Rainier is a city in Thurston County, Washington, home to about 2,455 people across 1.7 square miles. Its ZIP code is 98576.
Homes sold for a median of $297 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Rainier. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Rainier’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)43 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Olympia Regional Airport (OLM)12 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Seattle, WA53 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Rainier; 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.
Rainier had 2,369 residents in the 2020 census, up 59% since 2000.
It’s the 289th 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 (12 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).
5 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Rainier.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 1 |
|---|---|
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
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 (4 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1 mile 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.
Public schools here are run by Rainier School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainier Elementary SchoolRainier | Pre-K–5 | 493 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Rainier Middle SchoolRainier | 6–8 | 241 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Rainier Senior High SchoolRainier | 9–12 | 283 | Public | 0.5 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Yelm.
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.