What it's like to live in Lacey
Lacey is a smaller city in Washington with household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lacey deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Lacey compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lacey
Based on Lacey's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,740
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $74,800 a year
- 57% of Lacey renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$91,420
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $45,710
- Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 32% above US
$1,870/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,870 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $457,100. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $457,100 · 57% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.6%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 33% below US
220 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1949/100k · Lacey Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 75°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 33°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
34% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 34% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
17 public schools inside the boundary
There are 17 public schools inside the boundary and 7 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park (44 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lacey's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,870/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Lacey
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