Living in Lacey.

A green, easygoing city next to Olympia, with lakes and paved trails.

Mount Rainier beyond a wooded bluff on Puget Sound near Lacey

Life in Lacey

Lacey sits next to Olympia, the state capital. Intercity Transit buses connect Lacey with Olympia and Tumwater without a fare.

Getting to Seattle

Amtrak Cascades trains stop at Centennial Station, just south of town.

Schools

North Thurston Public Schools serves the city. Check with the district for the schools at a specific address.

Weekends

The Karen Fraser Woodland Trail runs 2.2 paved miles through the center of Lacey, and Long Lake Park has a swimming beach.

Lacey
by the numbers.

57,737 people live in Lacey, with a median age of 37.3. The median household earns $90,625 a year.

People: 57,737
Median age: 37.3
Median household income: $90,625
Median home value: $457,100

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Figures are for the city limits.

Who lives
in Lacey.

Age

Under 1013%
10 to 178%
18 to 248%
25 to 4431%
45 to 6420%
65 to 7411%
75 and over9%

Education, adults 25 and over

No high school diploma6%
High school23%
Some college25%
Associate degree12%
Bachelor’s degree22%
Graduate degree12%

Men and women

Men 49%Women 51%

Density and degrees

People per square mile: 3,110
Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 34%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Figures are for the city limits.

Schools
in Lacey.

Public schools with a Lacey address. The district’s boundary map shows which school serves a specific home.

Chambers Prairie Elementary SchoolNorth Thurston School DistrictK–56501 Virginia St SE, 985136.4
Evergreen Forest ElementaryNorth Thurston School DistrictK–53025 Marvin Rd SE, 985037.4
Horizons ElementaryNorth Thurston School DistrictK–54601 67th Ave SE, 985135.0
Lacey ElementaryNorth Thurston School DistrictK–51800 Homann Dr SE, 985034.3
Lakes Elementary SchoolNorth Thurston School DistrictK–56211 Mullen Rd SE, 985035.3
Lydia Hawk ElementaryNorth Thurston School DistrictK–57600 5th Ave SE, 985033.7
Meadows ElementaryNorth Thurston School DistrictPK–5836 Deerbrush Dr SE, 985135.4
Mountain View ElementaryNorth Thurston School DistrictPK–51900 College St SE, 985033.5
Olympic View ElementaryNorth Thurston School DistrictK–51330 Horne Ave NE, 985166.3
Pleasant Glade ElementaryNorth Thurston School DistrictPK–51920 Abernethy Rd NE, 985165.3
Seven Oaks ElementaryNorth Thurston School DistrictPK–51800 Seven Oaks Dr SE, 985035.7
South Bay ElementaryNorth Thurston School DistrictPK–53845 Sleater Kinney Rd NE, 985067.1
Woodland ElementaryNorth Thurston School DistrictPK–54630 Carpenter Rd SE, 985037.7

Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data 2023–24. State score: Washington School Improvement Framework 2025, OSPI, all students, on a 1–10 scale. A dash means the state did not publish a score for the school. Online and alternative programs are not listed.

Places to see
around Lacey.

Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
A national wildlife refuge on the Nisqually River delta, just off I-5 near Lacey. Its boardwalk runs a mile out over the tide flats.
Long Lake Park
A 10-acre city park with 285 feet of sandy beach on Long Lake. The city calls it one of the best swimming beaches in Thurston County.
Karen Fraser Woodland Trail
A paved rail trail between Lacey and Olympia. In Lacey it runs 2.2 miles through the center of town, past the old Lacey Depot.
Tolmie State Park
A 154-acre state park on Nisqually Beach, a short drive north of Lacey. It has about two miles of walking trails.