LACEY, WA

Lacey is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Olympia with a population of 53,526 at the 2020 census. Lacey is located along Interstate 5 between Olympia and the Nisqually River, which marks the border with Pierce County and Joint Base Lewis–McChord.

History

Lacey was originally called Woodland after settlers Isaac and Catherine Wood, who claimed land there in 1853. By 1891, the town of Woodland had a large enough population to apply for a post office. The request was denied because there was already a town called Woodland on the Columbia River. The name Lacey was chosen for the new post office application, presumably after O. C. Lacey, the local Justice of the Peace. The small settlements of Woodland and Chambers Prairie consolidated into Lacey in the 1950s. The city of Lacey was not officially incorporated until 1966. At the time, the main industries were cattle, milk, forest products, and retail. Lacey became a commuter town for Olympia, Fort Lewis and to some extent, Tacoma; in recent years, however, business developments, community groups, and population growth have led Lacey to develop into a city in its own right.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

Demographics

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $46,848, and the median income for a family was $54,923. Males had a median income of $41,053 versus $32,497 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,224. About 7.1% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 42,393 people, 16,949 households, and 10,869 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 18,493 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 74.2% White, 5.4% African American, 1.2% Native American, 8.0% Asian, 1.7% Pacific Islander, 2.6% from other races, and 7.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.2% of the population.

There were 16,949 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.9% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99.

The median age in the city was 34 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.5% were from 25 to 44; 21.8% were from 45 to 64; and 14.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.

Business

Lacey sported one of the Northwest's first ever "indoor malls", South Sound Center. It has since been partially demolished and turned into an outdoor shopping center. Lacey now features a diverse array of businesses, ranging from retail to warehousing/distribution centers, a large retirement community, and International Paper's corrugated container facility.

As Lacey continues to grow, many businesses continue to feed into the city. Lacey now offers a Regal 16 Movie Theater, which is one of the largest theaters in the area. Other businesses that have recently come into Lacey include LA Fitness, Best Buy, Costco, The Home Depot, Lowe's, Thrive Community Fitness Center, and many strip malls and market squares.

Sports outfitter Cabela's opened its Lacey location in November 2007, its first store in the south Puget Sound area. It attracts fishing, hunting, and outdoor enthusiasts from around the state, many of whom spend more than three hours in the store per visit.

Sustainability

Lacey was the twelfth city to be designated an official "Green Power Community" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its use of renewable energy sources; 5% of its total energy use comes from green power sources. It is working to meet its Alternative Energy Initiative, which includes using 100 percent green electrical energy in all of its municipal buildings, parks, utilities, and 3,000 streetlights and traffic signals; providing electric vehicle charging stations to visitors and employees at its city hall and library campus; and initiating conversion of its municipal fleet to energy efficient vehicles powered by electricity, hybrid technology, and 80/20 biofuel. Lacey has received the "Tree City, USA" designation from the National Arbor Day Foundation for twenty six years.

Education

In addition to being the home of many public and private schools, Lacey is also home to Saint Martin's University, Charter College and Thurston County's largest school district, North Thurston Public Schools. Lacey is also home to various faith based schools, such as Holy Family School (Roman Catholic Preschool through 8th grade), Faith Lutheran School (Preschool through 8th Grade) and Foundation Campus, which includes Community Christian Academy (Pre-school to Middle School) and Northwest Christian High School. Lacey is also the home of Pope John Paul II High School.

Public secondary schools

Notable people

Sister city

Lacey has a sister city in Poland, Mińsk Mazowiecki.