Population 142,511 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Olympia
Household size in Olympia
| Period | Olympia | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.43 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.50 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.47 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.50 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Olympia run a little small, averaging 2.50 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.43, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the southeast and smallest in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Olympia
| Period | Olympia | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.5 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.1 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.2 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.0 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.4 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Olympia skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.0, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 39.5 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the west and oldest in the north.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Olympia
| Period | Olympia | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Olympia (9.6%), below the national share of 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of Washington. The single-parent share is down 1.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Olympia
Renters in Olympia
| Period | Olympia | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.2% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.3% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.5% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.2% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly a third of households in Olympia rent their homes (32.2%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in Washington as a whole (36.2%). Among owners, 36.1% have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the north.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Olympia
| Period | Olympia | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Olympia: just 5.6% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 1.5 points, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Olympia
| Period | Olympia | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Olympia is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1987, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1982 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Olympia
| Period | Olympia | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,048 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,122 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,302 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,878 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$830 | +$858 | +$606 |
The median renter in Olympia pays $1,878 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $830 a month from 2006–10, a 79% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 32.9% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Olympia
Bachelor's degrees in Olympia
| Period | Olympia | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.7% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.5% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.2% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 45.9% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Olympia is highly educated: more than four in ten adults 25 and older (45.9%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.3 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the southwest.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Olympia
| Period | Olympia | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.9% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.3% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.0% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.7% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Olympia: 95.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 1.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Olympia
| Period | Olympia | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.3%, unemployment in Olympia is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Olympia compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympia | 2.50 | 42.0 | 9.6% | 32.2% | 5.6% | 1987 | $1,878 | 45.9% | 95.7% | 5.3% |
| Tumwater | 2.34 | 39.9 | 10.3% | 40.2% | 5.6% | 1990 | $1,856 | 42.3% | 96.8% | 6.4% |
| Lacey | 2.51 | 39.7 | 10.9% | 38.8% | 5.6% | 1992 | $1,992 | 33.2% | 94.5% | 4.5% |
| Kellys Korner | 2.92 | 37.9 | 16.7% | 12.8% | 4.1% | 1989 | $2,313 | 20.1% | 76.5% | 12.0% |
| Nisqually Indian Community | 2.50 | 50.0 | 13.0% | 16.0% | 21.0% | 2003 | $875 | 24.9% | 92.5% | 14.5% |
| Littlerock | 2.78 | 42.3 | 7.7% | 18.0% | 6.1% | 1992 | $1,653 | 26.6% | 92.4% | 1.2% |
| Dupont | 2.80 | 32.9 | 6.0% | 38.5% | 3.6% | 2002 | $2,366 | 51.8% | 95.3% | 5.6% |
| Anderson Island | 1.77 | 61.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | 26.3% | 1993 | $1,733 | 44.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| Tenino | 2.39 | 45.3 | 8.1% | 17.1% | 6.8% | 1992 | $1,391 | 27.3% | 91.1% | 6.5% |
| Longbranch | 2.91 | 47.3 | 14.7% | 8.4% | 16.6% | 1987 | $1,733 | 33.5% | 95.3% | 0.6% |
| Wauna | 1.74 | 66.6 | 8.5% | 4.8% | 29.6% | 1992 | $1,319 | 34.4% | 99.6% | 11.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Mansfield, TX · Manhattan, NY · Marietta, GA · Mansfield, OH · Maple Grove, MN · Livonia, MI · Leander, TX · Louisville, KY · Lawrenceville, GA · Lawrence, MA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Olympia. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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