Washington

State

Add Comparison

2019 Population

7.61M

1.05% 1-year growth

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2019 Median Age

37.9

0.531% 1-year increase

2019 Poverty Rate

10.8%

5.81% 1-year decrease

2019 Median Household Income

$78,687

6.23% 1-year growth

2019 Median Property Value

$387,600

3.89% 1-year growth

2019 Employed Population

3.64M

2.61% 1-year growth

About

In 2019, Washington had a population of 7.61M people with a median age of 37.9 and a median household income of $78,687. Between 2018 and 2019 the population of Washington grew from 7.54M to 7.61M, a 1.05% increase and its median household income grew from $74,073 to $78,687, a 6.23% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Washington are White (Non-Hispanic) (67.3%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (8.94%), White (Hispanic) (6.89%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.87%), and Other (Hispanic) (4.61%). 20.5% of the households in Washington speak a non-English language at home as their primary language.

92.1% of the residents in Washington are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Washington are University of Washington-Seattle Campus (14,935 degrees awarded in 2020), Washington State University (8,389 degrees), and Western Washington University (4,117 degrees).

In 2019, the median property value in Washington was $387,600, and the homeownership rate was 63.1%. Most people in Washington drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Washington was 2 cars per household.

Washington borders Idaho and Oregon.

Photo by David Herrera

United States

Diversity

Washington is home to a population of 7.61M people, from which 92.1% are citizens. As of 2019, 13.9% of Washington residents were born outside of the country (1.06M people).

In 2019, there were 7.53 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.13M people) in Washington than any other race or ethnicity. There were 680k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 524k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common foreign languages spoken in Washington are Spanish (641,371 speakers), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (127,622 speakers), and Vietnamese (64,678 speakers).

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Washington

White (Non-Hispanic)
5.13M ± 3.31k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
680k ± 8.62k
White (Hispanic)
524k ± 16.2k

13%

Hispanic Population

992k people

13% of the people in Washington are hispanic (992k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Washington as a share of the total population.

Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

Spanish
641,371 speakers (8.96%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
127,622 speakers (1.78%)
Vietnamese
64,678 speakers (0.903%)

20.5% of Washington citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 22%.

In 2019, the most common non-English language spoken in Washington was Spanish. 8.96% of the overall population of Washington are native Spanish speakers. 1.78% speak Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) and 0.903% speak Vietnamese, the next two most common languages.

Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

13.9%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

1.06M people

13.5%

2018 Foreign-Born Population

1.02M people

As of 2019, 13.9% of Washington residents (1.06M people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.7%. In 2018, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Washington was 13.5%, 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.

Age by Nativity

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.4

In 2019, the median age of all people in Washington was 37.9. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 37, were generally younger than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 42. But people in Washington are getting getting older. In 2018, the average age of all Washington residents was 38.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
253,578 ± 12,156 people
India
93,291 ± 7,453 people
China
86,178 ± 7,166 people

In 2019, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 253,578 Washington residents, followed by India with 93,291 and China with 86,178.

Citizenship

92.1%

2019 Citizenship

92.5%

2018 Citizenship

As of 2019, 92.1% of Washington residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2018, the percentage of US citizens in Washington was 92.5%, 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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
174,486 ± 5,472
Gulf War (2001-)
129,071 ± 6,751
Gulf War (1990s)
81,516 ± 5,108

Washington has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.35 times greater than any other conflict.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Washington, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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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.

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Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in Washington. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

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

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Community Mobility

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

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Washington across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Economy

Median household income in Washington is $78,687. In 2019, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Washington was King County, WA with a value of $102,594, followed by Snohomish County, WA and Clark County, WA, with respective values of $89,260 and $80,555.

Males in Washington have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $61,170. The income inequality in Washington (measured using the Gini index) is 0.464, which is lower than than the national average.

The economy of Washington employs 3.64M people. The largest industries in Washington are Construction (249,689 people), Restaurants & Food Services (215,951 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (199,525 people), and the highest paying industries are Software publishing ($204,817), Support activities for mining ($202,201), and Nonmetallic mineral mining & quarrying ($191,619).

