Benton County vs Thurston County
A side-by-side comparison of Benton County and Thurston County: population, income, housing, and more.
Benton County and Thurston County are counties in Washington. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Thurston County has the higher population (296,640 vs 210,224 in Benton County). Thurston County has the higher median household income ($93,985 vs $87,316 in Benton County). Thurston County has the higher median home value ($451,500 vs $369,400 in Benton County).
Population, income & housing
| Benton County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 210,224 | 296,640 |
| Median age | 36.2 yrs | 39.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $87,316 | $93,985 |
| Median home value | $369,400 | $451,500 |
| Median gross rent | $1,256 | $1,634 |
| Housing units | 81,792 | 123,333 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.5% | 67.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.0% | 37.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.2% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Benton County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 197,518 → 210,224 (+6.4%) | 279,711 → 296,640 (+6.1%) |
| Median household income | $69,023 → $87,316 (+26.5%) | $72,003 → $93,985 (+30.5%) |
| Median home value | $235,800 → $369,400 (+56.7%) | $287,900 → $451,500 (+56.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $974 → $1,256 (+29.0%) | $1,218 → $1,634 (+34.2%) |
Benton County
197,518210,224
$69,023$87,316
$235,800$369,400
$974$1,256
Thurston County
279,711296,640
$72,003$93,985
$287,900$451,500
$1,218$1,634
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Benton County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6.5% | 5.4% |
| 5 to 17 | 19.9% | 15.7% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.5% | 7.6% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.4% | 14.3% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 14.3% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 11.9% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.7% | 12.4% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.6% | 11.3% |
| 75 and over | 6.0% | 7.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Benton County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 65.7% | 70.6% |
| Black or African American | 1.5% | 3.2% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.4% | 0.9% |
| Asian | 2.9% | 5.7% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.2% | 1.0% |
| Some other race | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 3.8% | 7.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 24.8% | 10.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Benton County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 10.1% | 5.5% |
| High school graduate | 23.0% | 22.1% |
| Some college or associate's | 33.9% | 35.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 20.1% | 23.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 12.9% | 14.2% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Benton County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 75.0% | 69.2% |
| Carpooled | 10.3% | 8.2% |
| Public transit | 1.1% | 1.4% |
| Walked | 1.1% | 2.2% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Worked from home | 11.6% | 17.3% |
| Other means | 0.7% | 1.4% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Benton County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 63.4% | 67.2% |
| 1-unit, attached | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| 2 to 4 units | 7.2% | 5.9% |
| 5 to 19 units | 7.9% | 7.3% |
| 20 or more units | 9.0% | 6.7% |
| Mobile home & other | 9.1% | 8.6% |
Poverty & households
| Benton County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.1% | 9.7% |
| Average household size | 2.71 | 2.50 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 22 | 26 |
| Median year structure built | 1987 | 1991 |
Full profiles
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