Violent crime arrests in Thurston County outpace the state average, juvenile arrests have jumped 60 percent in two years, and four local lakes produced harmful algal blooms last year.

Those are among the findings in the county's 2025 Community Health Assessment, released Monday, July 27 by Thurston County Public Health and Social Services.

The data covers roads, neighborhoods, and waterways across the county, including Olympia and Tumwater. More than 1,800 residents responded to the assessment survey, ranking "Low Crime & Safe Neighborhoods" as their fourth-highest priority for quality of life.

Adult violent crime arrests in Thurston County stand at 16 per 10,000 adults, compared to 14 per 10,000 statewide, according to the assessment's one-page summary. That puts the county 14 percent above the Washington average.

Juvenile arrests tell a steeper story. Arrests of 10- to 17-year-olds rose from 5 per 1,000 adolescents in 2021 to 8 per 1,000 in 2023. Property crime arrests also climbed, from 3 to 5 per 1,000 residents over the same period.

The crime data comes from the Washington Department of Social and Health Services Research and Data Analysis Division.

Traffic fatalities

Thurston County recorded 121 traffic fatalities from 2020 through 2024, an average of roughly 24 deaths per year. About one in five of those deaths involved a person walking or riding a bicycle.

Nearly half of surveyed residents identified traffic safety as one of the biggest risks to community health, according to Washington Traffic Safety Commission survey data cited in the report.

Algal blooms and air quality

Four lakes in Thurston County experienced harmful algal blooms in 2025, the assessment found, citing the Washington State Toxic Algae Freshwater Algae Bloom Monitoring Program.

The blooms can release airborne toxins that irritate the respiratory system, particularly in sensitive populations. The report does not name the four lakes.

That same risk surfaced again this summer. On Friday, July 24, Thurston County PHSS issued a separate health advisory for Lake Lawrence after lab samples collected Tuesday, July 21 detected microcystin toxin at 9.7 micrograms per liter, above the state recreation guideline of 8.0 µg/L. Microcystins are a liver toxin and possible human carcinogen that can also sicken livestock and pets. County staff will continue weekly sampling until two consecutive weeks fall below the guideline.

On the positive side, the county logged 332 days of "good" air quality in 2025, according to the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency.

What's next

The Board of County Commissioners, which doubles as the county's Board of Health, has not yet scheduled a formal review of the assessment's findings.

The five-member board — Commissioners Carolina Mejia, Rachel Grant, Tye Menser, Wayne Fournier, and Emily Clouse — meets at 3000 Pacific Ave. SE in Olympia.

Dr. Jen Freiheit, director of Thurston County Public Health and Social Services, oversees the department that produced the report.

The full 2025 Community Health Assessment and a printable one-page summary are available at thurstoncountywa.gov under Public Health and Social Services > Disease Control & Prevention > Health Data > Community Health Assessment. Residents with questions can email [email protected].