Wages

Median Household Income

$78,687

2019 value

± $923

6.23%

1 Year Growth

± 1.42%

Households in Washington have a median annual income of $78,687, which is more than the median annual income of $65,712 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $74,073 in 2018, which represents a 6.23% annual growth.

The following chart shows how the median household income in Washington compares to that of its neighboring and parent geographies.

Wage by Sex in Common Jobs

$82,309

Average Male Salary in Washington

± $1,502

$61,170

Average Female Salary in Washington

± $1,233

In 2019, full-time male employees in Washington made 1.35 times more than female employees.

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

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity in Washington

Asian
$79,822 ± $3,211
White
$65,272 ± $1,054
Two or More Races
$53,997 ± $3,446

In 2019 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Washington workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.22 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity in Washington.

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

Wage Distribution

0.464

2019 Wage GINI in Washington

0.469

2018 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2019, the income inequality in Washington was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.12% decline from 2018 to 2019, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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.

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2019, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Washington was King County, WA with a value of $102,594, followed by Snohomish County, WA and Clark County, WA, with respective values of $89,260 and $80,555.

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

Poverty by Age and Sex

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

10.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Washington (785k out of 7.27M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.3%. 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.

Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

White
523,438 ± 5,385
Hispanic
169,168 ± 3,285
Other
66,048 ± 2,255

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

Occupations

Employment by Occupations

3.64M

2019 Value

2.61%

1 Year growth

± 2.61%

From 2018 to 2019, employment in Washington grew at a rate of 2.61%, from 3.55M employees to 3.64M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Washington, are Other managers (116,077 people), Software developers (113,207 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (70,162 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Washington.

Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Washington, by number of employees, are Other managers (116,077 people), Software developers (113,207 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (70,162 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Washington has an unusually high number of residents working as Fishing and hunting workers (5.66 times higher than expected), Aerospace engineers (4.34 times), and Firstline enlisted military supervisors (4.18 times).

Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Washington, by average salary, are Surgeons ($286,716), Architectural & engineering managers ($248,998), and Physicians ($222,147).

Industries

Employment by Industries

3.64M

2019 Value

2.61%

1 Year growth

± 2.61%

From 2018 to 2019, employment in Washington grew at a rate of 2.61%, from 3.55M employees to 3.64M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Washington, are Construction (249,689 people), Restaurants & Food Services (215,951 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (199,525 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.

Most Common

The most common industries in Washington, by number of employees, are Construction (249,689 people), Restaurants & Food Services (215,951 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (199,525 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Washington has an unusually high number of Fishing, hunting & trapping (7.89 times higher than expected), Aircraft & parts manufacturing (5.36 times), and U. S. Navy (4.26 times) industries.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Washington, by average salary, are Software publishing ($204,817), Support activities for mining ($202,201), and Nonmetallic mineral mining & quarrying ($191,619).

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

In 2020, the top outbound Washington product (by dollars) was Transport equip. with $105B, followed by Misc. mfg. prods. ($46.1B) and Mixed freight ($35.2B).

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

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Washington.

$500B

2020 Value in Washington

$980B

Projected 2050 Value in Washington

95.8% growth

In 2020, total outbound Washington trade was $500B. This is expected to increase 95.8% to $980B by 2050.

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

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

Oregon
$34.9B
California
$26.9B
Hawaii
$23.3B

In 2020, the top outbound Washington domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Oregon with $34.9B, followed by California with $26.9B and Hawaii and $23.3B.

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

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 58% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.8%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.97%). The most partisan county was King County, WA with 75% of the vote going to Joseph R Biden Jr. running for the Democratic Party.

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 Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (58%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.8%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.97%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 58% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.8%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.97%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Washington for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

Joseph R Biden Jr.

Popular Vote for Washington

58% for the Democratic Party

Most Partisan Counties in Washington

King County, WA
75% for Joseph R Biden Jr. (Democratic Party)
San Juan County, WA
73.7% for Joseph R Biden Jr. (Democratic Party)
Lincoln County, WA
73.2% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)

In the 2020 presidential election, the most partisan county in Washington was King County, WA with 75% of the vote going to Joseph R Biden Jr. running for the Democratic Party.

