State
County
Land Area
83.9 sq mi
Density
9,260.0/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
1.50%
Growth Since 2010
27.58%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
4,069,180
Seattle is a city located in Washington. With a 2020 population of 776,555, it is the largest city in Washington and the 18th largest city in the United States. Seattle is currently growing at a rate of 1.50% annually and its population has increased by 27.58% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 608,660 in 2010. Seattle reached it's highest population of 776,555 in 2021. Spanning over 142 miles, Seattle has a population density of 9,260 people per square mile.
The average household income in Seattle is $128,184 with a poverty rate of 10.96%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $1,614 per month, and the median house value is $663,100. The median age in Seattle is 35.3 years, 34.9 years for males, and 35.8 years for females. For every 100 females there are 102.4 males.
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 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 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.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Seattle was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 4,069,180 | 44,670 | 1.10% |
2020 | 4,024,510 | 44,670 | 1.11% |
2019 | 3,979,840 | 44,660 | 1.12% |
2018 | 3,935,180 | 49,600 | 1.26% |
2017 | 3,885,580 | 69,220 | 1.78% |
2016 | 3,816,360 | 76,710 | 2.01% |
2015 | 3,739,650 | 64,490 | 1.72% |
2014 | 3,675,160 | 62,810 | 1.71% |
2013 | 3,612,350 | 53,520 | 1.48% |
2012 | 3,558,830 | 54,940 | 1.54% |
2011 | 3,503,890 | 54,650 | 1.56% |
2010 | 3,449,240 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 487,486 | 67.30% |
Asian | 111,795 | 15.43% |
Black or African American | 53,112 | 7.33% |
Two or More Races | 49,680 | 6.86% |
Some Other Race | 16,628 | 2.30% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 3,687 | 0.51% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 1,917 | 0.26% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 331,836 | 2.11 | 45.7 |
Non Family | 181,854 | 1.44 | 28.8 |
Married | 120,030 | 2.9 | 71.3 |
Female | 20,313 | 3.05 | 45.1 |
Male | 9,639 | 2.97 | 47.7 |
2.84
Average Family Size
2.11
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 15,084 | 2.80% |
9th to 12th Grade | 12,683 | 2.35% |
High School Graduate | 51,458 | 9.55% |
Some College | 80,836 | 15.01% |
Associates Degree | 33,605 | 6.24% |
Bachelors Degree | 197,476 | 36.66% |
Graduate Degree | 147,541 | 27.39% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 363,273 | 356,519 | 256,577 |
Asian | 83,347 | 73,678 | 51,284 |
Black | 35,156 | 30,527 | 10,371 |
Hispanic | 30,904 | 25,804 | 13,297 |
Multiple Races | 25,478 | 24,140 | 14,065 |
Other Race | 10,601 | 7,547 | 3,163 |
Native American | 2,766 | 2,288 | 652 |
Islander | 1,274 | 1,123 | 307 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 98.14%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 70.63%.
$60,917
Average Earnings
$70,141
Average Male
$53,586
Average Female
78.69% of Seattle residents speak only English, while 21.31% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Asian and Pacific Island languages, which is spoken by 10.17% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 452,863 | 34,128 | 7.54% |
Asian | 107,634 | 15,882 | 14.76% |
Black | 51,597 | 14,660 | 28.41% |
Hispanic | 46,444 | 6,428 | 13.84% |
Multiple | 47,805 | 5,858 | 12.25% |
Other | 16,010 | 2,733 | 17.07% |
Native | 3,524 | 1,060 | 30.08% |
Islander | 1,774 | 322 | 18.15% |
10.96%
Overall Poverty Rate
10.67%
Male Poverty Rate
11.26%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Seattle is Native, with 30.08% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Seattle is White, with 7.54% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.09%. Among those working part-time, it was 17.90%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 25.31%.
41.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
41.1%
Male Marriage Rate
41.0%
Female Marriage Rate
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 35-44.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 21,592 | 5.11% |
Black | 2,656 | 6.71% |
Asian | 1,709 | 1.68% |
Hispanic | 1,394 | 3.65% |
2 or More | 1,320 | 4.10% |
Other | 371 | 2.80% |
Indian | 256 | 8.13% |
Hawaiian | 79 | 5.06% |
9.14%
Veteran Poverty Rate
26.55%
Veteran Disability Rate
73.6%
Labor Force Participation
70.5%
Employment Rate
4.1%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
81.22%
Native Born
18.78%
Foreign Born
9.66%
Non Citizen
9.12%
Naturalized
81.22% of Seattle residents were born in the United States, with 35.90% having been born in Washington. 9.66% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 776,555 | 11,440 | 1.50% |
2020 | 765,115 | 11,440 | 1.52% |
2019 | 753,675 | 11,440 | 1.54% |
2018 | 742,235 | 13,574 | 1.86% |
2017 | 728,661 | 19,030 | 2.68% |
2016 | 709,631 | 22,245 | 3.24% |
2015 | 687,386 | 17,277 | 2.58% |
2014 | 670,109 | 16,521 | 2.53% |
2013 | 653,588 | 17,660 | 2.78% |
2012 | 635,928 | 13,234 | 2.13% |
2011 | 622,694 | 12,064 | 1.98% |
2010 | 610,630 | 47,256 | 0.81% |
2000 | 563,374 | 47,115 | 0.88% |
1990 | 516,259 | 22,413 | 0.44% |
1980 | 493,846 | -36,985 | -0.72% |
1970 | 530,831 | -26,256 | -0.48% |
1960 | 557,087 | 89,496 | 1.77% |
1950 | 467,591 | 99,289 | 2.42% |
1940 | 368,302 | 2,719 | 0.07% |
1930 | 365,583 | 50,271 | 1.49% |
1920 | 315,312 | 78,118 | 2.89% |
1910 | 237,194 | 156,523 | 11.39% |
1900 | 80,671 | 37,834 | 6.53% |
1890 | 42,837 | 39,304 | 28.34% |
1880 | 3,533 | 2,433 | 12.38% |
1870 | 1,100 | 0.00% |