Lacey is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Olympia with a population of 53,526 at the 2020 census, making it the 24th most populous city in Washington. Lacey is located along Interstate 5 between Olympia and the Nisqually River, which marks the border with Pierce County and Joint Base Lewis–McChord.
History Early settlement Lacey was originally called Woodland after settlers Isaac and Catherine Wood, who claimed land there in 1853."Thurston County Sesquicentennial" — The Olympian By 1891, the railroad had come to the community of Woodland and the residents decided it was time to apply for a post office. The request was denied because there was already a town called Woodland on the Columbia River. The name Lacey was chosen for the new post office application, presumably after O. C. Lacey, a Justice of the Peace in Olympia. The small settlements of Woodland and Chambers Prairie consolidated into Lacey in the 1950s.
20th century Initial studies on incorporation of the Lacey area were undertaken in 1963 by a local chamber of commerce to prevent the City of Olympia from annexing the area. The study proposed an incorporated area of that would encompass 5,738 residents. A proposal to incorporate Lacey was placed before voters at a special election on August 11, 1964, and was defeated by a margin of over 300 votes.
A second attempt to incorporate and 8,860 residents into the City of Lacey was proposed in 1966. Voters approved incorporation in the November 8, 1966, election, by a margin of approximately 200 votes. The City of Lacey was officially incorporated on December 5, 1966, after the election results were certified. The City of Olympia responded with a special election to annex that would be withdrawn from Lacey under provisions of a state law. The special election would encompass the entirety of Olympia rather than be solely restricted to the affected area; it was approved on January 24, 1967.
At the time, the main industries were cattle, milk, forest products, and retail. Lacey later became a commuter town for Olympia, Fort Lewis, and, to some extent, Tacoma. In 1975, the local Jaycees chapter proposed moving the county seat for Thurston County from Olympia to Lacey to give the city "an identity" beyond being a bedroom community.
21st century In April 2025, a Tesla supercharger station located on Sleater-Kinney Road was vandalized. The act, originally reported as an explosion, was being investigated by the FBI as possibly a form of domestic terrorism and perhaps connected to a larger form of protest against the company.
Geography
Lacey generally lies between Olympia to the west and the Nisqually River delta (which includes the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge) to the east. The city's northernmost point is along the Nisqually Reach on Puget Sound adjacent to Tolmie State Park and its southern boundary is a section of the BNSF Railway's Seattle Subdivision, a major freight and passenger railway.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Lacey had a population of 53,526. The median age was 36.5 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.1 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 20,906 households in Lacey, of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.0% were married-couple households, 15.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 22,039 housing units, of which 5.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 34,071 63.7% Black or African American 3,135 5.9% American Indian and Alaska Native 663 1.2% Asian 4,859 9.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 1,352 2.5% Some other race 2,411 4.5% Two or more races 7,035 13.1% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 6,764 12.6%
2010 census As of the 2010 census, there were 42,393 people, 16,949 households, and 10,869 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 18,493 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 74.2% White, 5.4% African American, 1.2% Native American, 8.0% Asian, 1.7% Pacific Islander, 2.6% from other races, and 7.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.2% of the population.
There were 16,949 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.9% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99.
The median age in the city was 34 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.5% were from 25 to 44; 21.8% were from 45 to 64; and 14.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.
2000 census As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $46,848, and the median income for a family was $54,923. Males had a median income of $41,053 versus $32,497 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,224. About 7.1% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Neighborhoods Mushroom Corner is located along Interstate 5 and is included in the Tanglewilde-Thompson Place census-designated place (CDP) for census purposes. The "corner" in Mushroom Corner is located at the intersection of Steilacoom Road SE and Marvin Road SE. The community takes its name from the local mushroom crop; the Ostrom Mushroom Farm formerly operated nearby. Economy
The largest retail area in Lacey is the South Sound Center, which opened in 1966 and was originally an enclosed mall until 2000. Plans to develop a city center near the mall were considered as early as the 1990s to revitalize the area around the civic campus. The Lacey Gateway was developed in the 2000s and is home to a Cabela's store, but failed to attract other major tenants. The Nisqually Tribe announced plans in 2023 to build Quiemuth Resort, a casino resort with a 350-room hotel adjacent to Lacey Gateway, and a mixed-use development at a nearby site.