The following map shows the counties in Washington colored by their party leaning.

US Senators from 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.

US Representatives from Washington

Washington is currently represented by 10 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Washington have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2020, universities in Washington awarded 101,733 degrees. The student population of Washington is skewed towards women, with 143,368 male students and 193,714 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Washington are White (53,839 and 57.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (12,637 and 13.4%), Asian (9,729 and 10.3%), and Two or More Races (6,928 and 7.34%).

The largest universities in Washington by number of degrees awarded are University of Washington-Seattle Campus (14,935 and 14.7%), Washington State University (8,389 and 8.25%), and Western Washington University (4,117 and 4.05%).

The most popular majors in Washington are Liberal Arts & Sciences (16,685 and 16.4%), General Business Administration & Management (3,449 and 3.39%), and Registered Nursing (3,247 and 3.19%).

The median tuition costs in Washington are $33,232 for private four year colleges, and $3,768 and $6,382 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
1,640 degree-majorss awarded
General Business Administration & Management
1,450 degree-majorss awarded
Registered Nursing
1,286 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Washington was General Psychology with 1,640 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Washington-Seattle Campus
14,935 degrees awarded
Washington State University
8,389 degrees awarded
Western Washington University
4,117 degrees awarded

$3,768

Median In-State Public

$33,232

Median Private

In 2020, the Washington institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Washington-Seattle Campus with 14,935 degrees awarded.

Student Sex for Common Institutions

43,310

Degrees Awarded to Men

58,423

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2020, 43,310 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Washington, which is 0.741 times less than the 58,423 female students who received degrees in the same year.

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

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
53,839 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
12,637 degrees awarded
Asian
9,729 degrees awarded

In 2020 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions in Washington was White students. These 53,839 degrees mean that there were 4.26 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 12,637 degrees awarded.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Washington was $387,600 in 2019, which is 1.61 times larger than the national average of $240,500. Between 2018 and 2019 the median property value increased from $373,100 to $387,600, a 3.89% increase. The homeownership rate in Washington is 63.1%, which is lower than the national average of 64.1%. People in Washington have an average commute time of 26.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Washington is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$387,600

2019 Median

± $2,320

$373,100

2018 Median

± $2,028

In 2019, the median property value in Washington grew to to $387,600 from the previous year's value of $373,100.

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.

Household Income

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

$78,687

Median Household Income

± $923

2.93M

Number of Households

± 27,429

In 2019, the median household income of the 2.93M households in Washington grew to $78,687 from the previous year's value of $74,073.

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.

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.

Rent vs Own

63.1%

2019 Homeownership

62.8%

2018 Homeownership

In 2019, 63.1% of the housing units in Washington were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 62.8%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 64.1%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Washington compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Commute Time

26.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Washington have a longer commute time (26.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26 minutes). Additionally, 3.6% 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.

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2019

Drove Alone (70.9%)
Carpooled (9.95%)
Public Transit (7.11%)

In 2019, 70.9% of workers in Washington drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.95%) and those who used public transit to get to work (7.11%).

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.

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 false.

Health

93.4% of the population of Washington has health coverage, with 50.8% on employee plans, 16.7% on Medicaid, 11.4% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 2.11% on military or VA plans.

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

Primary care physicians in Washington see 1184 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.0845% increase from the previous year (1183 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1198 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 251 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Wahkiakum County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (14.8%). Additionally, Pend Oreille County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (41.6%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,184 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Washington

Primary care physicians in Washington see an average of 1,184 patients per year. This represents a 0.0845% increase from the previous year (1,183 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 its neighboring geographies.

Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

West Virginia
8.26% of the population affected
Arkansas
8.13% of the population affected
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.

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.

Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

Mississippi
19.2% of adults
Texas
17.9% of adults
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.

Health Care Spending

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

$7,913

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care in Washington

$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.

Health Care Coverage

6.62%

Uninsured

50.8%

Employer Coverage

16.7%

Medicaid

11.4%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

2.11%

Military or VA

Between 2018 and 2019, the percent of uninsured citizens in Washington grew by 2.96% from 6.43% to 6.62%.

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.