City safety & data profile

OlympiaWA

Olympia, WA is a 56K-resident city in Thurston County with a median household income of $81,302.

Thurston County, Washington. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Olympia, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Olympia has a population larger than 82% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $486,200, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-27

56K
Population
Top 18%
By size
$81,302
Median income
$486,200
Median home
14%
Poverty rate

The read on Olympia

Olympia posts a median household income higher than 51% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Olympia area.

Top 49%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Olympia

Where Olympia income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$81,302 Top 49% higher than 51% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. WA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Olympia, WA beyond the headline numbers

Olympia sits inside Thurston County, Washington, at roughly 47.04°N, -122.90°W. Population 55,733, $81,302 median household income. Median home value $486,200, median rent $1,599. Poverty rate 14%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Olympia's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 34.3%, then high blood pressure at 33.2%. 2 hospitals in/around Olympia, 3/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Olympia from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
55,733
Olympia
Median Income
$81,302
+20% vs avg
Median Home Value
$486,200
+113% vs avg
Median Age
40.5
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Thurston County) - Olympia's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
299K+17%
Median Income
$96,563+55%
Median Home Value
$480,300+96%
Poverty Rate
9.5%-19%
Unemployment
4.9%-46%

Economics

Economics indicators for Olympia, WA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,599/mo
Poverty Rate
14%
Unemployment 7.2%
Bachelor's Degree+ 51.8%
Work From Home 25.6%
Public Transit 1.9%

Population

White 74.3%
African American 3%
Asian 6.9%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
34.3%
High Blood Pressure
33.2%
Obesity
30.8%
Frequent Mental Distress
17%
Physical Inactivity
16.5%
Binge Drinking
14.7%
Frequent Physical Distress
13.1%
Current Asthma
11.4%
Diabetes
9.9%
Current Smoking
9.6%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 67.8%
Annual Checkup 69%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
6.6%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.5%
Stroke
3%

Hospitals 2 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
2
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
2
With ER
2
PROVIDENCE ST PETER HOSPITAL
OLYMPIA · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆
CAPITAL MEDICAL CENTER
OLYMPIA · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Olympia, WA? ▼
Olympia, WA has a population of 55,733 people, located in Thurston County, Washington.
What is the median household income in Olympia? ▼
The median household income in Olympia, WA is $81,302 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 14%.
What is the median home value in Olympia? ▼
The median home value in Olympia, WA is $486,200. Median rent is $1,599/month.
What are the top health concerns in Olympia? ▼
The top health indicators in Olympia include Short Sleep Duration (34.3%), High Blood Pressure (33.2%), Obesity (30.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Olympia? ▼
Olympia has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Olympia? ▼
The median age in Olympia, WA is 40.5 years. 51.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Olympia, WA is located in Thurston County, Washington. With a population of 56K and a $81,302 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 2 hospitals with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Olympia area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Washington

Real-time AQI for every monitored Washington location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Tumwater, WA 19K Lacey, WA 46K Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA 11K Centralia, WA 17K Artondale, WA 13K University Place, WA 33K Lakewood, WA 60K Spanaway, WA 27K
All cities in Washington → Compare Olympia vs Tumwater → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Olympia's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Olympia area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Olympia against Washington peers on any ranking lens. Explore Washington

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Thurston County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.