Washington

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Population

7.41M

1.62% growth

Median Age

37.7


Median Household Income

$70,979

5.77% growth

Poverty Rate

12.2%


Number of Employees

3.47M

3.48% growth

Median Property Value

$339,000

10.6% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2017, Washington had a population of 7.41M people with a median age of 37.7 and a median household income of $70,979. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of Washington grew from 7.29M to 7.41M, a 1.62% increase and its median household income grew from $67,106 to $70,979, a 5.77% increase.

The population of Washington is 68.6% White Alone, 12.7% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.45% Asian Alone. 19.3% of the people in Washington speak a non-English language, and 92.5% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Washington are University of Washington-Seattle Campus (13,548 degrees awarded in 2016), Washington State University (7,501 degrees), and Western Washington University (3,881 degrees).

The median property value in Washington is $339,000, and the homeownership rate is 62.8%. Most people in Washington commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 26.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Washington is 2 cars per household.

Washington borders Oregon and Idaho.

Photo by David Herrera

United States

Economy

The economy of Washington employs 3.47M people. The largest industries in Washington are Construction (231,363 people), Restaurants & Food Services (206,252 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (191,858 people), and the highest paying industries are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($150,952), Data processing, hosting & related services ($149,227), and Software publishing ($140,995).

Median household income in Washington is $70,979. Males in Washington have an average income that is 1.36 times higher than the average income of females, which is $56,061. The income inequality in Washington (measured using the Gini index) is 0.466, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$70,979

2017 value

± $583

5.77%

1 Year Growth

± 1.14%

Households in Washington have a median annual income of $70,979, which is more than the median annual income of $60,336 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $67,106 in 2016, which represents a 5.77% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Washington compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$76,243

Average Male Salary

± $1,417

$56,061

Average Female Salary

± $1,119

In 2017, full-time male employees in Washington made 1.36 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Washington by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $68,438 ± $3,071

  2. White

    $60,339 ± $979

  3. Two or More Races

    $48,848 ± $3,228

In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Washington workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.13 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Washington by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

0.466

2017 Wage GINI

0.467

2016 Wage GINI

In 2017, the income inequality in Washington was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.249% decline from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2017 the GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Washington in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Washington across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. King County, WA

  2. Snohomish County, WA

  3. Clark County, WA

In 2017, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Washington was King County, WA with a value of $89,675, followed by Snohomish County, WA and Clark County, WA, with respective values of $82,595 and $74,747.

The following map shows all of the counties in Washington colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

12.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Washington (860k out of 7.04M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 13.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 18 - 24.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    585,304 ± 5,558

  2. Hispanic

    186,188 ± 3,351

  3. Other

    65,735 ± 2,158

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Washington is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

3.47M

2017 Value

3.48%

1 Year growth

± 3.48%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Washington grew at a rate of 3.48%, from 3.35M employees to 3.47M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Washington, are Miscellaneous managers (122,830 people), Software developers, applications & systems software (84,083 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (74,252 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Washington.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Washington, by number of employees, are Miscellaneous managers (122,830 people), Software developers, applications & systems software (84,083 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (74,252 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Washington has an unusually high number of residents working as Fishing & hunting workers (6.22 times higher than expected), Aerospace engineers (5.57 times), and Sailors & marine oilers, & ship engineers (4.79 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Washington, by average salary, are Physicians & surgeons ($241,183), Architectural & engineering managers ($199,633), and Dentists ($178,687).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

3.47M

2017 Value

3.48%

1 Year growth

± 3.48%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Washington grew at a rate of 3.48%, from 3.35M employees to 3.47M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Washington, are Construction (231,363 people), Restaurants & Food Services (206,252 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (191,858 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Washington, though some of these residents may live in Washington and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Washington, by number of employees, are Construction (231,363 people), Restaurants & Food Services (206,252 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (191,858 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Washington has an unusually high number of Fishing, hunting & trapping (6.65 times higher than expected), Aircraft & parts manufacturing (6.18 times), and Electronic shopping (5.76 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Washington, by average salary, are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($150,952), Data processing, hosting & related services ($149,227), and Software publishing ($140,995).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Washington to other states, or from other states to Washington.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Transport equip.

    $38.6B

  2. Mixed freight

    $37.2B

  3. Gasoline

    $28.3B

In 2015, the top outbound Washington product (by dollars) was Transport equip. with $38.6B, followed by Mixed freight with $37.2B and Gasoline and $28.3B.

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Washington products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

$296B

2015 Value

$444B

Projected 2045 Value

50.1% growth

In 2015, total outbound Washington trade was $296B. This is expected to increase 50.1% to $444B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Washington trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Washington to other states, or from other states to Washington.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. Oregon

    $26.3B

  2. California

    $14.2B

  3. Tennessee

    $9.45B

In 2015, the top outbound Washington domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Oregon with $26.3B, followed by California with $14.2B and Tennessee and $9.45B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Washington shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

93.9% of the population of Washington has health coverage, with 49.4% on employee plans, 17.7% on Medicaid, 10.9% on Medicare, 13.4% on non-group plans, and 2.47% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the state of Washington was $7,913 in 2014. This is a 4% increase from the previous year ($7,609).

