Olympia is a city in Thurston County, Washington, home to about 55,951 people across 18 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 98501, 98502 and 98506, and parts of 98512 are in Olympia too.
Homes sold for a median of $299 per square foot across 3 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.
Mostly Olympia; also Tumwater
Mostly Olympia
Mostly Olympia; also Lacey
Mostly Tumwater; part is in Olympia
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Olympia. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Olympia’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
Are you a local agent who knows Olympia well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked
| Nearest major airport | Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)40 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Olympia Regional Airport (OLM)6 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Seattle, WA48 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Olympia; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Olympia had 55,605 residents in the 2020 census, up 31% since 2000.
It’s the 25th largest of 628 towns in Washington by population.
Thurston County grew from 9,927 residents in 1900 to 294,793 in 2020.
Thurston County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 78°F in summer, and winter lows average 32°F. About 50.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 4 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Olympia Ap, WA weather station (6 miles away).
86,664 jobs at 6,656 businesses in Thurston County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
3,146 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Olympia’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 294 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 444 |
| Dentists | 151 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 406 |
| Mental health providers | 1,436 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 283 |
| Optometrists | 45 |
| Chiropractors | 87 |
| Pharmacies | 26 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (34 nearby)
Grocery stores (7 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (4 nearby)
Museums (5 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (6 nearby)
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1859.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Olympia School District, Tumwater School District, Griffin School District and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Harbor ElementaryOlympia | Pre-K–5 | 178 | Public | 6.0 mi |
| Centennial ElementaryOlympia | Pre-K–5 | 434 | Public | 5.2 mi |
| East Olympia ElementaryOlympia | Pre-K–5 | 579 | Public | 8.4 mi |
| Garfield Elementary SchoolOlympia | Pre-K–5 | 314 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Griffin SchoolOlympia | Pre-K–8 | 585 | Public | 4.0 mi |
| Julia Butler Hansen ElementaryOlympia | Pre-K–5 | 412 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Littlerock Elementary SchoolOlympia | Pre-K–5 | 343 | Public | 11.2 mi |
| Madison Elementary SchoolOlympia | Pre-K–5 | 203 | Public | 2.8 mi |
| McKenny ElementaryOlympia | Pre-K–5 | 322 | Public | 4.8 mi |
| McLane Elementary SchoolOlympia | Pre-K–5 | 407 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| Peter G Schmidt ElementaryTumwater | Pre-K–5 | 606 | Public | 5.1 mi |
| Pioneer Elementary SchoolOlympia | Pre-K–5 | 384 | Public | 4.0 mi |
| South Bay ElementaryLacey | Pre-K–5 | 595 | Public | 5.4 mi |
| Black Lake ElementaryOlympia | K–5 | 382 | Public | 4.7 mi |
| Leland P Brown ElementaryOlympia | K–5 | 328 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Lincoln Elementary SchoolOlympia | K–5 | 300 | Public | 2.8 mi |
| Olympia Regional Learning AcademyOlympia | K–12 | 345 | Alternative Education | 3.8 mi |
| Roosevelt Elementary SchoolOlympia | K–5 | 340 | Public | 2.7 mi |
| Washington Connections Academy - Mary M. KnightTumwater | K–8 | 600 | Public | 5.4 mi |
| Jefferson Middle SchoolOlympia | 6–8 | 462 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Reeves Middle SchoolOlympia | 6–8 | 394 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| Thurgood Marshall Middle SchoolOlympia | 6–8 | 469 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| TouchstoneOlympia | 6–12 | 2 | Public | 2.6 mi |
| Washington Middle SchoolOlympia | 6–8 | 702 | Public | 4.3 mi |
| Avanti High SchoolOlympia | 9–12 | 167 | Alternative Education | 2.7 mi |
| Capital High SchoolOlympia | 9–12 | 1,322 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| North Thurston High SchoolLacey | 9–12 | 1,378 | Public | 5.2 mi |
| Olympia High SchoolOlympia | 9–12 | 1,901 | Public | 3.8 mi |
| Tumwater High SchoolTumwater | 9–12 | 1,117 | Public | 5.1 mi |
| New Market High SchoolTumwater | 10–12 | 61 | Alternative Education | 5.4 mi |
And 1 more.
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Montessori SchoolOlympia | Pre-K–7 | 14 | Nonsectarian | 4.7 mi |
| Evergreen Christian SchoolOlympia | Pre-K–8 | 201 | Assembly of God | 1.5 mi |
| Olympia Christian SchoolOlympia | Pre-K–8 | 45 | Seventh-day Adventist | 0.2 mi |
| Olympia Waldorf SchoolOlympia | Pre-K–8 | 116 | Nonsectarian | 7.9 mi |
| St Michael Parish SchoolOlympia | Pre-K–8 | 322 | Roman Catholic | 2.9 mi |
| Olympia Community SchoolOlympia | K–5 | 41 | Nonsectarian | 4.1 mi |
| Nova SchoolOlympia | 6–8 | 101 | Nonsectarian | 3.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
Buying or selling around Olympia? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.
Loading map…
Shares ZIP codes with Tumwater and Lacey.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.