Olympia receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Olympia
Mount Vernon
Opportunity
73 · Top 17%
vs62 · Top 37%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs55 · Top 41%
Climate
69 · Bottom 44%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
59 · Bottom 19%
vs61 · Bottom 21%
Access
76 · Bottom 18%
vs62 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 37%
vs53 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Olympia | Mount Vernon | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 55,951 | 35,377 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,302 | $75,777 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,674 | $37,069 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,071/sq mi | 2,877/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $486,200 | $472,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,599 | $1,405 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.8% | 60.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.8% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.0% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 217 | 61 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -26.2% | 0.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 78°F | 69°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.6" | 19.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 39 mi | 61 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.6 min | 25.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.5 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.83 | 17.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.9% | 65.8% | 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
Olympia
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Mount Vernon
Elevated or high exposure: volcanic activity, earthquake, coastal flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Olympia
59
Your Score
58
Area Score
Mount Vernon
57
Your Score
56
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Olympia, WA · Mount Vernon, WA · How this is calculated: methodology