Primary care physicians in Washington see 1202 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.839% increase from the previous year (1192 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1254 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 335 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Garfield County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (14%). Additionally, Adams County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (36.4%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,202 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Washington see an average of 1,202 patients per year. This represents a 0.839% increase from the previous year (1,192 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Washington in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

$7,913

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$4,328

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$5,851

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$8,997

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Washington (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 4%, from $7,609 to $7,913.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

6.11%

Uninsured

49.4%

Employer Coverage

17.7%

Medicaid

10.9%

Medicare

13.4%

Non-Group

2.47%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Washington grew by 2.56% from 5.96% to 6.11%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Washington changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Garfield County

    14% prevalence

  2. Pend Oreille County

    13.6% prevalence

  3. Wahkiakum County

    13.4% prevalence

Garfield County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Washington, at 14%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Washington by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Washington is home to a population of 7.41M people, from which 92.5% are citizens. As of 2017, 13.3% of Washington residents were born outside of the country.

The ethnic composition of the population of Washington is composed of 5.08M White Alone residents (68.6%), 941k Hispanic or Latino residents (12.7%), 626k Asian Alone residents (8.45%), 363k Two or More Races residents (4.9%), 262k Black or African American Alone residents (3.54%), 75.5k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (1.02%), 46.1k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.623%), and 15.5k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.209%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Washington are Spanish or Spanish Creole (585,527 speakers), Chinese (102,963 speakers), and Tagalog (59,125 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

36

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

42

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.4

In 2017, the median age of all people in Washington was 37.7. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 36, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 42. But people in Washington are getting staying the same age. In 2016, the average age of all Washington residents was 38.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

13.3%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

13.1%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

As of 2017, 13.3% of Washington residents were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Washington was 13.1%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Washington compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    237,996 ± 11,783 people

  2. India

    86,024 ± 7,159 people

  3. Philippines

    78,671 ± 6,850 people

In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 237,996 Washington residents, followed by India with 86,024 and Philippines with 78,671.

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Citizenship

92.5%

2017 Citizenship

92.6%

2016 Citizenship

As of 2017, 92.5% of Washington residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.1%. In 2016, the percentage of US citizens in Washington was 92.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Washington compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    5.08M ± 2.97k

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    941k ± 23.9k

  3. Asian Alone

    626k ± 8.43k

In 2017, there were 5.4 times more White Alone residents (5.08M people) in Washington than any other race or ethnicity. There were 941k Hispanic or Latino and 626k Asian Alone residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Washington as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish or Spanish Creole

    585,527 speakers (8.71%)

  2. Chinese

    102,963 speakers (1.53%)

  3. Tagalog

    59,125 speakers (0.879%)

19.3% of Washington citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.5%. In 2015, the most common non-English language spoken in Washington was Spanish or Spanish Creole. 8.71% of the overall population of Washington are native Spanish or Spanish Creole speakers. 1.53% speak Chinese and 0.879% speak Spanish or Spanish Creole, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    179,912 ± 5,838

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    126,108 ± 7,543

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    76,224 ± 3,820

Washington has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.43 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2016, universities in Washington awarded 110,290 degrees. The student population of Washington is skewed towards women, with 165,275 male students and 204,190 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Washington are White (63,803 and 61.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (11,267 and 10.9%), Asian (9,040 and 8.73%), and Unknown (7,029 and 6.79%).

The largest universities in Washington by number of degrees awarded are University of Washington-Seattle Campus (13,548 and 12.3%), Washington State University (7,501 and 6.8%), and Western Washington University (3,881 and 3.52%).

The most popular majors in Washington are Liberal Arts & Sciences (17,632 and 16%), Registered Nursing (3,497 and 3.17%), and General Business Administration & Management (3,475 and 3.15%).

The median tuition costs in Washington are $31,375 for private four year colleges, and $3,604 and $7,625 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Psychology

    1,992 degrees awarded

  2. Registered Nursing

    1,496 degrees awarded

  3. General Business Administration & Management

    1,386 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Washington was General Psychology with 1,992 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Washington according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. University of Washington-Seattle Campus

    13,548 degrees awarded

  2. Washington State University

    7,501 degrees awarded

  3. Western Washington University

    3,881 degrees awarded

$3,604

Median In-State Public

$31,375

Median Private

In 2016, the Washington institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Washington-Seattle Campus with 13,548 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

48,055

Degrees Awarded to Men

62,235

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2016, 48,055 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Washington, which is 0.772 times less than the 62,235 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Washington by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    63,803 degrees awarded

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    11,267 degrees awarded

  3. Asian

    9,040 degrees awarded

In 2016 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Washington were to White students. These 63,803 degrees mean that there were 5.66 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 11,267 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Washington was $339,000 in 2017, which is 1.56 times larger than the national average of $217,600. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $306,400 to $339,000, a 10.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Washington is 62.8%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. People in Washington have an average commute time of 26.1 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Washington is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Income

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$70,979

Median Household Income

± $583

2.84M

Number of Households

± 27,399

In 2017, the median household income of the 2.84M households in Washington grew to $70,979 from the previous year's value of $67,106.

The following chart displays the households in Washington distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Housing

Property Value

$339,000

2017 Median

± $2,463

$306,400

2016 Median

± $2,570

In 2017, the median property value in Washington grew to to $339,000 from the previous year's value of $306,400.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Washington compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Washington the largest share of households have a property value in the $300k - $400k range.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Washington distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Washington the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

62.8%

2017 Homeownership

62.5%

2016 Homeownership

In 2017, 62.8% of the housing units in Washington were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 62.5%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Washington compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Washington distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Washington have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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Commute Time

26.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Washington have a longer commute time (26.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.5 minutes). Additionally, 3.01% of the workforce in Washington have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Washington compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    71.7%

  2. Carpooled

    10.2%

  3. Public Transit

    6.54%

In 2017, the most common method of travel for workers in Washington was Drove Alone, followed by those who Carpooled and those who Public Transit.

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