Olympia, WA

Census Place

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2023 Population

55,583

0.783% 1-year growth

US Senator

N/APatty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

N/AMaria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

39.2

1.29% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$76,930

4.17% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$457,900

11.8% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

27,167

3.58% 1-year growth

About

N/A

None of the households in Olympia, 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.

97% of the residents in Olympia, WA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in N/A are South Puget Sound Community College (982 degrees awarded in 2023) and Fosbre Academy of Hair Design (51 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Olympia, WA was $457,900, and the homeownership rate was N/A%.

Most people in Olympia, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Olympia, WA was 2 cars per household.

Photo by Jim Culp

United States Washington Thurston County, WA Olympia-Tumwater, WA Thurston County (Outer) PUMA, WA Thurston County (Central)--Olympia, Lacey, & Tumwater Cities PUMA, WA

Population & Diversity

Olympia, WA is home to a population of 55.6k people, from which 97% are citizens. As of 2023, 8.21% of Olympia, WA residents were born outside of the country (4.56k people).

In N/A, there were N/A times more N/A residents (N/A people) in Olympia, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were N/A N/A and N/A N/A residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97%

2023 Citizenship

96.7%

2022 Citizenship

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Olympia, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Foreign-Born Population

8.21%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

4.56k people

8.97%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

4.95k people

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Olympia, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,344 ± 355
Vietnam
1,163 ± 214
Gulf War (1990s)
537 ± 209

Olympia, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.16 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Olympia, WA employs 27.2k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Olympia, WA were Health Care & Social Assistance (4,693 people), Public Administration (4,236 people), and Retail Trade (2,955 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($92,404), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($83,513), and Public Administration ($82,087).

Employment

Occupations

27.2k

2023 Value

± 1,404

3.58%

1 Year growth

± 7.02%

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Olympia, WA, are Management Occupations (3,252 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,693 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (2,423 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Olympia, 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

27.2k

2023 Value

± 1,404

3.58%

1 Year growth

± 7.02%

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Olympia, WA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,693 people), Public Administration (4,236 people), and Retail Trade (2,955 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Olympia, WA, though some of these residents may live in Olympia, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$57,618

Median earning men ± $3,966

$46,508

Median earning women ± $3,354

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($97,827), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($93,214), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($84,658).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($77,778), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,813), and Construction ($65,250).

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

2024 Election Results

N/AKamala Harris (57.2%)
Democratic Party
N/ADonald J. Trump (39%)
Republican Party
N/ARobert 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

N/APatty Murray

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 1993

N/AMaria 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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Washington

Washington is currently represented by 10 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Washington have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2023, universities in Olympia, WA awarded 1,033 degrees. The student population of Olympia, WA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,734 male students and 2,604 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Olympia, WA are White (586 and 58.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (146 and 14.5%), Two or More Races (93 and 9.24%), and Asian (74 and 7.35%).

The largest universities in Olympia, WA by number of degrees awarded are South Puget Sound Community College (982 and 95.1%) and Fosbre Academy of Hair Design (51 and 4.94%).

The most popular majors in N/A are Liberal Arts & Sciences (550 and 53.2%), Early Childhood Education & Teaching (72 and 6.97%), and General Business (47 and 4.55%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

Measure

In 2018 in Olympia, WA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 92.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 68.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 4,338 (40% men and 60% 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

In 2023 there were 4,338 students enrolled in Olympia, WA, 40% men and 60% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,176 records, of which 59.7% were women and 40.3% men.

Completions

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

South Puget Sound Community College
982 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

In 2023, 358 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Olympia, WA, which is 0.53 times less than the 675 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 586 degrees mean that there were 4.01 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 146 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

Public, 2-year ($4,623) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($480) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($942) 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

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

Measure

In 2023, 1.05% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.06% of women were in the same situation.

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

Educational Attainment

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

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (1.42M), Some college (1.37M), and Bachelors Degree (1.36M).

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 Olympia, WA was $457,900 in 2023, which is 1.51 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $409,700 to $457,900, a 11.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Olympia, WA is N/A%, which is lower than the national average of 65%.

People in Olympia, WA have an average commute time of 20.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Olympia, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$457,900

Median Property Value 2023

±$9,502

N/A

Median Property Taxes

±N/A

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 Olympia, WA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Olympia, WA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

N/A%

Homeownership

N/A

66%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Olympia, WA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

The following map shows all of the places in Olympia, WA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$76,930

Median Household Income

± $4,034

25.1k

Number of Households

± 1,350

The following chart displays the households in Olympia, 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

The closest comparable wage GINI for Olympia, WA is from Washington.

0.468

2023 Wage GINI in Washington

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2023, the income inequality in Washington was 0.468 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.276% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Washington in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Washington across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (62.7%)
Worked At Home (20.5%)
Carpooled (8.04%)

In 2023, 62.7% of workers in Olympia, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (20.5%) and those who carpooled to work (8.04%).

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

20.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Olympia, WA have a shorter commute time (20.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.52% of the workforce in Olympia, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Olympia, WA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Olympia, WA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Olympia, WA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

N/A% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Olympia, WA (N/A out of N/A people) live below the poverty line, a number that is approximately the same as the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Olympia, 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

94.3% of the population of Olympia, WA has health coverage, with 45.7% on employee plans, 18.9% on Medicaid, 12.8% on Medicare, 12.9% on non-group plans, and 3.85% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Washington see 1,202 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.52% increase from the previous year (1,184 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1152 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 200 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, N/A were men and N/A were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.7% under 18 years, 23.2% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, N/A were men and N/A were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.72%

Uninsured

45.7%

Employer Coverage

18.9%

Medicaid

12.8%

Medicare

12.9%

Non-Group

3.85%

Military or VA

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Olympia, WA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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