Thurston County · Washington · West · 56k residents
Olympia, WA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Olympia: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Washington median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,465/wk. Washington's corporate income tax rate is 0%. Commercial electricity averages 10.0¢/kWh.
Compare Olympia side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,465/wk
Corporate income tax
0%
Bachelor's degree or higher
51.8%
Commercial electricity
10.0¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Olympia's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
43/100
Steady
Ranks Olympia's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $486,200 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $350 |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,341/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,685/mo |
| State & local income tax | 0% |
| Sales tax | 9.4% |
| Corporate income tax | 0% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,465/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.8% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.0¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 28.4/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $124,060 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $125,020 |
| Wage: General manager | $122,210 |
| Wage: Customer service | $49,630 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $44,070 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $63,040 |
| Wage: Electrician | $96,600 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $37,350 |
| Cost of living index | 116 |
| Groceries index | 106 |
| Utilities | $155/mo |
| Transit pass | $99/mo |
| Gas price | $4.10/gal |
| Healthcare index | 104 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,500/mo |
| Median household income | $81,302 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% |
| Population | 56k |
| Crime index | 50/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 |
| Walkability | 34/100 |
| Disaster risk | 95/100 |
| Avg. commute | 28 min |
| Sunny days / year | 155 days |
| July high | 78°F |
| January low | 33°F |
| Annual snowfall | 4 in |
| Home price YoY | -0.1% |
| Home price MoM | -0.4% |
| Rent YoY | +4.3% |
| Rent MoM | +0.4% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +0.8% |
| Building permits YoY | -54.3% |
| Ocean coast | 3 mi |
| Big lake | 288 mi |
| Mountains | 54 mi |
| Major airport | 40 mi |
| Ski resort | 66 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Lacey, WA · 58k
- Tumwater, WA · 27k
- Fort Lewis, WA · 15k
- Lakewood, WA · 63k
- Tacoma, WA · 223k
Similar size
- Burien, WA · 52k
- Shoreline, WA · 61k
- Bothell, WA · 50k
- Richland, WA · 63k
- Sammamish, WA · 66k
Real listings in Olympia
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Olympia a good place to run a business?
- Washington's corporate income tax rate is 0%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,465/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.0¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Olympia, WA?
- Olympia indexes at 116 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,685/mo and a acs median home value of $486,200.
- How much does a house cost in Olympia?
- The acs median home value in Olympia is $486,200 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Olympia?
- A two-bedroom in Olympia rents for about $1,685/mo.