Washington Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Washington Population Density Map and Area Scores
State Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 74% of states in the US
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 78% of states in the US
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 80% of states in the US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Washington | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,801,159 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 109.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,058,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Washington grew by 19.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,801,159 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Washington is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.3% of residents. That is 1.1 points above the US as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,670,511 21.4% on par
- Millennials 29–44 1,820,218 23.3% +1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,521,790 19.5% -0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,268,263 16.3% -0.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below the US, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.7% of the people living in Washington and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% the US 50.5%
- Men 50.3% the US 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Washington
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Washington has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Washington | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $98,224 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.64% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Washington is about 22% higher than in US.
Housing
| Metric | Washington | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $485,016 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,759 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Washington is about 23.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,759 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Washington spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 187 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Washington | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 19.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,119 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,525 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Washington:
Walla Walla County (12.2 min), San Juan County (12.3 min), Asotin County (13.2 min).
Slowest:
Mason County (32.0 min), Garfield County (28.4 min), Snohomish County (28.3 min).
The average commute time in Washington is about the same as in US.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Washington has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Washington | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Washington:
King County (0.4), San Juan County (0.4), Jefferson County (0.4).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.2), Yakima County (0.2), Grant County (0.2).
Health
Washington has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Washington | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Washington:
King County (0.8), Whitman County (0.8), San Juan County (0.8).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.8), Okanogan County (0.8), Pacific County (0.8).
Washington Compared With Nearby States
Washington is the 2nd largest of the 6 states compared here, 7,801,159 residents against a local median of 3,183,702. The measure that sets Washington apart most is median household income: $98,224, 25% above the local median of $78,637. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $485,016 against a local median of $394,140, 23% above it. The states themselves spread $26,685 on median household income, so Washington sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington has the 2nd highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 7,801,159 | $98,224 #2/6 | $485,016 #2/6 | 22.4 min #4/6 |
| Oregon | 4,252,306 | $83,617 | $406,603 | 20.1 min |
| Idaho | 1,929,983 | $78,141 | $394,140 | 18.0 min |
| Nevada | 3,183,702 | $78,637 | $357,758 | 22.4 min |
| California | 39,245,658 | $99,161 | $650,794 | 23.5 min |
| Montana | 1,116,812 | $72,476 | $249,140 | 16.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Washington.
How big is Washington by population?
About 7,801,159 people live in Washington, in 3,058,619 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 36.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Washington?
Averaged over its land area, Washington has 109 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Washington an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.9 times the median household income ($485,016 against $98,224), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,759 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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