Thurston County, WA
Get paid to care for your family member in Thurston County, Washington
About 59,400 people in Thurston County are 65 or older — 20% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Washington overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 5,520 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Thurston County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.
Who needs care in Thurston
- People 65 and older
- 59,400
- People 85 and older
- 5,520
- Median age
- 40.4
- Rank in Washington
- 6th
20% of Thurston residents
the age daily help usually starts
close to the national average
of 39 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Thurston County is a metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 2). Washington as a whole is 17% aged 65 or older.
What Washington pays family caregivers
$22.52–$27.28/hr
Source: Washington Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Washington's programs at a glance
- Community First Choice (CFC)
- Medicaid Personal Care (MPC)
- Individual Provider (via CDWA)
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- No waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Washington guide →
Towns and cities in Thurston County
Washington sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Lacey and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Thurston County:
- Lacey58,644
- Olympia56,271
- Tumwater27,826
- Yelm11,715
- Rainier2,506
- Tenino1,956
- Bucoda615
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Thurston apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Thurston County start with Washington's program:
The care recipient applies for Apple Health LTSS through a DSHS Home & Community Services regional intake office and gets a CARE assessment; the family caregiver then applies as an Individual Provider at consumerdirectwa.com.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Washington program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Thurston questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Thurston County?
Yes. Washington runs real Medicaid programs — like Community First Choice (CFC) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Thurston County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Thurston County?
Family caregivers in Washington typically earn $22.52–$27.28/hr. The rate is the same across the state, including Thurston County.
Where do families in Thurston County apply?
Families in Thurston County start with the state, not the county. The care recipient applies for Apple Health LTSS through a DSHS Home & Community Services regional intake office and gets a CARE assessment; the family caregiver then applies as an Individual Provider at consumerdirectwa.com.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Thurston County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Washington: no — DSHS: 'Spouses cannot be paid to care for each other'; some spouses may qualify via Veteran Directed Care or WA Cares Fund instead
How many people in Thurston County might need this?
59,400 residents of Thurston County are 65 or older and about 5,520 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Washington's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Thurston do you cover?
All of Thurston County — including Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, Yelm and Rainier. Eligibility is set by Washington, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Washington's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
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