Olympia receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Anacortes
Olympia
Opportunity
68 · Top 26%
vs73 · Top 17%
Growth
55 · Top 41%
vs52 · Top 47%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs69 · Bottom 44%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 26%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
53 · Bottom 13%
vs59 · Bottom 19%
Access
58 · Bottom 6%
vs76 · Bottom 18%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 33%
vs53 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Anacortes | Olympia | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,966 | 55,951 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $91,951 | $81,302 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $57,662 | $45,674 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,536/sq mi | 3,071/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $696,700 | $486,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,702 | $1,599 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.9% | 49.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.2% | 51.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.3% | 14.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 28 | 217 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 3.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 47.4% | -26.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 69°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 19.9" | 50.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 68 mi | 39 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.4 min | 21.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 50.5 | 40.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.75 | 17.83 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 32.8% | 42.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Anacortes
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, volcanic activity, coastal flooding.
Olympia
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Anacortes, WA · Olympia, WA · How this is calculated: methodology