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CITY

Seattle

Washington · 784,777 residents (2025 est.) · 84.0 sq mi
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Part of the Seattle metro area
The short version

With 754,195 people, Seattle is a city in Washington. 68% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $938,600. Owners hold 44% of the housing stock. Few US cities rank higher on income. There are 8,979 people per square mile.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $123,860, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
68% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 104%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Seattle

What changed most since 1990

  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$327,609 → $938,600 (+186%)US over the same years: +67%
  • Adults with a bachelor's degree37.9% → 68.4% (+30.6 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
  • Median household income (2024 dollars)$70,449 → $123,860 (+76%)US over the same years: +14%

Among the 196 cities and towns in the Seattle metro

  • 88th in household income$123,860
  • 19th in share with a bachelor's degree68.4%
  • 32nd in home value$938,600
  • 48th in diversity score75.6

Its weight in King County

Seattle's population equals 33% of King County's. Its number of households without a car equals 65% of the county's. Its number of people who work from home equals 44% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
754,195
+34%since 2000
from 563,374 in 2000
784,777 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
8,979 / sq mi
+34%since 2000
from 6,707 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
35.6
+1%since 2000
from 35.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
84.0 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
492K564K635K707K778K19902000201020202024Seattle
2024754K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.2%(31,970)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 93.8%(28,685)
US avg: 6%
10 to 143.5%(26,756)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 194.4%(33,322)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.7%(58,353)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3425.1%(189,247)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4416.7%(126,160)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.9%(89,454)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 649.6%(72,052)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.7%(58,352)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.6%(27,250)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(12,594)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$123,860
+49%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,736 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$86,095
+184%since 2000
from $30,306 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
67.8%
+27.9 ptssince 2009
from 39.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
9.9%
−1.9 ptssince 2000
from 11.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.490
+1%since 2010
from 0.485 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade6.2%
US avg: 9.9%
Arts, entertainment, food5.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Other services5.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration3.4%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical3.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade3.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$938,600
+104%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $252,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,030
+55%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $721 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
43.7%
−4.7 ptssince 2000
from 48.4% in 2000
56.3% rent
Vacancy rate
7.7%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 6.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.00 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.06 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
22.7%
−13.0 ptssince 2009
from 35.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
42.4%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 44.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
7.6
Unchangedsince 2009
from 7.6 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
84
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic67.9%(382,532)
Black8.3%(46,545)
Hispanic / Latino5.3%(29,719)
Asian13%(73,512)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic58.8%(443,250)
Black6.4%(48,376)
Hispanic / Latino8.5%(63,894)
Asian17.5%(131,815)
Other8.9%(66,860)
Diversity Score
76
+21%since 2009
from 63 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican4.6%(34,838)
South American1.2%(8,997)
Central American0.7%(5,356)
Spaniard0.6%(4,180)
Puerto Rican0.4%(3,368)
Colombian0.3%(2,165)
Peruvian0.3%(1,901)
Salvadoran0.2%(1,866)
Cuban0.2%(1,688)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,401)
Guatemalan0.2%(1,328)
Argentine0.2%(1,153)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.1%(1,034)
Honduran0.1%(1,006)
Chilean0.1%(866)
Panamanian0.1%(424)
Dominican0.1%(387)
Nicaraguan0.1%(387)
Bolivian0%(265)
Paraguayan0%(155)
Uruguayan0%(57)
Asian origin
Chinese5.8%(44,012)
Asian Indian3.3%(24,644)
Filipino1.9%(14,318)
Vietnamese1.8%(13,407)
Korean1.3%(9,861)
Japanese1%(7,591)
Taiwanese0.5%(3,831)
Pakistani0.2%(1,697)
Cambodian0.2%(1,359)
Thai0.1%(1,067)
Laotian0.1%(934)
Indonesian0.1%(655)
+ 12 more asian origin groups with data
Mongolian0.1%(497)
Hmong0%(366)
Sri Lankan0%(337)
Mien0%(329)
Nepalese0%(265)
Malaysian0%(247)
Burmese0%(110)
Kazakh0%(67)
Uzbek0%(40)
Okinawan0%(39)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.3%(2,551)
Samoan0.2%(1,322)
Chamorro0.1%(1,091)
Fijian0%(251)
Guamanian0%(80)
Tongan0%(46)
Ancestry
German13.8%(104,027)
English12.7%(95,548)
Irish11.1%(83,590)
Italian4.6%(34,560)
Norwegian3.6%(27,216)
Swedish3%(22,633)
Scottish2.8%(21,483)
Subsaharan African2.7%(20,316)
French2.6%(19,729)
Polish2.5%(19,157)
American2.4%(17,921)
Russian1.4%(10,540)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch1.3%(9,864)
Ethiopian1.1%(8,265)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(7,957)
British1%(7,671)
Welsh0.9%(7,040)
Danish0.8%(6,186)
Ukrainian0.7%(5,356)
Arab0.7%(5,274)
Czech0.6%(4,756)
Greek0.6%(4,449)
French Canadian0.6%(4,300)
Swiss0.5%(4,057)
Finnish0.5%(4,049)
Somali0.5%(3,904)
Iranian0.5%(3,689)
Hungarian0.4%(3,328)
Portuguese0.4%(3,222)
Canadian0.4%(3,217)
Croatian0.3%(2,479)
Austrian0.3%(2,399)
West Indian0.3%(2,265)
Lithuanian0.3%(2,236)
Romanian0.3%(1,975)
Turkish0.2%(1,477)
Lebanese0.2%(1,420)
Bulgarian0.2%(1,403)
Brazilian0.2%(1,236)
Slovak0.2%(1,236)
Nigerian0.2%(1,170)
Armenian0.2%(1,151)
Latvian0.1%(935)
Egyptian0.1%(830)
Jamaican0.1%(758)
Australian0.1%(756)
Serbian0.1%(692)
Belgian0.1%(631)
Kenyan0.1%(623)
Slovene0.1%(527)
Iraqi0.1%(491)
Ghanaian0.1%(468)
Israeli0.1%(429)
Moroccan0.1%(386)
Syrian0%(337)
Haitian0%(295)
Macedonian0%(261)
Jordanian0%(248)
Guyanese0%(116)
Barbadian0%(19)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
68.4%
+21.2 ptssince 2000
from 47.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.0%
+6.5 ptssince 2000
from 89.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
30.6%
+13.3 ptssince 2000
from 17.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.0 min
+66%since 2000
from 15.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
36.7%
−17.2 ptssince 2009
from 53.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
4.7%
−5.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
11.9%
−6.7 ptssince 2009
from 18.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
34.8%
+29.3 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
8.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
2.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
19.0%
+3.5 ptssince 2009
from 15.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.6%
−2.0 ptssince 2011
from 6.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
74.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2011
from 72.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
83.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 82.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.7%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
66.8%
+14.5 ptssince 2009
from 52.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Female
49.1%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Foreign born
20.2%
+2.9 ptssince 2009
from 17.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.3%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.3%
+1.3 ptssince 2012
from 9.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.2%
−7.1 ptssince 2013
from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.5%
+7.3 ptssince 2017
from 87.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
98.2%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 96.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
78.1%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 77.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
76.3%
−2.0 ptssince 2016
from 78.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2016
from 4.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married49.2%(167,004)
Married41.8%(141,892)
Widowed1.4%(4,845)
Divorced7.6%(25,933)
Women 15+
Never married43.9%(143,597)
Married40.6%(132,903)
Widowed4.6%(14,992)
Divorced10.9%(35,618)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.2%
−7.1 ptssince 2013
from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
69.9%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 68.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 14.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
13.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 13.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
12.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 12.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 1.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
80.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 80.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
23.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 23.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)28.8%(6,149)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.7%(4,848)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29.3%(6,263)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.5%(1,181)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.4%(292)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 21,353 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Seattle, decade by decade

