Home Affordability in Thurston County, WA
A typical home in Thurston County is worth $524,886, up 0.3% year over year. The effective property tax rate is 0.9% of value, and the 2026 conforming loan limit here is $832,750 — borrow more than that and you need a jumbo loan.
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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 $524,886. 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 | $262,000 | $240,000 | $256,000 |
| $100,000 | $432,000 | $358,000 | $329,000 | $350,000 |
| $125,000 | $549,000 | $454,000 | $417,000 | $444,000 |
| $150,000 | $665,000 | $551,000 | $506,000 | $538,000 |
| $200,000 | $898,000 | $743,000 | $682,000 | $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 | $509,747 | +0.2% | $117,000 | Details |
| Olympia | $529,479 | -0.2% | $121,000 | Details |
| Yelm | $483,084 | +0.5% | $111,000 | Details |
| Tumwater | $522,305 | +0.8% | $119,000 | Details |
| Rochester | $513,343 | +1% | $117,000 | Details |
| Tenino | $508,246 | +1% | $116,000 | Details |
| Rainier | $515,485 | +1.2% | $118,000 | Details |
| Bucoda | $317,917 | +2.1% | $75,000 | Details |
The cheapest places in the county are Bucoda ($318K), Yelm ($483K), Tenino ($508K).
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.