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 educational opportunities exceed 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 more than 13,000 students. NTPS is a huge local emplyer with more than 1,700 full and part-time staff committed to supporting student success. The disctrict has one of the highest percentages in the state of National Board Certified Teachers, and the majority of our teachers hold advanced degrees - some are even NTPS alumni. Timberline High School ranked in the top 4.6% of all schools in America.

Environmental Stewardship

"Lacey isn't just leading the way in economic development. Our community is -- and has long been -- at the forefront of environmental stewardship", posts Lacey City Mayor Graeme Sackrison. "We were one of the first communities in the state to establish a residential recycling program ... one of the first cities to receive the "Tree City USA" designation from the National Arbor Day Foundation ... and was also one of the first cities in Washinton to adopt an Environmental Protection Plan."

In 2009, Lacey's Alternative Energy Fair was honored with the Award of Excellence for Events, Fairs, and Festivals by the Washington Recreation and Parks Association, and beginning this year nearly all new city vehicles will be capable of being powered by either electricity or biofuel.

Take a look around Lacey. Every street light, traffic signal, water tower and park facility, not to mention every municipal building (including City Hall, the library, Lacey Community Center, museum, and Public Works Operations Center) are running on clean and renewable green energy -- most of it wind power produced right here in the Pacific Northwest.

We're proud the City of Lacey was recently the 12th city designated as an official Green Power Community by the United States Environmental Protection Agency -- making us one of only a handful of such cities in the nation.

You can join us in supporting development of local renewable energy solutions. If every home and business in Lacey purchased just $4 of green power each month, it would be equivalent to preventing 36,000 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere every year. Puget Sound Energy's Green Power Program supports development and use of electricity from clean, revewable sources including wind, sun and biomass. Visit www.pse.com or call a PSE Energy Advisor at 1.800.562.1482. It's that easy. It's economical. An the wind won't mind a bit.

Military Neighbors

Lacey continues to to be an attractive place to live for our military neighbors Ft. Lewis, McChord Air Force Base and Madigan Army Hospital which are all just a few minutes away. Lacey is a prime location for off-base housing for military families.  It's estimated that 25 percent of the 26,000 military population makes its home in the Lacey area. Active duty and retired military bring an annual economic impact of $1.3 billion

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 Interstate 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. Our 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.