%(37,456)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7411.3%(33,370)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.2%(15,249)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.7%(5,136)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$75,867
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,975 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,256
+62%since 2000
from $22,415 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
50.6%
+13.5 ptssince 2009
from 37.1% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
9.8%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 8.8% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.9%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade7.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services5.3%
US avg: 6.6%
Retail trade5.2%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance4.4%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration3.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.3%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction2.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$315,600
+51%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $138,800 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,275
+30%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $655 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
65.8%
−0.8 ptssince 2000
from 66.6% in 2000
34.2% rent
Persons per household
2.50 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.51 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
4.2
−1%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.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic70.6%(207,985)
Black3%(8,893)
Hispanic / Latino9.8%(29,024)
Asian5.7%(16,878)
Other8.2%(24,266)
Segregation Score
21
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
Mexican5.9%(16,861)
Puerto Rican0.9%(2,666)
Central American0.7%(2,098)
Spaniard0.5%(1,433)
South American0.4%(1,193)
Panamanian0.2%(512)
Honduran0.2%(505)
Guatemalan0.2%(444)
Salvadoran0.1%(419)
Colombian0.1%(326)
Cuban0.1%(320)
Ecuadorian0.1%(237)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(229)
Dominican0.1%(219)
Venezuelan0.1%(169)
Chilean0%(142)
Argentine0%(48)
Bolivian0%(32)
Uruguayan0%(10)
Asian origin
Filipino1.3%(3,830)
Korean1.1%(3,160)
Vietnamese1%(2,881)
Chinese0.6%(1,655)
Cambodian0.4%(1,043)
Asian Indian0.3%(807)
Japanese0.3%(795)
Thai0.2%(632)
Pakistani0.1%(162)
Mongolian0%(119)
Nepalese0%(118)
Taiwanese0%(117)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Malaysian0%(55)
Hmong0%(22)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.5%(1,436)
Samoan0.5%(1,326)
Chamorro0.4%(1,093)
Fijian0%(91)
Ancestry
German18.2%(51,677)
Irish12.3%(35,008)
English11.1%(31,542)
Norwegian4.4%(12,599)
Italian3.8%(10,847)
American3.7%(10,399)
French3.2%(9,232)
Scottish3%(8,630)
Swedish2.8%(7,961)
Polish2.2%(6,392)
Dutch2%(5,716)
British1.2%(3,474)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish1.2%(3,288)
Welsh0.8%(2,307)
French Canadian0.8%(2,172)
Finnish0.8%(2,157)
Russian0.7%(1,965)
Danish0.7%(1,853)
Swiss0.4%(1,281)
Canadian0.4%(1,008)
West Indian0.3%(947)
Ukrainian0.3%(899)
Austrian0.3%(894)
Czech0.3%(809)
Hungarian0.3%(768)
Portuguese0.3%(763)
Greek0.2%(709)
Slovak0.2%(453)
Romanian0.2%(439)
Lithuanian0.2%(429)
Haitian0.1%(421)
Croatian0.1%(409)
Australian0.1%(356)
Jamaican0.1%(279)
Belgian0.1%(253)
Turkish0.1%(252)
Lebanese0.1%(236)
Brazilian0.1%(200)
Nigerian0.1%(196)
Armenian0.1%(182)
Arab0.1%(163)
Iranian0.1%(160)
Ghanaian0.1%(159)
Latvian0%(124)
Slovene0%(109)
Iraqi0%(106)
Syrian0%(83)
Serbian0%(66)
Egyptian0%(58)
Bulgarian0%(58)
Ethiopian0%(46)
Somali0%(45)
Moroccan0%(38)
Kenyan0%(37)
Israeli0%(23)
Guyanese0%(22)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
35.7%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 29.8% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
93.9%
+4.4 ptssince 2000
from 89.5% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
13.6%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 11.1% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.8 min
+62%since 2000
from 16.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
77.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 77.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.1%
−1.4 ptssince 2011
from 7.6% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
62.6%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 65.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.6%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
42.4%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 40.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
Female
51.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
Foreign born
8.3%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.8% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
4.7%
−7.0 ptssince 2013
from 11.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
94.7%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
81.4%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
4.7%
−7.0 ptssince 2013
from 11.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
58.6%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.7%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
19.3%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
18.9%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
4.1%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
75.6%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
36.9%
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)31.7%(9,063)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)32.2%(9,217)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era32.1%(9,174)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War4.5%(1,287)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2%(565)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 28,586 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$74,796−1%
Home value$385,800+22%
Population88,062−71%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
THURSTON COUNTY VS
Pierce County
Income$99,564+31%
Home value$526,600+67%
Population946,288+211%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
THURSTON COUNTY VS
Mason County
Income$83,270+10%
Home value$411,800+30%
Population71,165−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
THURSTON COUNTY VS
Grays Harbor County
Income$64,414−15%
Home value$314,000−1%
Population78,144−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Thurston County, Washington?

Thurston County, Washington has about 294,793 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Thurston County, Washington earns about $75,867 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 $315,600, and the typical rent is about $1,275 a month.

How educated are people in Thurston County, Washington?

About 35.7% 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 9.8% 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 133,555 residents, a change of about 83 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 →