Spokane County, WA

County

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2024 Population

549,056

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

38.5

0.785% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

11.7%

4.67% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$78,582

6.9% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$410,700

10.9% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

257,219

1.91% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Spokane County, WA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.7% of the residents in Spokane County, WA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Spokane County, WA are Eastern Washington University (3,446 degrees awarded in 2023), Gonzaga University (2,199 degrees), and Spokane Community College (1,910 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Spokane County, WA was $410,700, and the homeownership rate was 64.5%.

Most people in Spokane County, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Spokane County, WA was 2 cars per household.

Spokane County, WA borders Benewah County, ID, Bonner County, ID, Kootenai County, ID, Lincoln County, WA, Pend Oreille County, WA, Stevens County, WA, and Whitman County, WA.

About the photo: The Bowl & Pitcher at Riverside State Park, Spokane, WA

Photo by Kidron Cool

United States Washington Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA

Population & Diversity

Spokane County, WA is home to a population of 549k people, from which 97.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.12% of Spokane County, WA residents were born outside of the country (28.1k people).

In 2024, there were 16.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (444k people) in Spokane County, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 27k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 12.6k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.7%

2024 Citizenship

97.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.7% of Spokane County, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Spokane County, WA was 97.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Spokane County, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
444k ± 967
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
27k ± 1.39k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
12.6k ± 1.22k

7.08%

Hispanic Population

38.9k people

7.08% of the people in Spokane County, WA are hispanic (38.9k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Spokane County, WA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Washington.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
248,556 ± 12,042 people
India
107,324 ± 7,987 people
China
89,838 ± 7,316 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 248,556 Washington residents, followed by India with 107,324 and China with 89,838.

Foreign-Born Population

5.12%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

28.1k people

5.12%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

27.9k people

As of 2024, 5.12% of Spokane County, WA residents (28.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Spokane County, WA was 5.12%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
12,145 ± 598
Gulf War (2001-)
11,297 ± 867
Gulf War (1990s)
7,032 ± 674

Spokane County, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.08 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Spokane County, WA.

Economy

The economy of Spokane County, WA employs 257k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Spokane County, WA were Health Care & Social Assistance (43,597 people), Retail Trade (31,337 people), and Educational Services (22,735 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($104,250), Utilities ($84,768), and Management of Companies & Enterprises ($76,759).

Employment

Occupations

257k

2024 Value

± 4,259

1.91%

1 Year growth

± 2.32%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Spokane County, WA grew at a rate of 1.91%, from 252k employees to 257k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Spokane County, WA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (29,472 people), Management Occupations (26,960 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (25,503 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Spokane County, WA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Washington (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

257k

2024 Value

± 4,259

1.91%

1 Year growth

± 2.32%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Spokane County, WA grew at a rate of 1.91%, from 252k employees to 257k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Spokane County, WA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (43,597 people), Retail Trade (31,337 people), and Educational Services (22,735 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Spokane County, WA, though some of these residents may live in Spokane County, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$57,049

Median earning men ± $1,172

$42,486

Median earning women ± $678

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($81,578), Information ($81,075), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($76,919).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($65,039), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,806), and Wholesale Trade ($49,758).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

Y-Axis

3.62%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.58M people employed in Washington. This represents a 3.62% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Washington.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,284
Construction
1,031
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
757
Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$2.61M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.08M
Retail Trade
$1.02M
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing the state of Washington. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Washington is currently represented by 10 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Spokane County, WA. Showing the available data for Washington.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (57.2%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (39%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.4%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Washington for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Washington

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

Patty Murray

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 1993

Maria Cantwell

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 2001

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing Washington.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Washington over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Spokane County, WA awarded 10,189 degrees. The student population of Spokane County, WA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 13,116 male students and 18,518 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Spokane County, WA are White (6,834 and 68.2%), Hispanic or Latino (1,214 and 12.1%), Two or More Races (665 and 6.64%), and Unknown (495 and 4.94%).

The largest universities in Spokane County, WA by number of degrees awarded are Eastern Washington University (3,446 and 33.8%), Gonzaga University (2,199 and 21.6%), and Spokane Community College (1,910 and 18.7%).

The most popular majors in Spokane County, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,026 and 10.1%), General Business Administration & Management (597 and 5.86%), and Registered Nursing (419 and 4.11%).

The median tuition costs in Spokane County, WA are $33,650 for private four year colleges, and $3,195 and $4,089 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Spokane County, WA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 83.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 18.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 31,634 (41.5% men and 58.5% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 31,634 students enrolled in Spokane County, WA, 41.5% men and 58.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 19,340 records, of which 59.9% were women and 40.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
271 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
226 degrees awarded
General Business
275 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Spokane County, WA was General Psychology with 271 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Eastern Washington University
3,446 degrees awarded
Gonzaga University
2,199 degrees awarded
Spokane Community College
1,910 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Eastern Washington University with 3,446 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 3,888 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Spokane County, WA, which is 0.617 times less than the 6,301 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 6,834 degrees mean that there were 5.63 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,214 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($33,650) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,140) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,134) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Spokane County, WA was $410,700 in 2024, which is 1.23 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $370,500 to $410,700, a 10.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Spokane County, WA is 64.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Spokane County, WA have an average commute time of 22.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Spokane County, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Spokane County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.01%.

Housing

Property

$410,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,858

$140,832

Median Property Taxes

±$2,692

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Spokane County, WA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Spokane County, WA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

64.5%

Homeownership

2024

65.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 64.5% of the housing units in Spokane County, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 63.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Spokane County, WA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

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

$78,582

Median Household Income

± $1,591

218k

Number of Households

± 3,837

In 2024, the median household income of the 218k households in Spokane County, WA grew to $78,582 from the previous year's value of $73,513.

The following chart displays the households in Spokane County, WA 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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Spokane County, WA is from Washington.

0.468

2023 Wage GINI in Washington

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2023, the income inequality in Washington was 0.468 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.276% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (69.8%)
Worked At Home (15.5%)
Carpooled (8.47%)

In 2024, 69.8% of workers in Spokane County, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (15.5%) and those who carpooled to work (8.47%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Spokane County, WA have a shorter commute time (22.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.84% of the workforce in Spokane County, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Spokane County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.01%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

11.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Spokane County, WA (62.5k out of 535k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Spokane County, WA is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 12.6% of the children was living in poverty in Spokane County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 353 in Spokane County, WA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 2.99 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.9% of the population of Spokane County, WA has health coverage, with 45.2% on employee plans, 20.5% on Medicaid, 12.3% on Medicare, 14.3% on non-group plans, and 2.58% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Spokane County, WA see 1,150 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,150 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1195 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 158 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,150 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Spokane County, WA

Primary care physicians in Spokane County, WA see an average of 1,150 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,150 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Spokane County, WA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.1% under 18 years, 22.1% between 18 and 34 years, 37.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.11%

Uninsured

45.2%

Employer Coverage

20.5%

Medicaid

12.3%

Medicare

14.3%

Non-Group

2.58%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Spokane County, WA grew by 1.33% from 5.04% to 5.11%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 43.1 in Spokane County, WA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Spokane County, WA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 34% in Spokane County, WA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Spokane County, WA.