Seattle, Washington Population 2024

757,992

Seattle is a city located in King County Washington. Seattle has a 2024 population of 757,992. It is also the county seat of King County. Seattle is currently growing at a rate of 0.58% annually and its population has increased by 2.36% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 740,520 in 2020.

The average household income in Seattle is $161,694 with a poverty rate of 10.09%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Seattle is 35.4 years, 35.1 years for males, and 35.6 years for females.

Seattle, located in the state of Washington, is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and one of the fastest growing areas in the country. At the last census in 2010, the Emerald City had a population of 608,660. The Seattle metropolitan area has more than 3.5 million inhabitants, making it the 15th largest metro area in the country.

Seattle has grown from just 1,150 people in 1870 to an estimated population of 659,000 in 2014. The Seattle metropolitan area, however, has a population of around 3.5 million people. This is more than half of Washington state's total population. The Seattle metro area includes the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett metro division and the Tacoma metro division.

Seattle Diversity and Population Statistics

Seattle has historically had a mostly white population. While Seattle's percentage of white residents is lower than the United States as a whole and declining, it is still one of the whitest large cities in the U.S. From 1960 to 2010, the percentage of whites in Seattle has dropped from 91.6% to 66.5%.

According to an American Community Survey, people who speak Asian languages at home account for 10% of the population, followed by Spanish at 4.5%.

Seattle's foreign-born population has increased by 40% in ten years. Of the Asian population, 4.1% are Chinese with origins in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Seattle also has a large Vietnamese community with more than 30,000 Somali immigrants. The Seattle metro area is also home to one of the largest Samoan populations in the mainland United States.

There is also a large lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population in Seattle, which is one of the highest per capita in the country. 12.9% of Seattle citizens identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual, just behind San Francisco.

Seattle Population Growth

Seattle has been undergoing a population boom over the last decade and, according to recent Census data, it had the 14th largest population increase in the country, adding more than 12,600 residents between 2011 and 2012.

Seattle has struggled with its population growth, and it has experienced trouble creating space for more residents. Planners in 2006 projected the population would grow an additional 200,000 by 2040, and work has been underway to construct apartment buildings to house new residents. Since 2009, the downtown area alone has experienced a growth of 77% in twenty years.

By 2040, the larger Seattle area is expected to grow by 1.7 million people, with a total of 782,00 in Seattle proper by 2040.

The Seattle area was inhabited by Native Americans for about 4,000 years before the first European settlements. The first European to visit the area was George Vancouver in 1792 during an expedition to chart the region. In 1851, members of the Denny Party founded the village of Dewamps, which was later renamed Seattle after Chief Sealth of the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes. Seattle was incorporated in 1865.

Seattle's early history experienced many boom-and-bust cycles like other areas near natural and mineral resources. The first boom covered the lumber industry, although there were tensions between management and labor and ethnic tensions culminating in the anti-Chinese riots of the late 19th century. The Klondike Gold Rush caused the second boom and bust. After this, Seattle became a major center for transportation. It was during this time that American Messenger Company (which became UPS) was founded in the area. There was also a shipbuilding boom during World War I that nearly turned Seattle into a company town.

Today, Seattle's economy is more diverse and involves several major technology companies -- including Nintendo of America and Amazon.com -- and biomedical corporations like Eli Lily and Company and Boston Scientific. Seattle now ranks high for the quality of living, sanitation, crime, recreation, and public services.

Seattle Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Seattle was:

  • White: 63.62%
  • Asian: 16.84%
  • Two or more races: 9.4%
  • Black or African American: 6.74%
  • Other race: 2.62%
  • Native American: 0.56%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.22%
Land Area (mi²)
83.9 sq mi
Density (mi²)
9,038.60/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
2.36% (17,472)
The current population of Seattle, Washington is 757,992 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 740,520.

Seattle, Washington Population 2024

Population by Race

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White467,39063.62%
Asian123,70316.84%
Two or more races69,0309.4%
Black or African American49,5346.74%
Other race19,2352.62%
Native American4,1110.56%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander1,6000.22%

White

Asian

Two or more races

Black or African American

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Seattle Population by Race

Seattle Population Pyramid 2024

Seattle Median Age

35.4

Total

35.1

Male

35.6

Female

Seattle Adults

There are 631,672 adults, (93,751 of whom are seniors) in Seattle.

