Lacey, Washington

About Lacey

Lacey is a neighbor to Washington's state capital, Olympia.  It was founded in 1853, under the original name of Woodland.  It was incorporated in 1966, when the city was created and renamed for a prominent attorney and developer, O. C. Lacey.  Its population of over 40,000 has come to rival Olympia, just to the south.  The large tri-city area of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater, offers ample opportunity for employment and an affordable cost of living.  The climate is temperate, and allows for year round outdoor recreation.  The region is close to Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, the Cascades, and the Olympic Mountain Range.  There are a number of marinas with access to salt water.  

Lacey maintains over 500 acres of parks and open spaces.  Access to the Puget Sound is available at Tolmie State Park, and the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, 3,700 acres of wetlands around the Nisqually River Delta allows for up close viewing of local fauna.  Lacey is also home to a new, 100 acre Regional Athletic Complex with artificial and natural turf.  The facility accommodates soccer, baseball, picnic and outdoor event facilities, playgrounds, walking trails, and has concession areas.  On clear days, Mt. Rainier looms visibly.

The Washington Center for the Performing Arts is nearby in Olympia, as well as other venues like Capitol Theater, Olympia Little Theatre, and Harlequin Productions.  Artists of all size and reputations perform in Olympia.

Geography

Lacey is located just north of Olympia on Interstate 5 and sits at the southern tip of Puget Sound, half way between Seattle, Washington to the north and Portland, Oregon to the South.  The Cascade Mountains, including 14,000 foot Mt. Rainier, lie to the east while the Pacific Ocean is a short drive to the west.  Olympic National Park, home to Mt. Olympus on the Olympic Peninsula is to the north.

Interstate 5 and Amtrak both run north and south through Olympia and span the West Coast.  Highways 101 and 12 offer easy access to the Olympic Peninsula and Pacific Coast Beaches.  There are a number of marinas available for both commercial and recreational use, and Tumwater, just south of Olympia, is home to a regional airport.

Lacey Real Estate

Most of Lacey's residential developments are 10 to 20 years old, and are at either the north end or south end of Lacey.  Some older neighborhoods exist with houses built as early as the 1950s.  While the south end of Lacey boasts new developments including Horizon Pointe, most new construction has been at the north end of Lacey, including Hawk's Prairie.  The Lacey Gateway Project is the largest development project in the area.  1,000 acres are to be developed into commercial, retail, and residential properties.  Cabela's, the nationwide outdoor outfitter, was the first retailer to open it's doors in the Lacey Gateway Town Center.  The Gateway Project is presumed to create 8,000 jobs for the Lacey area.

Mean real estate prices in 2008:

All housing units $242,491
Detached houses $265,754
Townhouses or other attached units $171,108
In 2-unit structures $203,408
In 3- to 4-unit structures $214,996
Mobile homes $43,876

Weather

The weather in Lacey is characterized as a temperate climate.  It rarely experiences extreme temperatures.  Winters are rainy, with occasional snow, and summers are warm and dry.  The rainy months make Lacey an easy place to garden, and spring is vibrantly colorful.

Jan April July Oct
Avg. Temp 38 48 63 50
Precip in inches 8 3.3 0.8 4

Population

As of July, 2008, the population of Lacey was 40,702.  From the 2000 census, this accounts for an increase of 30.0%.  There were 12,459 households, with an average occupancy of 2.47 people.  In Lacey, the Median age is 34.2 years old, compared to the Washington State average of 35.3.

Employment

Washington State Government and the U.S. Military at Joint Base Lewis McChord are major employers of Lacey residents, both military and civilian.  Tacoma and Seattle are nearby major metropolitan regions to which other residents commute, and Lacey itself offers many educational, retail, or light industry employment opportunities. 

Some of the occupations include business, retail, manufacturing, agriculture, timber, civilian military support.  33.5% of occupations are professional or in management, 28.9% in sales in office, 18.2% in service, 9.7% in transportation, and 8.6% in construction.  Private wage and salary workers account for 63.1% of the workforce, government workers comprise 31.7%, and 4.7% are self-employed.  Lacey residents commute and average of 24 minutes each way.

Income

In 2000, the median household income in Lacey was $43,848.  Of full-time, year-round workers, the median age for males was $37,053 and $29,497 for females.  7% of Lacey residents were living below the poverty line.

Cost of Living

As of December, 2009, the Cost of Living Index for Lacey was 108.6, compared to the national average of all areas participating in the Cost of Living Index of 100.

Schools

Public schools in Lacey are administered by the North Thurston School District.  The District includes 13 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 3 comprehensive high schools and one high school of choice., The districts serves over 14,000 students, and employs over 1,600 in staff.  The faculty has the highest percentage of National Board Certified teachers in Washington State.

Of Lacey residents over the age of 25, 88.1% have obtained at least a high school diploma.  There are two public colleges in Olympia – South Puget Sound Community College, a two year college and The Evergreen State College, a nationally ranked liberal arts college. Saint Martin's University, in Lacey, is a private institution offering both undergraduate and graduate programs.