Thurston County has the sixth-largest population among Washington's counties and is among the fastest-growing in the state. From 2010 to 2020, the county's population became more ethnically diverse, with the number of residents who identify as Hispanic or Latino increasing by 63.2%. The county's largest city is Lacey, which has an estimated population of over 60,000 and surpassed Olympia's population in the early 2020s. The smallest incorporated place in Thurston County is the town of
Bucoda, which has 620 residents. Over 145,000 people live in the unincorporated areas of the county, which are primarily concentrated between Olympia and Lacey. The entire county is designated as part of the Olympia–Lacey–Tumwater
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which only includes Thurston County. The MSA was among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. in the 2010s, with a year-to-year population increase of 2.24 percent. The county also had the highest population of
middle class households among metropolitan areas in the U.S. according to a 2024
Pew Research study, which determined that 66 percent of households had adults with an annual income near double the national median household income. Thurston County is also part of the
Seattle–
Tacoma, WA
Combined Statistical Area, which includes most of the Puget Sound region.
2020 census As of the
2020 census, there were 294,793 people, 115,397 households, and 76,717 families living in the county. Of the residents, 21.6% were under the age of 18, 5.1% were under 5 years of age, 18.2% were 65 years of age or older, and the median age was 39.5 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.1 males. The
population density was . There were 121,438 housing units at an average density of . There were 115,397 households in the county, of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The population density was . There were 108,182 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 82.4% white, 5.2% Asian, 2.7% black or African American, 1.4% American Indian, 0.8% Pacific islander, 2.2% from other races, and 5.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.1% of the population. Of the 100,650 households, 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.3% were non-families, and 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 38.5 years.
2000 census As of the
2000 census, there were 207,355 people, 81,625 households and 54,933 families living in the county. The
population density was . There were 86,652 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 85.66%
White, 2.35%
Black or
African American, 1.52%
Native American, 4.41%
Asian, 0.52%
Pacific Islander, 1.69% from
other races, and 3.85% from two or more races. 4.53% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race. 17.1% were of
German, 10.2%
English, 9.8%
Irish, 6.9%
United States or American and 5.5%
Norwegian ancestry. There were 81,625 households, of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.10% were
married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.99. Age distribution was 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males. The
median household income was $46,975, and the median family income was $55,027. Males had a median income of $40,521 versus $30,368 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $22,415. About 5.80% of families and 8.80% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 9.80% of those under age 18 and 5.00% of those age 65 or over.
Homelessness Thurston County is a participant in the mandatory federal
Point-In-Time Count, a
census of the local homeless population that is conducted by community organizations and volunteers. , there were 952 people in the county who were counted and classified as homeless, an increase of over 200 from the prior year. Most of the people who were identified as unsheltered lived in vehicles and 79percent were from Thurston County or an adjacent county. Based on the Point-In-Time Count, Thurston County had a sixth-highest rate of people experiencing homelessness per capita among Washington's counties. ==Government==