Tumwater, WA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Washington·Tumwater

Thurston County · Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater · population 27,826

Growing fast
Tumwater, WA
Image: Wikipedia · Tumwater, Washington
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
67
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Tumwater stands

At or near all-time high. population growing 2.4% per year.

Median home $529,454
1-year +0.6%
5-yr CAGR +3.7%
vs 5-yr peak -0.5%
Population +2.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-02$529k$241k$345k$449k$553k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
91/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

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 · monthly
$1,913/mo$1,531$1,793$2,056202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent115117100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 23.1
Lean rent

At a 23.1 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Tumwater. 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 →
Home YoY
53 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
57 · w22%
Distance from peak
87 · w18%
Population growth
84 · w16%
Rent YoY
49 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
77 · w10%
Long thesis

Tumwater has held up across the cycle: home values at $529,454 with +3.7% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Tumwater'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 Tumwater

Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, with an estimated population of 27,826. It anchors the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater metro area. The population has grown 2.4% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Tumwater is $529,454 as of 2026-04, up 0.6% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Tumwater average $1,913 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.7%). The composite momentum score is 67 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 2.4% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
●Held the highs: currently -0.5% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Tumwater (Wikipedia)

Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 25,350 at the 2020 census. The city is situated near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound; it also borders the state capital of Olympia to the north. Tumwater is the oldest permanent Anglo-American settlement on Puget Sound. The city is the southern gateway to the wider Seattle/Tacoma urban area, which stretches from Tumwater to Marysville along the Interstate 5 corridor.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

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.

Seller

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.

Investor

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.

NWS active alerts (WA)Washington Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

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.

Cities like Tumwater

Lacey, WA69 · RisingYelm, WA71 · RisingFerndale, WA72 · RisingLiberty Lake, WA67 · Rising

Run the numbers for Tumwater

ToolCan I afford Tumwater?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Tumwater rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Tumwater to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolTumwater cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
45° / 35°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
77° / 56°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
152
~42% of year
Annual precip
38″ rain
10″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
High
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

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

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Tumwater listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

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
75%
Very humid climate
Median household income
$90,400
Washington state median
Top industries (state-level)
Tech (Amazon/MS)Aerospace (Boeing)Agriculture

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.

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