Thurston County, Washington
Among the top 7% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 7% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A, better than 93% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 44% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 88% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 65% of US counties
- top 5% for broadband access
- top 6% for comfortable days
- bottom 5% for monthly rent
Thurston County is a county in Washington with about 294,000 residents. It grades A for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include broadband access, comfortable days, and income tax. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and monthly rent.
Official websitethurstoncountywa.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Mild summers · Cool winters · Moderate rain · Light snow
cold
cool
comfortable
warm
comf.
cool
cold
69%27%clearovercast
Precipitation 6.4 in1.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$89k93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$55kbetter than 11% of US counties
Home Value$412k95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 5% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 7% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.92%better than 44% of US counties
Income Tax0.00%better than 91% of US counties
Sales Tax9.38%better than 8% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden7.37%better than 81% of US counties
Unemployment5.5%better than 35% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)41°F69th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)65°F3rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation47.8 in65th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall3.7 inbetter than 67% of US counties
Sunny Days196 daysbetter than 14% of US counties
Summer Humidity52°Fbetter than 89% of US counties
Comfortable Days104 daysbetter than 94% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk94.5better than 5% of US counties
Air Quality28 AQIbetter than 91% of US counties
School Quality78.2better than 81% of US counties
Violent Crime832/100kbetter than 46% of US counties
Property Crime2333/100kbetter than 9% of US counties
Community
Population294,27292nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age39.532nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4167th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9729th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+198th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)72.0%37th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)3.0%57th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)9.9%72nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)5.7%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)9.5%93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time27 minbetter than 34% of US counties
Walkability9.4/20better than 91% of US counties
Airport Distance38 mibetter than 87% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access92.4%better than 95% of US counties
Amenities Nearby2.07better than 47% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 34% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Thurston County an affordable place to live?
- Thurston County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $55k, better than 11% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Thurston County?
- The median home value in Thurston County is $412k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Thurston County?
- Median household income in Thurston County is $89k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Thurston County?
- Median gross rent in Thurston County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Thurston County safe?
- Thurston County is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 832/100k (better than 46%). Property crime is 2333/100k.
- What is the weather like in Thurston County?
- Thurston County averages 65°F in July and 41°F in January, with 47.8 in of annual precipitation and about 196 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Thurston County?
- Public-school quality in Thurston County is above average, scoring better than 81% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Thurston County?
- The average one-way commute in Thurston County is 27 min.
Other counties in Washington
Explore Washington
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)