Lively, Outdoorsy, Artsy
Scored the same way as the quiz, against 382 U.S. metro areas. A feel is listed when Olympia scores 70 or higher out of 100.
Less so: cozy.
How locals describe Olympia
The words residents use most, from 105 comments on Reddit, City-Data and Quora. Bigger means more people said it. Tap a word to read what they said.
"Some great performances at WA Center. Some great musicians at shows downtown."
"My rent is $1500 for a 1-bed 1-bath apartment, 700 sq feet. That's on the fairly low end for apartments in Oly."
A walk through Olympia
Places residents talk about, in their words. Each photo is of the place named.
Look around Olympia
Google Street View near the center of town, taken 2026-03. Drag to turn, click the street to move.
Open in Google MapsEveryday life in Olympia
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Around Olympia
What Olympia is known for
Every year
FebOly Old Time Festival: Annual music event with concerts, jams, and dance callingolyoldtime.weebly.com
MayHeritage Festival: Cultural heritage celebrationolympiawa.gov
JunCapital City Pride Festival: Pride festival in Olympiaolympiawa.gov
SepOlympia Harbor Days Festival: Festival celebrating maritime heritage with tugboat shows and racesmy.boothcentral.com
Busiest time
Summer: Summer draws most visitors to the region's outdoor attractionsstateofwatourism.com
On a normal week
Walking the Percival Landing Park boardwalken.wikipedia.org
Visiting the Olympia Farmers' Marketen.wikipedia.org
Walking trails at Capitol Lakeen.wikipedia.org
Hiking trails at Squaxin Parken.wikipedia.org
Take a tour of Olympia
"Downtown Olympia, Washington 4K Walking Tour" by 4K Nature and City Walks, on YouTube. Not made by Varro.
The Lacey library is a comfy spot for remote work, with Fog and Fern nearby for coffee.
“Comfy, Fog and fern near by is great if you need a coffee break and has good food, too.”
Squaxin Park and the Evergreen campus offer easy, low effort trails near the water.
“the Evergreen campus have some nice trails to/near the water, less of a hike and more a casual meander, but close by and low on”
One resident enjoyed a visit that included the farmers market, downtown, a dinosaur themed restaurant, parks, and Capitol Forest.
“We hit up the farmers market, explored downtown, ate with the dinosaurs, explored parks, visited Capitol Forest”
“Filibuster makes great cocktails and The Brotherhood always has a good crowd.”
From 12 resident comments about meeting people and the social scene.
One resident said Olympia has many hobby groups that meet during the week, and Meetup has a lot of Olympia specific groups.
“Olympia has a lot of hobby groups -- people that meet up during the week to socialize and do stuff. Meetup has a lot of Olympia specific groups...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident said local Discord groups can be a great way to set up meetups and make friends, noting they are still friends with someone from Tacoma they met that way.
“Local Discord groups can actually be awesome to set up meetups and make friends! Still friends with someone from Tacoma I met in a Discord...”
Read the full commentAbout 5 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident suggested meeting people through activities like the climbing gym, running clubs, group bike rides, and the mountaineers instead of dating apps and groups.
“Instead of dating apps and groups, try meeting people through avenues like the climbing gym, running clubs, group bike rides, the mountaineers,...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident shared that after almost 8 years living in Olympia, they became more withdrawn and struggled to form close friendships.
“I've been here almost 8 years and have just become more of a hermit and have struggled to make close friend connections. My partner has been in...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident said it is hard to make new friends in the Seattle area even as a native, partly due to money and entitlement
“It's tough to make new friends in Seattle, even for natives such as myself. I think in part because there is so much money and entitlement...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident said that as a remote worker who moved to Olympia two years ago, it has been a struggle, and Bumble BFF has basically been useless because it is hard to break into the social scene.
“I moved here two years ago. I am a remote worker and it is a STRUGGLE. Bumble BFF has basically been useless. I feel like it’s hard to break into...”
Read the full commentAbout 4 months agoOne resident said their social life has become almost nonexistent since moving to Olympia and that dating is not even worth considering, despite loving the area's beauty.
“My social life has become all but nonexistent since moving to Olympia. Don't even think about dating. It is beautiful here and I love...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident suggested that rather than a dating group, a casual meetup where you bring your own snacks and sit quietly in public is a great way to meet people.
“It's not a dating group per se but a great way to meet people. Bring your own snacks/drinks/booze. Sit quietly in public. Be it a park, a bar,...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident said they go to Oly Taproom or Beerwerks to try to meet single people after a decade in the area.
“where I can get out there and meet single people. I'd go to Oly Taproom or Beerwerks. I've been in the Olympia area for about a decade now.”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident said re entering the dating scene after ten years away makes them feel stupid, old, outdated, and confused.
“i've been out of the dating scene for like ten years. re entering has me feeling stupid, old, outdated, confused.”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident said it is hard to meet people in general, including friends and dating partners, since every bar seems occupied.
“I am struggling to meet people around here (friends, dating, basically all types of relationships 😂). Every bar around here seems to be occupied by...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years ago"Filibuster makes great cocktails and The Brotherhood always has a good crowd."
One resident mentioned the cost of living has increased dramatically since they arrived.
“Cost of living has increased dramatically. Beautiful place though. Lots of fun to be had when you know what you're looking for and what groups...”
Read the full commentAbout 10 months agoOne resident who moved from Nashville said life is better in almost every way except that dining options are mediocre unless you know where to look.
“We moved here from Nashville last year. Life is better in almost every way! The only downside is dining; food options are pretty meh unless you...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident says some parts of Olympia have a cohesive neighborhood feel while other parts feel like strip mall hell, though outdoor access is great.
“Some parts of Olympia have a cohesive neighborhood vibe; others feel like strip mall hell. Access to outdoor stuff is great. Food out is...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoRecent stories from local outlets. Tap a headline to read it.
About 980 business locations in the Olympia area, employing about 23,841 people. That's 1.2 times the U.S. share, so this field is a bigger part of the local economy than usual.
U.S. Census County Business Patterns, 2023. Counts business locations with paid employees, not job openings.
One resident said the job market is especially bad in Olympia compared to elsewhere.
“https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/ · More ... Yes the job market is bad everywhere but Olympia is especially bad.”
Read the full commentAbout 10 months agoState jobs can start with low pay but one resident said the long term trajectory was worth it.
“Was able to secure a permanent position within 3 months and work up from there. The pay was CRAP at first but the jump overall was worth it.”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOffice assistant and custodial jobs are described as good entry points into local work.
“office assistant jobs and custodial work are a great foot in the door. there's also education reimbursement and other training opportunities. i...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoPick a month. A dot means residents talked about that time of year.
One resident says summers are amazing with great weather from June to September or early October, while the rest of the year is wet and chilly.
“Summers are amazing. From June to September/early October, the weather is great. The rest of the time it's wet and chilly. Not so much rainy and...”
Read the full commentAbout 13 years ago. Things may have changed since.Olympia is not considered a food town, though it is pretty and close to nature.
“Olympia is not a food town. It's very pretty and easy to get out into nature. Public transit is free. There are parks, farmer's market, indie...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.Squaxin Park and the Evergreen campus offer easy, low effort trails near the water.
“Squaxin Park and the Evergreen campus have some nice trails to/near the water, less of a hike and more a casual meander, but close by and low on...”
Read the full commentAbout 4 years ago. Things may have changed since.Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually is mentioned as a beautiful spot to see wildlife like herons.
“Went to Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually yesterday for the first time and saw this beautiful heron. I’m wondering about similar pretty places or the best...”
Read the full commentAbout 10 months agoThe Lacey library is a comfy spot for remote work, with Fog and Fern nearby for coffee.
“The lacey library. Comfy, Fog and fern near by is great if you need a coffee break and has good food, too. 2y ago Pawsific North West Cafe.”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years ago“It's very pretty and easy to get out into nature.”
What's nearby
Within 5 miles of the center of the Olympia area.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Biking and trails
Within 5 miles of the center of the Olympia area.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.
What rent costs
Of about 36,677 rented homes in the Olympia area, 74% rent for under $2,000 a month and 97% for under $3,000.
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
The middle rented home in the Olympia area rents for $1,500 to $1,999 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $3,000 to $3,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $4,500 to $5,997 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,500 to $1,999, that's a yearly income of about $54,000 to $71,964.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to Washington: before and after
- Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
- Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Washington DMV.
- Register to vote at your new address: Washington voter registration.
- Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
- Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Public schools
8 public school districts in this county, with about 41,826 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Washington keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
| Age | Daycare center | Home daycare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (under 2) | $357/week about $18,600 a year | $246/week about $12,800 a year |
| Toddler (2) | $249/week about $12,900 a year | |
| Preschool (3 to 4) | $249/week about $12,900 a year | $205/week about $10,700 a year |
| School-age | $192/week about $10,000 a year |
For an infant at a center: $357/week here, $370 across WA, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 18% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
3 colleges in the county around Olympia. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.