Thurston County · Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater · population 56,271
Where Olympia stands
At or near all-time high.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 23.1 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Olympia. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Olympia has held up across the cycle: home values at $537,653 with +3.6% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.
Olympia's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.
About Olympia
Olympia is a city in Thurston County, Washington, with an estimated population of 56,271. It anchors the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater metro area. The median home value in Olympia is $537,653 as of 2026-04, up 0.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.6% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Olympia average $1,938 per month, up 3.6% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 63 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
About Olympia (Wikipedia)
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 55,605 at the 2020 census, while the Olympia metropolitan statistical area has an estimated 300,000 people. Olympia is the county seat of Thurston County and anchors the South Puget Sound region of western Washington, 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Seattle.
Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.
City facts
Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.
Playbook
You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.
Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.
Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.
Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for Thurston County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Thurston County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Neighborhoods of Olympia
21 tracked · ranked by median home valueCities like Olympia
Run the numbers for Olympia
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Olympia listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local news & community
Latest news
- Olympia crisis unit negotiates with man on Cooper Point Road, police sayThe Olympian · 2d ago
- Ethics Board to determine whether to continue Rep. Simmons' ethics investigationThe Center Square · 7h ago
- Woman stuck in mud rescued from rising Olympia tideKING5.com · 2d ago
- Oly-amory: Olympia becomes first WA city to pass polyamory protectionsKNKX · 2mo ago
- Sam Hunt, who represented Olympia in WA Legislature for over two decades, dies at 83Washington State Standard · 3w ago
- Michael Dexter Obituary (2026) – Olympia, WA – Woodlawn Funeral Home and Cemetery – LaceyLegacy · 1d ago
Local chatter (Reddit)
Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
Cities similar to Olympia
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.