Washington

State

Add Comparison

Population

7.54M

1.75% 1-year growth

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

Median Age

37.7

Poverty Rate

11.5%

Median Household Income

$74,073

4.36% 1-year growth

Median Property Value

$373,100

10.1% 1-year growth

Number of Employees

3.55M

2.27% 1-year growth

About

In 2018, Washington had a population of 7.54M people with a median age of 37.7 and a median household income of $74,073. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Washington grew from 7.41M to 7.54M, a 1.75% increase and its median household income grew from $70,979 to $74,073, a 4.36% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Washington are White (Non-Hispanic) (67.8%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (8.7%), White (Hispanic) (6.93%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.9%), and Other (Hispanic) (4.39%). 20% 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 (13,837 degrees awarded in 2017), Washington State University (7,807 degrees), and Western Washington University (3,977 degrees).

The median property value in Washington is $373,100, and the homeownership rate is 62.8%. Most people in Washington commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 26.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Washington is 2 cars per household.

Washington borders Idaho and Oregon.

Photo by David Herrera

United States

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

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

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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Impact on Employment

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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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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Civics

In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Hillary Rodham Clinton with 52.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (36.8%), followed by Gary Johnson (4.85%). The most partisan county was King County, WA with 71.9% of the vote going to Hillary Rodham Clinton 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

Showing data up to the 2016 election. Updated election results are currently being processed, and will be released in the coming months.

2016 Election Results

Hillary Rodham Clinton (52.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (36.8%)
Republican Party
Gary Johnson (4.85%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Hillary Rodham Clinton with 52.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (36.8%), followed by Gary Johnson (4.85%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Washington for each registered party from 1976 to 2016.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

Showing data up to the 2016 election. Updated election results are currently being processed, and will be released in the coming months.

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Popular Vote for Washington

52.5% for the Democratic Party

Most Partisan Counties in Washington

King County, WA
71.9% for Hillary Rodham Clinton (Democratic Party)
Lincoln County, WA
71.9% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Columbia County, WA
68.6% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)

In the 2016 presidential election, the most partisan county in Washington was King County, WA with 71.9% of the vote going to Hillary Rodham Clinton 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.

Diversity

Washington is home to a population of 7.54M people, from which 92.5% are citizens. As of 2018, 13.5% of Washington residents were born outside of the country (1.02M people).

In 2018, there were 7.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.11M people) in Washington than any other race or ethnicity. There were 655k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 522k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common foreign languages spoken in Washington are Spanish (609,588 speakers), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (117,545 speakers), and Vietnamese (71,213 speakers).

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Washington

White (Non-Hispanic)
5.11M ± 3.02k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
655k ± 8.06k
White (Hispanic)
522k ± 16.5k

12.9%

Hispanic Population

970k people

12.9% of the people in Washington are hispanic (970k 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
609,588 speakers (8.61%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
117,545 speakers (1.66%)
Vietnamese
71,213 speakers (1.01%)

20% of Washington citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.9%. In 2018, the most common non-English language spoken in Washington was Spanish. 8.61% of the overall population of Washington are native Spanish speakers. 1.66% speak Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) and 1.01% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

13.5%

2018 Foreign-Born Population

1.02M people

13.3%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

987k people

As of 2018, 13.5% of Washington residents (1.02M people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2017, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Washington was 13.3%, 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

± 0.1

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.5

In 2018, 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 2017, the average age of all Washington residents was 38.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
256,836 ± 12,228 people
India
89,091 ± 7,285 people
China
79,210 ± 6,873 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 256,836 Washington residents, followed by India with 89,091 and China with 79,210.

Citizenship

92.5%

2018 Citizenship

92.5%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 92.5% of Washington residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, 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
171,167 ± 5,917
Gulf War (2001-)
124,157 ± 5,739
Gulf War (1990s)
79,936 ± 4,345

Washington has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.38 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

Median household income in Washington is $74,073. In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Washington was King County, WA with a value of $95,009, followed by Snohomish County, WA and Kitsap County, WA, with respective values of $87,440 and $76,945.

Males in Washington have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $58,794. The income inequality in Washington (measured using the Gini index) is 0.469, which is lower than than the national average.

The economy of Washington employs 3.55M people. The largest industries in Washington are Construction (236,993 people), Restaurants & Food Services (214,330 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (191,322 people), and the highest paying industries are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($209,984), Software publishing ($143,285), and Computer Systems Design ($140,950).

Wages

Median Household Income

$74,073

2018 value

± $697

4.36%

1 Year Growth

± 1.2%

Households in Washington have a median annual income of $74,073, which is more than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $70,979 in 2017, which represents a 4.36% annual growth.

