Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2021 Population

3.97M

1.09% 1-year growth

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2021 Median Age

37.2

0.541% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

8.28%

1.7% 1-year decrease

2021 Median Household Income

$97,675

7.58% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$518,000

9.77% 1-year growth

2021 Employed Population

2.08M

0.828% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA had a population of 3.97M people with a median age of 37.2 and a median household income of $97,675. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA grew from 3.93M to 3.97M, a 1.09% increase and its median household income grew from $90,790 to $97,675, a 7.58% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA are White (Non-Hispanic) (60.8%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (14.4%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (6.65%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (5.77%), and White (Hispanic) (3.97%).

None of the households in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, 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.

90.1% of the residents in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA are University of Washington-Seattle Campus (15,234 degrees awarded in 2021), Green River College (2,748 degrees), and Bellevue College (2,717 degrees).

In 2021, the median property value in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA was $518,000, and the homeownership rate was 60.6%.

Most people in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA was 2 cars per household.

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA borders Bremerton-Silverdale, WA, Centralia, WA, Ellensburg, WA, Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA, Oak Harbor, WA, Olympia-Tumwater, WA, Shelton, WA, Wenatchee, WA, and Yakima, WA.

About the photo: Pioneer Square in Seattle with a view of the Seattle Great Wheel

Photo by Jonathan Miske

United States Washington

Population & Diversity

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is home to a population of 3.97M people, from which 90.1% are citizens. As of 2021, 19.5% of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA residents were born outside of the country (776k people).

In 2021, there were 4.23 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.42M people) in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 571k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 264k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90.1%

2021 Citizenship

90.2%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 90.1% of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA was 90.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.42M ± 2.38k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
571k ± 4.19k
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
264k ± 5.44k

10.5%

Hispanic Population

419k people

10.5% of the people in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA are hispanic (419k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
242,407 ± 11,894 people
India
95,173 ± 7,527 people
China
81,169 ± 6,957 people

In 2021, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 242,407 Washington residents, followed by India with 95,173 and China with 81,169.

Foreign-Born Population

19.5%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

776k people

19.2%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

754k people

As of 2021, 19.5% of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA residents (776k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA was 19.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
67,147 ± 1,672
Gulf War (2001-)
61,700 ± 2,314
Gulf War (1990s)
35,307 ± 1,607

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.09 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA employs 2.08M people. The largest industries in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (273,087 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (259,799 people), and Retail Trade (249,874 people), and the highest paying industries are Information ($108,321), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($103,797), and Utilities ($95,224).

Males in Washington have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $65,962. The income inequality in Washington (measured using the Gini index) is 0.468, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

2.08M

2021 Value

± 12,052

0.828%

1 Year growth

± 0.804%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA grew at a rate of 0.828%, from 2.06M employees to 2.08M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, are Management Occupations (266,705 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (202,670 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (183,150 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.08M

2021 Value

± 12,052

0.828%

1 Year growth

± 0.804%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA grew at a rate of 0.828%, from 2.06M employees to 2.08M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (273,087 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (259,799 people), and Retail Trade (249,874 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, though some of these residents may live in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$66,514

Median earning men ± $489

$45,688

Median earning women ± $519

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Information ($124,694), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($102,812), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($85,693).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Information ($86,508), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($66,158), and Public Administration ($66,147).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Washington. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

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

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

44,815
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
26,773
Professional, Scientific & Management, and Administrative & Waste Management Services
23,240
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing

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

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$75.4M
Manufacturing
$38.6M
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
$30.9M
Professional, Scientific & Management, and Administrative & Waste Management Services

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

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 Misc. mfg. prods. with $42.2B, followed by Mixed freight ($36.4B) and Electronics ($33.3B).

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

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Washington.

$416B

2020 Value in Washington

$982B

Projected 2050 Value in Washington

136% growth

In 2020, total outbound Washington trade was $416B. This is expected to increase 136% to $982B 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
$34.7B
California
$26.5B
Texas
$12.9B

In 2020, the top outbound Washington domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Oregon with $34.7B, followed by California with $26.5B and Texas and $12.9B.

