Home Affordability in Thurston County, WA
A typical home in Thurston County is worth $532,113, up 0.3% year over year. The effective property tax rate is 0.88% of value, and the 2026 conforming loan limit here is $832,750 — borrow more than that and you need a jumbo loan.
Assumes housing costs stay at 33% of gross income — the sustainable middle, not the maximum a lender would approve. A typical home in Thurston County costs $532,113. Rates as of 5 September 2026; they move weekly and your quote will differ.
What each income buys here
| Household income | Conventional | VA | Zero-down CU | FHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $75,000 | $316,000 | $261,000 | $240,000 | $256,000 |
| $100,000 | $433,000 | $358,000 | $329,000 | $350,000 |
| $125,000 | $549,000 | $455,000 | $417,000 | $444,000 |
| $150,000 | $666,000 | $551,000 | $506,000 | $539,000 |
| $200,000 | $899,000 | $744,000 | $683,000 | $727,000 |
Conventional assumes 20% down. VA and credit-union 100% financing assume zero down with the funding fee financed into the loan; FHA assumes 3.5% down with mortgage insurance for the life of the loan. All hold housing at 33% of gross income and cap total debt at the program’s underwriting limit.
Towns in Thurston County
| Town | Typical home | Year over year | Income needed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lacey | $517,030 | +0.2% | $118,000 | Details |
| Olympia | $536,583 | -0.2% | $122,000 | Details |
| Yelm | $490,346 | +0.6% | $112,000 | Details |
| Tumwater | $529,264 | +0.9% | $121,000 | Details |
| Rochester | $519,210 | +1.2% | $119,000 | Details |
| Tenino | $515,592 | +1.1% | $118,000 | Details |
| Rainier | $523,870 | +1.5% | $120,000 | Details |
| Bucoda | $322,796 | +3.1% | $76,000 | Details |
The cheapest places in the county are Bucoda ($323K), Yelm ($490K), Tenino ($516K).
How the zero-down math actually works
Putting nothing down does not simply move the down payment to zero — it costs you twice. Zero-down programs price above conventional, and they finance a funding fee into the balance, so you start out owing more than the house cost. In Thurston County that difference is worth roughly $160K of purchasing power at a $150,000 income.
The exception is the VA loan. If anyone on the loan is Active Duty, Reserve, or a Veteran, it prices below conventional and charges no mortgage insurance — and the funding fee is waived entirely with any VA disability rating. It is almost always the cheapest zero-down option, and it is worth about $45K more house than a credit-union 100% loan here.