Data Tables
Map
Explanation
In 2025, the federal poverty threshold was $32,649 for a four-person household with two children. According to the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 28,156 Thurston County residents lived below the federal poverty level, which is 9.5% of the population. The percentage of the county's population living in poverty decreased 0.9% from the previous five-year period.
Federal poverty thresholds are based on general assumptions about a household’s basic needs and do not account for regional differences in the cost of living. The Self-Sufficiency Standard, published by the University of Washington, is calculated using local data on the cost of specific household needs such as housing, child care, transportation expenses, and taxes. This more comprehensive standard is higher than the federal poverty level. Consequently federal estimates of poverty may underestimate the number of people who are unable to meet their basic needs.
Federal Poverty ThresholdsThe federal poverty thresholds are an estimate of the minimum income needed for a household to meet its basic needs. The threshold varies based on the number and age of people in the household. The threshold does not vary by location — poverty thresholds in Thurston County are the same as all counties across the United States.
The original threshold was set at three times the cost of a minimum food diet in 1963. The poverty threshold is adjusted for inflation each year.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey
- University of Washington