We can't wait to call you neighbor!
You’ve taken a look at our part of the world and thought, “hey, I could see myself living in or near Olympia.” Well, aren't you the smart and savvy one! We’re so excited to welcome you and help put those initial impressions into action.
Olympia is in Thurston County, and is of course, Washington State’s capital city. Eight other communities (Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Tenino, Rainer, Bucoda, Grand Mound and Rochester) likewise call Thurston County home as do three tribal communities, the Nisqually, Chehalis, and Squaxin tribes. For those of us who live and work here, Thurston County is ideal for a whole host of reasons, but we’ll start with a few that resonate with a lot of us.
![A woman driving a boat on the South Puget Sound](https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-the-water.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=240&q=80&w=320&s=9b43bcb8ccc5cde17c34784910895af1 320w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-the-water.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=405&q=80&w=540&s=1c8ea6106ebcabd543f8cf2a24234fb6 540w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-the-water.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&q=80&w=768&s=79e244ee69bf36e4dcbbd1dbf6177cb9 768w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-the-water.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=1024&s=d0c2ac86098576e650b7beaa34df288b 1024w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-the-water.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=900&q=80&w=1200&s=4ee21c0d0ce3a2cb6855b304ccaabbb2 1200w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-the-water.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1080&q=80&w=1440&s=758c8b04502f89fdcde912adccd079f4 1440w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-the-water.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1440&q=80&w=1920&s=0a4d57a7b87de1316ed0a05290552a58 1600w)
We Love the Water Here
We like living near the Puget Sound (huge source of lots of fun and incredible seafood!). We like spending time on the lakes, exploring, floating, and fishing on rivers and streams. We also happen to like rain. It isn’t a secret—winters here are a little on the soggy side BUT that wet stuff makes for incredibly green, vibrant scenery that’s a whole lot easier to drive in than snow. We love to grow things and all that rain makes for wild gardens and natural spaces. It also happens to feed the wealth of products grown in and around the area.
![](https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-food-and-drink.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=240&q=80&w=320&s=fed8091c9f199759bfb9ae8f2e262669 320w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-food-and-drink.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=405&q=80&w=540&s=4ad7790cd9a9b5218981f9c3ccd62cc2 540w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-food-and-drink.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&q=80&w=768&s=0b9a99605e02072e93024de509cffa3a 768w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-food-and-drink.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=1024&s=47f9e6348f19c85cf6c18725f78d281c 1024w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-food-and-drink.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=900&q=80&w=1200&s=1150abce5325e3a39dc51dce3b4f34a1 1200w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-food-and-drink.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1080&q=80&w=1440&s=29173716f0babe4f82daa81213d85224 1440w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-food-and-drink.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1440&q=80&w=1920&s=28a741c88e580cbe7cdece14aa329f9d 1600w)
We Love Our Food and Drink
Folks in this neck of the woods are probably not going to shy away from a good meal and living this close to the Puget Sound and lots of local farms means farm to table is a way of life for a whole lot of us. The food we buy for our homes is some of the best you’re going to find—from the community farmer’s markets, local butcher shops, seafood markets, independent farms, and ranches. That local bounty also means we get to enjoy some truly amazing culinary fare in our restaurants when we don’t feel like cooking ourselves. Our proximity—both to local sourcing and other larger cities (Seattle/Tacoma and Portland) means we also enjoy more diversity of people, and therefore more diversity of cuisine. Thurston County is also home to beer, wine, cider, and distilled spirits enthusiasts with tons of opportunities to enjoy truly handcrafted works of liquid art.
![](https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-fresh-air.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=240&q=80&w=320&s=7b2e2b69f6000574b7a689a163aa7b76 320w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-fresh-air.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=405&q=80&w=540&s=7bbb9d036c8cbeced3de80edee5042dd 540w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-fresh-air.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&q=80&w=768&s=34fb01ea5960357a0c36ce14e5cd7ebe 768w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-fresh-air.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=1024&s=9814153b1d0cdf56209d0210efd49bbe 1024w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-fresh-air.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=900&q=80&w=1200&s=835689bd3183c71d33a5799aff2d2a5e 1200w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-fresh-air.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1080&q=80&w=1440&s=2c88667018a23da13bd6ec0353548ea1 1440w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/page-photos/we-love-our-fresh-air.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1440&q=80&w=1920&s=17a27ca1918f40371c5a521b4d57ae5a 1600w)
We Love Our Fresh Air & Natural Beauty
It may sound simple, but there’s a lot to be said for being able to enjoy the freshness of coastal air every day with views of Mt. Rainier, misty farmlands and prairies, towering stands of oak and fir, and of course, Puget Sound. And being able to take in these simple joys each day whether we’re walking our dog (yep, this place is pretty darned pet friendly), hiking through Capitol State Forest, traveling a pretty rush hour-free roadway to and from work, or from the comfort of home while working remotely—just adds to our quality of life.
Explore and experience Olympia, and beyond
Putting Your Plans Into Action
Of course, there is a whole lot more to why we choose to live and work in Thurston County, but these simple things really count for a lot. That said, we know there are a lot of nuts and bolts that must fit just right when you’re trying to decide whether to relocate—either yourself, your family, or your company—to a new location, so we thought we’d put together some resources to help you put your plan into action.
Work Here
The diversity and economic health and stability of our area means we offer opportunity for a variety of skill levels, areas of expertise and employment needs. Government is by far the largest employer in the region offering fair pay and benefits as well as security. Look for current Thurston County government jobs available here. Other key markets provide growing employment opportunities here as well: higher education, healthcare, public utilities, and hospitality, to name a few.
Find Your Dream Home
Because Thurston County is home to nine municipalities of varying size and location, the types of housing and real estate you can choose from is equally varied. Whether you are looking for a rental property, a new home, office space, or a location to park your RV while working remotely, odds are, you’ll find an ideal location here.
Grow Your Network
Get out and meet new friends, colleagues and neighbors by attending local events, or join a local organization or service club.
Build (Literally) Your Own Dream
Find the local team of experts that can help bring your dream to life whether it’s a brand new home, a remodel or you’re ready to construct that commercial property to take your company to the next level.
Discover Our Wellness Experts
Ensuring you can access quality healthcare is an important part of making the decision to move to an area. Thurston County is home to both Providence, and Multicare healthcare services.
Keeping The Lights On
Thurston County communities have the infrastructure in-place and ready to welcome you, your family and business and make sure your day-to-day needs are met. Access information about local utilities.
Business & Financial Services
Connect with qualified local professionals that can help you achieve your personal and professional financial objectives.