Tumwater receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lacey
Tumwater
Opportunity
70 · Top 23%
vs82 · Top 5%
Growth
81 · Top 4%
vs76 · Top 9%
Climate
69 · Bottom 44%
vs69 · Bottom 44%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 23%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Access
78 · Bottom 20%
vs76 · Bottom 18%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 38%
vs72 · Top 24%
Measured values
| Metric | Lacey | Tumwater | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,737 | 26,956 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,625 | $95,212 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,173 | $46,975 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,110/sq mi | 1,519/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $457,100 | $472,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,870 | $1,779 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.9% | 62.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.1% | 42.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.6% | 7.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 788 | 298 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.6 | 11.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 141.0% | -8.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 78°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.6" | 50.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 36 mi | 43 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.6 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.3 | 37.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.27 | 18.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 50.0% | 31.2% | 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
Lacey
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Tumwater
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Lacey, WA · Tumwater, WA · How this is calculated: methodology