The city designated of land in the Hawks Prairie area for industrial use in the 1990s with the intent of attracting high-tech businesses. It instead was developed into large warehouses and distribution centers that serve the Puget Sound region and connect with the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma. In 2003, retailer Target opened its West Coast distribution center in Lacey with of space—among the largest warehouses in the U.S. by usable volume. The city council passed a cap of for new warehouses in 2006, but lifted it in 2015 for additional development.
Sustainability Lacey was the twelfth city to be designated an official "Green Power Community" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its use of renewable energy sources; 8.4% of its total energy use comes from green power sources. It is working to meet its Alternative Energy Initiative, which includes using 100 percent green electrical energy in all of its municipal buildings, parks, utilities, and 3,000 streetlights and traffic signals; providing electric vehicle charging stations to visitors and employees at its city hall and library campus; and initiating conversion of its municipal fleet to energy efficient vehicles powered by electricity, hybrid technology, and 80/20 biofuel."Lacey Alternative Energy Fair Named Top Event by Washington Recreation and Park Association" — Lacey Online - Press Releases Lacey has received the "Tree City, USA" designation from the National Arbor Day Foundation for 26 years."City of Lacey Marks 26 Years as a Tree City USA" — Lacey Online - Press Releases
Top Employers , the city had an unemployment rate of 4.1% and an estimated 34,160 jobs; Lacey's top employers were:
Rank Employer Employees in 2023 Employees in 2014 2023 Share 2014 Share 1 State of Washington 2,520 2,590 7.4% 12% 2 North Thurston Public Schools 2,000 1,700 5.9% 8% 3 Amazon 838 - 2.5% - 4 St. Martin's University 612 100-500 1.8% 1% 5 PetSmart 480 - 1.4% - 6 Harbor Wholesale 407 - 1.2% - 7 South Sound Behavior Hospital 405 - 1.2% - 8 Medline Industries 393 - 1.2% - 9 Walmart 368 100-500 1.1% 1% 10 City of Lacey 330 241 1% 1%
Arts and culture The city instituted a poet laureate position in 2022. The first person to serve in the position was Cynthia Pratt, a former deputy mayor and councilwoman for Lacey.
Historical buildings and sites The city has two buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Chambers' Prairie-Ruddell Pioneer Cemetery, located in southeast Lacey, is considered the "last tangible link" to historic pioneers and settlers who helped to create the Washington Territory and grow the southern Puget Sound region. With The Long Lake Recreation Hall, also known as Heritage Hall, is located at the Thurston County Fairgrounds. With
The Lacey Historical Commission formed a registry in the mid-1990s to recognize historic homes in the community. By 1998, the commission selected the cemetery and five homes, including the Jacob Smith House, the oldest known residence in Lacey. In 2011, the commission had recognized 69 other properties for potential inclusion to the registry.
, seven historical markers are located in Lacey, including three documenting the Lacey Depot, Lacey Plywood Company, and Lacey Rotary Club located on the Karen Fraser Woodland Trail near the train station. Markers are located at two homesteads, the Andrew Jackson Chambers and Himes and Fleetwood sites, as well as the Chambers-to-Chalet location. A marker documenting the history of the Jackson Family and Goose Pond is placed at Woodland Creek Park.
Library The first public library in Lacey was located in the basement of the Lacey School during the 1930s; it closed by the end of the decade as the schoolhouse needed more room to expand. In 1962, an association was formed to begin raising money for a new library. A bookmobile, nicknamed the "No Go-Go Bookmobile" due to a lack of wheels, had been donated in 1965 from the South Puget Sound Regional Library. A storefront library in Market Square was opened in 1966 and moved to the Lacey Village Shopping Center in 1978. Bond measures to support the construction of a library failed in 1979 and 1987; the city of Lacey agreed to cover half the cost of a library build in 1988 with donations supporting the remaining funding needs. Construction began in 1990 and the Lacey Timberland Regional Library located on College Street opened the following year.
Public art
Public art in Lacey is funded in part by an annual 25-cent fee per individual taxpayer. The collected funds are budgeted for artwork improvements and maintenance in the community.