CITY · 1990 CENSUS
Seattle
Washington · 516,259 residents · 84.0 sq mi
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The short version
Seattle is home to 516,259 people in Washington. 38% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 20% nationally. 49% of homes are owner-occupied. Median home value sits at $136,500. There are 47,115 fewer people here than in 2000. Median household income is $29,353, close to the national figure.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 34.9
US median: 33.0
More educated
38% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 29%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01
Population & growth
Land area
84.0 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024754K
Age distribution, 1990
Under 55.6%(29,090)
5 to 94.6%(23,898)
10 to 143.9%(20,132)
15 to 194.9%(25,207)
20 to 249.2%(47,418)
25 to 3421.9%(113,145)
35 to 4418%(92,979)
45 to 549.2%(47,747)
55 to 647.4%(38,010)
65 to 748.2%(42,543)
75 to 845.2%(26,909)
85 and over1.8%(9,181)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$29,353
−15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $45,736 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$136,500
−29%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $252,100 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic67.9%(382,532)
Black8.3%(46,545)
Hispanic / Latino5.3%(29,719)
Asian13%(73,512)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic75.4%(389,304)
Black10%(51,652)
Hispanic / Latino3.3%(17,058)
Asian11.9%(61,293)
Other2.7%(14,010)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
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)
Costa Rican0%(204)
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)
Bangladeshi0%(333)
Mien0%(329)
Nepalese0%(265)
Malaysian0%(247)
Burmese0%(110)
Kazakh0%(67)
Uzbek0%(40)
Okinawan0%(39)
Singaporean0%(31)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.3%(2,551)
Samoan0.2%(1,322)
Chamorro0.1%(1,091)
Fijian0%(251)
Guamanian0%(80)
Tongan0%(46)
Marshallese0%(17)
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)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.1%(485)
Ghanaian0.1%(468)
Israeli0.1%(429)
Moroccan0.1%(386)
Palestinian0%(338)
Syrian0%(337)
Haitian0%(295)
Macedonian0%(261)
Jordanian0%(248)
Guyanese0%(116)
Barbadian0%(19)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
86.4%
−3.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 89.5% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
No data for the years selected.
Section 08
People & community
No data for the years selected.
Marital status (2024)
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
Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).
Direct-purchase
13.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 14.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
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)
Gulf War (1990s)22.7%(4,848)
Vietnam era29.3%(6,263)
Korean War5.5%(1,181)
World War II1.4%(292)
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
Explore
Neighborhoods in Seattle
AdmiralArbor HeightsBallardBeacon HillBelltownBitter LakeCapitol HillCentralColumbia CityDenny TriangleDowntownEast Queen AnneFauntleroyFirst HillFremontGreen LakeGreenwoodHaller LakeHigh PointInterbayLower Queen AnneMagnoliaMaple LeafMatthews BeachMinorNorth Beacon HillNorth College ParkNorth Queen AnneOlympic HillsPinehurstRainier BeachRavennaSand PointSeaviewSeward ParkSouth DelridgeSouth Lake UnionSunset HillUniversity DistrictUptownVictory HeightsWallingfordWaterfrontWedgwoodWest WoodlandWhittier HeightsNeighborhoods 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 SeattleHead to head
Compare Seattle to nearby cities
SEATTLE VS
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Home value$2,000,001+1365%
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SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SEATTLE VS
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Home value$1,155,900+747%
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SEATTLE VS
White Center
Income$87,189+197%
Home value$645,200+373%
Population14,886−98%
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SEATTLE VS
Kirkland
Income$150,414+412%
Home value$1,115,400+717%
Population97,410−88%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Seattle, Washington?
Seattle, Washington has about 516,259 residents according to the 1990 Census.
What is the median household income in Seattle, Washington?
The typical household in Seattle, Washington earns about $29,353 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 $136,500, and the typical rent is about $463 a month.
How educated are people in Seattle, Washington?
About 37.9% 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 12.4% of people in Seattle, Washington live below the federal poverty line.
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WashingtonDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024