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%).

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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. Showing the available data for Washington.

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.

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.

US Representative Elections

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 2021, universities in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA awarded 53,323 degrees. The student population of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 74,507 male students and 98,772 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA are White (23,653 and 49.7%), followed by Asian (8,069 and 17%), Hispanic or Latino (5,394 and 11.3%), and Two or More Races (4,012 and 8.43%).

The largest universities in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA by number of degrees awarded are University of Washington-Seattle Campus (15,234 and 28.6%), Green River College (2,748 and 5.15%), and Bellevue College (2,717 and 5.1%).

The most popular majors in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (8,250 and 15.5%), Registered Nursing (1,762 and 3.3%), and Early Childhood Education & Teaching (1,635 and 3.07%).

The median tuition costs in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA are $33,500 for private four year colleges, and $4,085 and $4,878 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2021 in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 65.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 23%. The number of students enrolled in 2021 was 173,279 (43% men and 57% 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 2021 there were 173,279 students enrolled in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, 43% men and 57% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 70,032 records, of which 57.9% were women and 42.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Computer Science
809 degree-majors awarded
Registered Nursing
753 degree-majors awarded
General Business Administration & Management
684 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA was Computer Science with 809 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Washington-Seattle Campus
15,234 degrees awarded
Green River College
2,748 degrees awarded
Bellevue College
2,717 degrees awarded

In 2021, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Washington-Seattle Campus with 15,234 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2021, 21,750 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, which is 0.689 times less than the 31,573 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2021 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 23,653 degrees mean that there were 2.93 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 8,069 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 ($33,500) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2021.

Public, 4-year or above ($519) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2021.

Public, 2-year ($930) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2021, 0.864% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.881% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were Some college (1.41M), High School or Equivalent (1.38M), and Bachelors Degree (1.29M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA was $518,000 in 2021, which is 2.12 times larger than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $471,900 to $518,000, a 9.77% increase. The homeownership rate in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is 60.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA have an average commute time of 30.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is $97,675. In 2021, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA was King County, WA with a value of $106,326, followed by Snohomish County, WA and Kitsap County, WA, with respective values of $95,618 and $84,600.

Housing

Property

$518,000

Median Property Value 2021

±$3,571

$933,755

Median Property Taxes

±$6,951

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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

60.6%

Homeownership

2021

65.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 60.6% of the housing units in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 60.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2021, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA was King County, WA with a value of $106,326, followed by Snohomish County, WA and Kitsap County, WA, with respective values of $95,618 and $84,600.

The following map shows all of the counties in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$97,675

Median Household Income

± $648

1.54M

Number of Households

± 9,517

In 2021, the median household income of the 1.54M households in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA grew to $97,675 from the previous year's value of $90,790.

The following chart displays the households in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, 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 $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is from Washington.

0.468

2021 Wage GINI in Washington

0.466

2020 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2021, the income inequality in Washington was 0.468 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.488% growth from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (62.4%)
Worked At Home (14.9%)
Carpooled (9.11%)

In 2021, 62.4% of workers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.9%) and those who carpooled to work (9.11%).

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.

Commute Time

30.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA have a longer commute time (30.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 3.36% of the workforce in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

8.28% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (324k out of 3.91M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is White, followed by Hispanic and Asian.

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.

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.

Health

94.3% of the population of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has health coverage, with 57.4% on employee plans, 13.6% on Medicaid, 9.49% on Medicare, 12% on non-group plans, and 1.78% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Washington see 1176 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.676% decrease from the previous year (1184 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1196 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 229 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,176 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Washington

Primary care physicians in Washington see an average of 1,176 patients per year. This represents a 0.676% decrease from the previous year (1,184 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.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.9% under 18 years, 23.4% between 18 and 34 years, 40.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.69%

Uninsured

57.4%

Employer Coverage

13.6%

Medicaid

9.49%

Medicare

12%

Non-Group

1.78%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA grew by 1.55% from 5.61% to 5.69%.

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