City · Washington
Tenino, Washington
Tenino, city, in Thurston County, Washington. Tenino had 1,941 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,870 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,025 (±304). GEOID 5370630.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,941
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,870 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,025 ±304
Median household income
$82,639
±$11,878 (90% margin)
Washington: $98,141
Median home value
$369,000
±$22,702 (90% margin)
Washington: $564,600
Median gross rent
$1,400
±$255 (90% margin)
Washington: $1,760
Where is Tenino and what county is it in?
Tenino is a city in Thurston County, Washington. It covers 1.5 square miles of land, 1,284 residents per square mile in 2020.
Tenino is in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Tenino, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,941 people lived in Tenino on July 1, 2025, up 3.7% since 2020, in line with Washington (+3.8%). The 2020 Census counted 1,870 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,025 (±304).
| Measure | Tenino | Thurston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,025 ±304 | 299,067 | no clear change |
| Households | 757 ±104 | 118,899 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.65 ±0.25 | 2.48 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 796 ±109 | 125,163 | no clear change |
Tenino's population since 2000
From 1,447 in 2000 to 1,941 in 2025: up 34.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Tenino as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Tenino?
The median resident of Tenino is 36.9 years old; 24.6% are under 18 and 10.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 70.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 17.3%. 4.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tenino | Thurston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.9 ±3.5 | 40.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.6% ±5.4 pts | 20.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 10.1% ±3.5 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Male | 43.4% ±4.8 pts | 49.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.2% ±2.6 pts | 10.6% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 70.6% ±9.3 pts | 69.5% | −13.3 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.6% ±2.9 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±2.0 pts | 6.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 17.3% ±8.0 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.7% ±3.0 pts | 8.3% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.8% ±2.5 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.7% ±4.6 pts | 12.6% | – |
| With a disability | 17.3% ±4.9 pts | 16.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.3% ±2.5 pts | 5.0% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.1% ±2.7 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.9% ±6.6 pts | 38.5% | +8.4 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.7% ±3.7 pts | 14.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.2% ±4.6 pts | 85.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.5% ±1.2 pts | 3.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Tenino earn?
Half of Tenino's 757 households earn less than $82,639 a year (±$11,878), against $96,563 in Thurston County and $98,141 in Washington. In 2015-2019 it was $67,586 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tenino | Thurston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,639 ±$11,878 | $96,563 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $93,753 ±$9,752 | $114,140 | – |
| Per capita income | $35,676 ±$3,089 | $46,136 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.6% ±4.3 pts | 9.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 10.8% ±8.3 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 20.2% ±6.5 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.5% ±1.9 pts | 97.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.7% ±7.1 pts | 94.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Tenino?
Owners occupy 76.0% of Tenino's occupied homes and renters 24.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $369,000 by its owner (±$22,702). The median renter pays $1,400 a month including utilities, and 28.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tenino | Thurston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $369,000 ±$22,702 | $480,300 | +$165,443 |
| Median gross rent | $1,400 ±$255 | $1,736 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 28.0% ±14.8 pts | 43.8% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,873 ±$146 | $2,288 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 76.0% ±6.6 pts | 67.7% | +10.4 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 24.0% ±6.6 pts | 32.3% | – |
| Housing units | 796 ±109 | 125,163 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.5% ±1.6 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±19.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 74.4% ±7.3 pts | 66.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 11.2% ±4.3 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.4% ±2.8 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 15.6% ±7.1 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 16.6% ±4.8 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.6% ±1.5 pts | 4.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Tenino building?
Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Tenino in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 1.0 per 1,000 residents against 4.4 across Washington.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Tenino work and get to work?
66.3% of Tenino's workers drive alone and 20.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 33.3 minutes.
| Measure | Tenino | Thurston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 66.5% ±6.4 pts | 61.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% ±3.8 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 66.3% ±9.2 pts | 66.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.9% ±4.1 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Walked | 3.3% ±2.5 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 20.4% ±6.9 pts | 20.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.3 min ±3.0 | 25.8 min | +7.5 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Tenino?
No census tract lies mostly in Tenino; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 126.20Thurston County | 4,521 | $84,375 |
| Tract 126.10Thurston County | 6,342 | $109,852 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Tenino) · Census block assignment files
How does Tenino compare with other places in Washington?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Tenino is the 7,799th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 168th-most populous of 281 in Washington.
Tenino ranks 247th of 387 places in Washington with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 168th | 281 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 102nd | 203 |
| Residents per square mile | 213th | 394 |
| Median household income | 247th | 387 |
| Per capita income | 294th | 393 |
| Median home value | 296th | 384 |
| Median gross rent | 220th | 351 |
| Poverty rate | 119th | 281 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 300th | 382 |
| Median age | 264th | 394 |
| Owner-occupied share | 174th | 388 |
| Work from home | 111th | 307 |
| Travel time to work | 72nd | 394 |
Tenino's figures with every place in Washington (CSV)
Every place in Washington, sortable · Compare Tenino with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Tenino?
14 of the 57 figures for Tenino on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Tenino are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Tenino.