Thurston County, Washington
Located in Washington, Thurston County has a population of 299,067 residents and a median age of 40.0 years, making it the #243 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.5%. The median home value is $480,300, and the median household income is $96,563, which is 28% above the national median.
Demographics
Thurston County has a population of 299,067, making it the #243 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.0 years, which is 2.8% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Thurston County is $96,563, ranking #205 out of 3,222 counties — 28.5% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.5% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Thurston County is $480,300 (+70.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,736/mo and the homeownership rate is 67.7%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Thurston County, 38.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 14.2% above the national average, ranking #328 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Thurston County is 78.3 years. 14.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
10.8% of adults in Thurston County smoke , 33.6% are obese , and 18.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 30.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Thurston County is 2.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 8.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
10.3% of children in Thurston County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 11.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Thurston County is 78.2%. The mean commute time is 28.4 min, which is 3.0% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Thurston County voted Democratic with a margin of 20.4%. The vote was 58.5% Dem / 38.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +1.7 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Thurston County, Washington
Thurston County, Washington has a total population of 299,067, making it the 243rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Thurston County is 40.0 years, which is 2.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Thurston County is $96,563, which ranks #205 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 28.5% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.5%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.
The median home value in Thurston County is $480,300, 70.4% above the national median. Renters in Thurston County pay a median gross rent of $1,736 per month. The homeownership rate is 67.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Thurston County, 38.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 14.2% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.4 min.
Thurston County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 69.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.6%) and Two or More Races (7.9%).
All data for Thurston County, Washington comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.