Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

179,577

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

39.4

0.767% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

10.5%

2.83% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$91,020

2.49% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$472,000

6.4% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

82,854

2.74% 1-year growth

About

13.3% of the households in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.3% of the residents in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA are South Puget Sound Community College (982 degrees awarded in 2023), Saint Martin's University (593 degrees), and Fosbre Academy of Hair Design (51 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA was $472,000, and the homeownership rate was 60.1%.

Most people in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA was 2 cars per household.

Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA borders Pierce County (Northwest)--Peninsula Region & JBLM PUMA, WA and Thurston County (Outer) PUMA, WA.

United States Washington

Population & Diversity

Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA is home to a population of 180k people, from which 96.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.57% of Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA residents were born outside of the country (17.2k people).

In 2024, there were 8.62 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (120k people) in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 13.9k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 11.7k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA are Spanish (7,172 households), Vietnamese (2,284 households), and German (2,132 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

91,293

Women

51%

87,843

Men

49%

The resident population of United States in 2023 was 179,136 inhabitants, with 49% men, and 51% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

96.3%

2024 Citizenship

96.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.3% of Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA was 96.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
120k ± 1.95k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
13.9k ± 853
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
11.7k ± 1k

10.2%

Hispanic Population

18.4k people

10.2% of the people in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA are hispanic (18.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,325 ± 1,176 people
Vietnam
2,235 ± 1,153 people
Philippines
1,743 ± 1,020 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA was Mexico, the natal country of 2,325 Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA residents, followed by Vietnam with 2,235 and Philippines with 1,743.

Foreign-Born Population

9.57%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

17.2k people

9.65%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

17.3k people

As of 2024, 9.57% of Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA residents (17.2k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA was 9.65%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
7,172 households (4.22%)
Vietnamese
2,284 households (1.34%)
German
2,132 households (1.25%)

13.3% of the households in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 22.3%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA was Spanish. 4.22% of the households in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
6,920 ± 787
Vietnam
4,021 ± 396
Gulf War (1990s)
3,244 ± 528

Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.72 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA.

Economy

The economy of Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA employs 82.9k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA were Elementary & secondary schools (5,158 people), Restaurants & Food Services (4,782 people), and Construction (4,642 people), and the highest paying industries were Architectural, engineering & related services ($136,248), Electric power generation, transmission & distribution ($118,685), and Electronic component & product manufacturing, n.e.c. ($116,019).

Males in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA have an average income that is 1.22 times higher than the average income of females, which is $67,537. The income inequality in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.415, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

40,466

Women

48.8%

42,388

Men

51.2%

The workforce of Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA in 2023 was 82,854 people, with 48.8% woman, and 51.2% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

82.9k

2023 Value

2.74%

1 Year growth

± 2.74%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA grew at a rate of 2.74%, from 80.6k employees to 82.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA, are Other managers (2,808 people), Retail salespersons (1,951 people), and Registered nurses (1,748 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Washington (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

82.9k

2023 Value

2.74%

1 Year growth

± 2.74%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA grew at a rate of 2.74%, from 80.6k employees to 82.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA, are Elementary & secondary schools (5,158 people), Restaurants & Food Services (4,782 people), and Construction (4,642 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA, though some of these residents may live in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$61,869

Median earning men ± $2,673

$52,174

Median earning women ± $2,134

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($86,178), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($82,228), and Information ($77,940).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($76,906), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($64,612), and Wholesale Trade ($58,623).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

Y-Axis

3.62%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.58M people employed in Washington. This represents a 3.62% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Washington.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing the state of Washington. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Washington is currently represented by 10 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA. Showing the available data for Washington.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (57.2%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (39%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.4%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Washington for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Washington

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

Patty Murray

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 1993

Maria Cantwell

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 2001

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing Washington.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Washington over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA awarded 1,626 degrees. The student population of Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,355 male students and 3,488 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA are White (817 and 51.3%), Hispanic or Latino (247 and 15.5%), Asian (167 and 10.5%), and Two or More Races (151 and 9.48%).

The largest universities in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA by number of degrees awarded are South Puget Sound Community College (982 and 60.4%), Saint Martin's University (593 and 36.5%), and Fosbre Academy of Hair Design (51 and 3.14%).

The most popular majors in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (550 and 33.8%), Registered Nursing (89 and 5.47%), and Computer Systems Networking And Telecommunications, Other (72 and 4.43%).

The median tuition cost in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA for private four year colleges is $43,600.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 75.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 9.97%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 5,843 (40.3% men and 59.7% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 5,843 students enrolled in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA, 40.3% men and 59.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,764 records, of which 59.3% were women and 40.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
550 degrees awarded
General Business
47 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
28 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 550 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

South Puget Sound Community College
982 degrees awarded
Saint Martin's University
593 degrees awarded
Fosbre Academy of Hair Design
51 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was South Puget Sound Community College with 982 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 661 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA, which is 0.685 times less than the 965 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 817 degrees mean that there were 3.31 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 247 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($43,600) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($610) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2023, 0.806% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.36% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA in 2023 were Some college (34.5k), Bachelors Degree (33.8k), and High School or Equivalent (31.5k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA was $472,000 in 2024, which is 1.42 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $443,600 to $472,000, a 6.4% increase. The homeownership rate in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA is 60.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA have an average commute time of 23.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$472,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,851

$44,952

Median Property Taxes

±$1,716

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

60.1%

Homeownership

2024

67.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 60.1% of the housing units in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 59.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$91,020

Median Household Income

± $2,221

74.8k

Number of Households

± 2,242

In 2024, the median household income of the 74.8k households in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA grew to $91,020 from the previous year's value of $88,810.

The following chart displays the households in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

0.415

2023 Wage GINI in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA

0.417

2022 Wage GINI in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA

In 2023, the income inequality in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA was 0.415 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.262% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (65.7%)
Worked At Home (21.7%)
Carpooled (6.96%)

In 2024, 65.7% of workers in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (21.7%) and those who carpooled to work (6.96%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA have a shorter commute time (23.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.94% of the workforce in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

10.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA (18.6k out of 177k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94.9% of the population of Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA has health coverage, with 45% on employee plans, 14.4% on Medicaid, 12.4% on Medicare, 17.6% on non-group plans, and 5.45% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Washington see 1,202 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,202 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1152 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 186 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

1,202 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Washington

Primary care physicians in Washington see an average of 1,202 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,202 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Washington in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.8% under 18 years, 21.3% between 18 and 34 years, 37.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.05%

Uninsured

45%

Employer Coverage

14.4%

Medicaid

12.4%

Medicare

17.6%

Non-Group

5.45%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA grew by 1.75% from 4.96% to 5.05%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.