Seattle population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990516,259$70,449$327,60937.9%53.9
2000563,374$83,315$459,23947.2%63.7
2010608,660$87,271$656,27655.1%66.0
2020737,015$117,792$864,91165.0%75.2
2024754,195$123,860$938,60068.4%75.6

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Explore

Neighborhoods in Seattle

Drill deeper

Places similar to Seattle

San Francisco
Pop 826,079
Washington
Pop 693,645
Denver
Pop 740,613
Boston
Pop 672,973
Places similar to Seattle
Head to head

Compare Seattle to nearby cities

SEATTLE VS
Mercer Island
Income$219,069+77%
Home value$2,000,000+
Population25,422−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SEATTLE VS
Bainbridge Island
Income$172,188+39%
Home value$1,155,900+23%
Population24,691−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SEATTLE VS
White Center
Income$87,189−30%
Home value$645,200−31%
Population14,886−98%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SEATTLE VS
Kirkland
Income$150,414+21%
Home value$1,115,400+19%
Population97,410−88%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Seattle, Washington?

Seattle, Washington has about 754,195 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Seattle, Washington?

The typical household in Seattle, Washington earns about $123,860 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Seattle, Washington expensive?

In Seattle, Washington, the median home is worth about $938,600, and the typical rent is about $2,030 a month.

How educated are people in Seattle, Washington?

About 68.4% of adults age 25 and over in Seattle, Washington hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Seattle, Washington?

About 9.9% of people in Seattle, Washington live below the federal poverty line.

Has Seattle, Washington grown since 1990?

Yes, Seattle, Washington has grown since 1990. The population has added about 237,936 residents, a change of about 46 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →