Why Locate Your Company in Lacey?

Lacey Highlights

• Great access to Interstate 5, Olympia and the Puget Sound Corridor

• Educated Workforce at lower cost than Seattle

• Affordable Housing at lower cost than Seattle

• Ranked by Forbes as one of the top 10 places to do business in the US

• Great Quality of Life

• Proximity to State Capital

• Proximity to Joint Base Lewis-McChord

More Information Links

Location Location Lacey Website

City of Lacey Woodland District Strategic Plan

Thurston County Economic Development Information

Joint Base Lewis-McChord Economic Impact

Thurston County Labor Market Evaluation

Thurston County Market Overview

Experience Olympia & Beyond

Lacey Overview

Situated on the southern tip of Puget Sound in the shadow of magnificent Mt. Rainier, Lacey lies in the center of a natural paradise. Five freshwater lakes within the city, miles of hiking and biking paths, several championship golf courses, nearly 700 acres of public parkland and the adjoining 3,700-acre Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge provide employees with virtually unlimited opportunities for outdoor recreation.

Clean air, clean water, outstanding schools, a low crime rate, a healthy economy, and close proximity to major metropolitan areas make Lacey one of the most desirable places in the country in which to live and conduct business.

Residents are highly-educated, communities oriented, and enjoy the highest median household income of any city in Thurston County.  Crime rates are consistently among the lowest in the region, with Lacey and the adjacent metro area recently receiving the “Most Secure Mid-sized City” designation from Sperling’s Best Places.  Businesses from around the world have taken notice of Lacey’s high quality of life, and economic development has flourished.  

Forbes Magazine has ranked the Thurston County region as one of the top ten places in the U.S. to do business. The 8th-place ranking reflects high performance and growth that is driven by low housing costs, low cost of living, ever-increasing job growth, recreational and cultural opportunities, award winning education, and competitive cost of doing business.

Award-Winning Education

Home to The Evergreen State College and Lacey's own Saint Martin’s University, Chapman University and South Puget Sound Community College, Thurston County's workforce exceeds both state and national levels with 30 percent of the population holding either a Bachelor of Arts or graduate degree. These award-winning colleges continue to rank high on quality education and academic achievements.

As the largest school district in Thurston County, North Thurston Public School District (NTPS) works hard to meet the educational needs of employers with more than 1,700 full and part-time staff committed to supporting student success. The district has one of the highest percentages in the state of National Board Certified Teachers, and the majority of teachers hold advanced degrees - some are even NTPS alumni. Timberline High School ranked in the top 4.6% of all schools in America.

Proximity to the State Capital

Government employment is a big influence on Lacey's economy. One of the strongest clusters of business activity centers around the government’s legislative process. State government accounts for nearly 45 percent of the county workforce, more than 44,000 people. Many state agencies have found a home in Lacey and the city is the headquarters for the State Department of Ecology and its work force.

Quick Transportation Access

The city's strategic location at the mid-point between the major metropolitan areas of the central Puget Sound to the north, and Portland, Oregon to the south is a major advantage for access to transportation by land, sea, rail, or air.  The region’s primary north-south transportation artery, Interstate 5, traverses the entire county offering access points to vibrant communities, emerging industrial and commercial business parks, and access to the state’s major recreational opportunities.

Regional Health Care Hub

Health care is a major industry in the South Puget Sound, demonstrated by the fact that three of the top employers in Thurston County are regional health care facilities serving Thurston and surrounding counties.

Providence St. Peter Hospital is the largest private employer in Thurston County, as well as the largest hospital in the region; Capital Medical Center is a full service hospital offering local comprehensive services across a 5-county area; and Group Health Cooperative is the third ranked employer in the country.

Affordable Housing for Employees

Lacey offers housing options from urban-style townhomes, to quaint waterfront homes, to palatial estates and beyond -- with more waterfront and golf-course living opportunities than any other community in Thurston County. People really love living here -- almost 8,000 new homes are expected to be constructed over the coming decades.

Lacey is known for its quiet, safe neighborhoods. The crime rate is consistently lower than the state average, one of the lowest in Thurston County, and is about one-half that of many similarly-sized communities in Western Washington.

The average price for a three-bedroom home in Lacey is $194,668.  Rental rates for a typical three-bedroom home average about $954.  One-bedroom apartments rent for around $600, and two-bedroom units for $680.  Lacey housing is consistently lower than other metropolitan cities around Puget Sound.

Leading Regional Industries

• Warehouse and distribution businesses that take advantage of the transportation links

• Medical services that provide emergency and maintenance health care for the surrounding five-county region

• Traditional manufacturing by many of our local producers that captures a significant piece of their specific global market

• An emerging life sciences community that has grown in the region within the last five years

• Office and Administrative Support

• Sales Professionals

• Food and Beverage Preparation and Serving

• Transportation and Material Moving

• Education and Training

• Construction and Extraction

• State Government

• Retail Sales Workers

• Business and Financial Operations

• Production and Manufacturing

• Construction Trades

• Personal Care and Service

• Healthcare Practitioners

• Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

• Farming, Fishing, and Forestry

• Technical internet & web design firms

• Legal and consultant companies