Seattle Age Dependency

36.6

Age Dependency Ratio

17.4

Old Age Dependency Ratio

19.1

Child Dependency Ratio

Seattle Sex Ratio

Female359,04148.88%
Male375,56251.12%

Seattle Population by Age

Seattle Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All345,2462.0544.555.5
Non Family196,1121.427.272.8
Married120,1032.8971.728.3
Female19,7842.9648.551.5
Male9,2472.9747.952.1

2.81

Average Family Size

2.05

Average Household Size

44.5%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Seattle Households and Families

Male

Female

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Seattle Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Seattle Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 98.37%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 71.9%.

Seattle Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

$78,127

Average Earnings

$90,139

Average Male

$68,383

Average Female

Seattle Earnings by Educational Attainment

Seattle Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Seattle Language

77.12% of Seattle residents speak only English, while 22.88% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Asian and Pacific Island languages, which is spoken by 10.57% of the population.

Seattle Language

Seattle Poverty by Race

rate

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White439,70031,8097.23%
Asian119,39014,66712.28%
Black48,17611,64424.17%
Hispanic52,9048,03215.18%
Multiple66,9607,68711.48%
Other18,5713,00516.18%
Native3,98486021.59%
Islander1,490775.17%

10.09%

Overall Poverty Rate

9.37%

Male Poverty Rate

10.85%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Seattle

The race most likely to be in poverty in Seattle is Black, with 24.17% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Seattle is Islander, with 5.17% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.08%. Among those working part-time, it was 15.29%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 25.93%.

Seattle Poverty

rate

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade36.12%
High School16.96%
Some College12.82%
Bachelors or Greater3.86%

Seattle Poverty Rate by Education

rate

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

Rate
Poverty
Male Unemployed33.03%
Female Unemployed29.87%
Female Employed5.62%
Male Employed3.61%

Seattle Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Seattle Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Seattle Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

40.0%

Overall Marriage Rate

40.4%

Male Marriage Rate

39.6%

Female Marriage Rate

Seattle Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Seattle Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Seattle Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Seattle Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

23,950

Number of Veterans

21,520

Male Veterans

2,430

Female Veterans

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

Seattle Veterans by War

count

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

Seattle Veterans by Age

count

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

Seattle Veterans by Race

Seattle Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

8.45%

Veteran Poverty Rate

28.13%

Veteran Disability Rate

Seattle Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

73.9%

Labor Force Participation

70.6%

Employment Rate

4.2%

Unemployment Rate

Seattle Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Seattle Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Seattle Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

35.48%

Born in Seattle

80.16%

Native Born

19.84%

Foreign Born

10.66%

Non Citizen

9.18%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

80.16% of Seattle residents were born in the United States, with 35.48% having been born in Washington. 10.66% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Seattle Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
2029779,8324,3680.56%
2028775,4644,3680.57%
2027771,0964,3680.57%
2026766,7284,3680.57%
2025762,3604,3680.58%
2024757,9924,3680.58%
2023753,6244,3680.58%
2022749,25617,7492.43%
2021731,507-9,013-1.22%
2020740,520-12,771-1.7%
2019753,29110,4021.4%
2018742,88913,2451.82%
2017729,64418,9572.67%
2016710,68722,4403.26%
2015688,24717,3512.59%
2014670,89616,5962.54%
2013654,30017,7432.79%
2012636,55713,4272.15%
2011623,13012,4762.04%
2010610,654
2000563,37447,1159.13%
1990516,25922,4134.54%
1980493,846-36,985-6.97%
1970530,831-26,256-4.71%
1960557,08789,49619.14%
1950467,59199,28926.96%
1940368,3022,7190.74%
1930365,58350,27115.94%
1920315,31278,11832.93%
1910237,194156,523194.03%
190080,67137,83488.32%
189042,83739,3041112.48%
18803,5332,433221.18%
18701,100-778,732-99.86%
showing: 34 rows

Seattle Population by Year