Commuters filling up new home developments in county

By Rolf Boone | The Olympian • Published April 03, 2007

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More than half the new homes built in eastern Thurston County are occupied by someone who commutes to work in another county.

In communities such as Hawks Prairie, Lacey and Yelm, 55 percent of the homes built between 2000 and 2005 are occupied by at least one outbound commuter, said Pete Swensson, a senior planner with the Thurston Regional Planning Council.

And in households with at least one commuter, earnings totaled $20,000 more than in those without a commuter, Swensson said. In 2004, the county’s median household income was $51,000; in households with at least one commuter, it rose to $73,000, he said.

“Outbound commuters make more money on average than those locally,” Swensson said.

The primary destination for outbound commuters living in the eastern part of the county is Pierce County. About 18,000 commute to Pierce County daily; an additional 2,900 drive to King County.

With more buying power, commuters have changed the face of some of the county’s newest subdivisions, such as those found in Hawks Prairie.

One of the biggest developers in Hawks Prairie is Jenamar Communities of California, best known for Jubilee, a more than 1,000-home development that caters to those 55 and older.

Jenamar also is building up to 530 homes for an all-ages development known as Edgewater, Jenamar spokeswoman Christine Bachman said.

To date, 168 homes at Edgewater have been sold; buyers have come from all over the country.

At Edgewater:

• 39 percent of buyers are from Thurston County

• 37 percent are from Pierce County

• 4 percent are from King and Snohomish counties

• 4 percent are from other areas in the state

• 16 percent are from out of state

In other words, 61 percent of Edgewater home buyers have moved here from somewhere other than Thurston County.

A big reason is Edgewater’s proximity to Fort Lewis and escalating home prices in King and Pierce counties that have made Thurston County a more affordable choice.

Fort Lewis is Pierce County’s largest employer, with nearly 40,000 personnel.