Thurston County, WA Average Home Price (2026)

The average home price in Thurston County, Washington is about $509,500 (the 2026 median across 12 ZIP codes, at ~$297/sq ft) — 2% more expensive than the Washington median and 76% more expensive than the typical U.S. home.

$509,500
Median home value
$297
Median price / sq ft
12
ZIP codes with data
+2%
vs Washington median

How Thurston County compares

Thurston County is relatively expensive for housing nationally: its typical home costs $509,500 against $501,000 for Washington and $289,000 for the U.S. Within the county, ZIP-level values run from about $306,000 to $573,000.

AreaTypical value$ / sq ft
Thurston County$509,500$297
Washington$501,000$312
United States$289,000$193

Cities in Thurston County

Cities with their own home-value page, largest first:

Thurston County home prices by ZIP code

The 12 most valuable ZIP codes in Thurston County (of 12 with data):

ZIP codeTypical value$ / sq ftvs county
98516 Lacey$573,000$311+12%
98502 Olympia$568,000$314+11%
98512 Olympia$546,000$290+7%
98501 Olympia$542,000$291+6%
98506 Olympia$537,000$321+5%
98576 Rainier$510,000$286+0%
98579 Rochester$509,000$315+0%
98589 Tenino$506,000$316-1%
98513 Olympia$500,000$303-2%
98597 Yelm$480,000$276-6%
98503 Lacey$479,000$281-6%
98530 Bucoda$306,000$285-40%

Home value appreciation in Thurston County

Home prices in Thurston County have risen about 121% over the last 10 years (≈8.3% a year) and +126.6% over 20 years, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. The most recent year came in at +2.3% — still rising. A home worth $509,500 today was worth roughly $230,543 ten years ago.

+2.3%
1-year change
+48.3%
5-year change
+121.0%
10-year change
+126.6%
20-year change

See where that trend takes a specific home with the home appreciation calculator — statewide, Washington is +113.0% over the same 10 years. Past appreciation is a track record, not a forecast; local prices can fall.

Calculators for Thurston County

Run the numbers for Thurston County with the local rates already filled in — change any input to test your own situation.

Salary needed to buy a home in Thurston County

To buy the typical $509,500 home in Thurston County with 20% down, you need a household income of roughly $139,000 a year (about $3,230 a month for the mortgage, taxes, and insurance). With 10% down the bar rises to about $165,000, because the loan is bigger and mortgage insurance kicks in.

Down paymentCash downMonthly paymentIncome needed
5% (+PMI)$25,500$4,020/mo$172,000/yr
10% (+PMI)$51,000$3,840/mo$165,000/yr
20%$101,900$3,230/mo$139,000/yr

Assumes a 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.5%, property tax at 1.1% and insurance at 0.45% of value per year, PMI of 0.75% on loans with less than 20% down, and the standard 28% housing-to-income rule. Your rate, taxes, and HOA will move these — run your own numbers in the mortgage calculator.

What your budget buys in Thurston County

At about $297 per square foot, here is roughly how much home different budgets get you in Thurston County:

BudgetApprox. sizeWhat that looks like locally
$250k840 sq ftbelow the local median — condos, smaller or older homes
$300k1010 sq ftbelow the local median — condos, smaller or older homes
$400k1350 sq ftbelow the local median — condos, smaller or older homes
$500k1680 sq ftaround the typical home here
$600k2020 sq ftaround the typical home here

Wondering where that budget goes further? The relocation calculator ranks hundreds of U.S. cities by what the same money buys — it opens filtered to Washington.

Estimate a specific home in Thurston County

Enter your ZIP and size for an instant estimate tailored to your exact area:

Thurston County home prices: frequently asked

What is the average home price in Thurston County, WA? +
The typical home in Thurston County, Washington is worth about $509,500 as of 2026 (the median across its 12 ZIP codes with data), at roughly $297 per square foot — 2% more expensive than the Washington median of $501,000 and 76% more expensive than the U.S. median.
What salary do you need to buy a house in Thurston County? +
For the typical $509,500 home in Thurston County, a household income of about $139,000 a year covers the payment with 20% down (a 30-year fixed at 6.5%, plus taxes and insurance, under the 28% rule). With 10% down you need roughly $165,000; with 5% down about $172,000.
Which part of Thurston County is most expensive? +
Among the ZIP codes we track, 98516 (Lacey) is the priciest at about $573,000 and 98530 (Bucoda) the most affordable at about $306,000 — a 1.9× spread inside one county.
Are home values in Thurston County going up? +
Over the last 10 years home prices in Thurston County changed about +121.0% (≈8.3% a year), and +2.3% in the latest year, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. Over 20 years: +126.6%. Past gains are not a guarantee of future ones.

Browse all Washington cities and counties, or look up price per square foot by ZIP code nationwide.

Directional estimates from public market data (Realtor.com & Zillow research; FHFA house price index; Census ZIP-to-county relationships), not appraisals.