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

Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$79,555

Average Male Salary in Washington

± $1,504

$58,794

Average Female Salary in Washington

± $1,224

In 2018, full-time male employees in Washington made 1.35 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.

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity in Washington

Asian
$76,629 ± $3,310
White
$62,679 ± $1,044
Two or More Races
$50,209 ± $3,211

In 2018 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

0.469

2018 Wage GINI in Washington

0.466

2017 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2018, the income inequality in Washington was 0.469 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.658% growth from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. 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.

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Washington was King County, WA with a value of $95,009, followed by Snohomish County, WA and Kitsap County, WA, with respective values of $87,440 and $76,945.

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

Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

11.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Washington (822k out of 7.16M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 13.1%. 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
552,243 ± 5,630
Hispanic
174,965 ± 3,257
Other
64,089 ± 2,120

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

3.55M

2018 Value

2.27%

1 Year growth

± 2.27%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Washington grew at a rate of 2.27%, from 3.47M employees to 3.55M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Washington, are Other managers (108,959 people), Software developers (89,235 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (77,480 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 (108,959 people), Software developers (89,235 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (77,480 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Washington has an unusually high number of residents working as Sailors & marine oilers, & ship engineers (5.27 times higher than expected), Military officer special & tactical operations leaders (4.42 times), and Aerospace engineers (4.33 times).

Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Washington, by average salary, are Surgeons ($401,495), Physicians ($249,348), and Dentists ($227,028).

Industries

Employment by Industries

3.55M

2018 Value

2.27%

1 Year growth

± 2.27%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Washington grew at a rate of 2.27%, from 3.47M employees to 3.55M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Washington, are Construction (236,993 people), Restaurants & Food Services (214,330 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (191,322 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 (236,993 people), Restaurants & Food Services (214,330 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (191,322 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Washington has an unusually high number of Aircraft & parts manufacturing (5.2 times higher than expected), Fishing, hunting & trapping (4.59 times), and U. S. Navy (3.98 times) industries.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Washington, by average salary, are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($209,984), Software publishing ($143,285), and Computer Systems Design ($140,950).

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

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

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Washington.

$296B

2015 Value in Washington

$444B

Projected 2045 Value in Washington

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.

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
$26.3B
California
$14.2B
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).

Education

In 2017, universities in Washington awarded 107,905 degrees. The student population of Washington is skewed towards women, with 165,048 male students and 206,078 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Washington are White (61,112 and 60.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (11,629 and 11.5%), Asian (8,962 and 8.9%), and Unknown (6,662 and 6.62%).

The largest universities in Washington by number of degrees awarded are University of Washington-Seattle Campus (13,837 and 12.8%), Washington State University (7,807 and 7.24%), and Western Washington University (3,977 and 3.69%).

The most popular majors in Washington are Liberal Arts & Sciences (17,201 and 15.9%), General Business Administration & Management (3,707 and 3.44%), and Registered Nursing (3,537 and 3.28%).

The median tuition costs in Washington are $32,575 for private four year colleges, and $3,707 and $7,683 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
2,049 degree-majorss awarded
Registered Nursing
1,467 degree-majorss awarded
General Business Administration & Management
1,440 degree-majorss awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Washington was General Psychology with 2,049 degree-majorss 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
13,837 degrees awarded
Washington State University
7,807 degrees awarded
Western Washington University
3,977 degrees awarded

$3,707

Median In-State Public

$32,575

Median Private

In 2017, the Washington institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Washington-Seattle Campus with 13,837 degrees awarded.

Student Gender for Common Institutions

46,905

Degrees Awarded to Men

61,000

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 46,905 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Washington, which is 0.769 times less than the 61,000 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.

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
61,112 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
11,629 degrees awarded
Asian
8,962 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Washington were to White students. These 61,112 degrees mean that there were 5.26 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 11,629 degrees awarded.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Washington was $373,100 in 2018, which is 1.62 times larger than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $339,000 to $373,100, a 10.1% 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 26.5 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.

Housing

Property Value

$373,100

2018 Median

± $2,028

$339,000

2017 Median

± $2,463

In 2018, the median property value in Washington grew to to $373,100 from the previous year's value of $339,000.

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.

$74,073

Median Household Income

± $697

2.9M

Number of Households

± 27,536

In 2018, the median household income of the 2.9M households in Washington grew to $74,073 from the previous year's value of $70,979.

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

62.8%

2018 Homeownership

62.8%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 62.8% 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 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Washington compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Commute Time

26.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Washington have a longer commute time (26.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 3.4% 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 Method of Travel

Drove Alone
71%
Carpooled
9.76%
Public Transit
6.97%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Washington was Drove Alone (71%), followed by those who Carpooled (9.76%) and those who Public Transit (6.97%).

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 3 cars.

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 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 in Washington

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 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

6.11%

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.