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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Island County

Washington · 86,857 residents · 208 sq mi
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The short version

Island County is a county of 86,857 people in Washington. At a median age of 45.8, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 74% of homes are owner-occupied. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $382,900. 15,299 more people live here than in 2000. The foreign-born share is 7%.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 45.8
US median: 38.8
Average education
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 51%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
86,857
+21%since 2000
from 71,558 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
45.8
+24%since 2000
from 37.0 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
208 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
58K66K74K82K90K19902000201020202024Island County
202487K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.2%(4,477)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.2%(4,479)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 144.9%(4,252)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 194.7%(4,080)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.9%(5,157)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.9%(11,202)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4410.5%(9,121)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 549.9%(8,631)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6414.7%(12,741)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7416.2%(14,058)
US avg: 10%
75 to 847.7%(6,666)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.3%(1,993)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$70,765
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,513 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$38,769
+81%since 2000
from $21,472 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
46.7%
+13.2 ptssince 2009
from 33.5% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
7.6%
+0.6 ptssince 2000
from 7.0% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.8%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade11.5%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade7.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.5%
Other services4.9%
US avg: 6.6%
Professional, scientific, technical4.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration2.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.3%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$382,900
+51%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $168,400 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,260
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $684 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
73.7%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 70.1% in 2000
26.3% rent
Persons per household
2.31 people
−6%since 2009
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
5.4
+3%since 2009
from 5.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic85.1%(60,929)
Black2.3%(1,634)
Hispanic / Latino4%(2,843)
Asian4.1%(2,941)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic75.8%(65,856)
Black2.6%(2,265)
Hispanic / Latino8.2%(7,118)
Asian4.5%(3,916)
Other6%(5,219)
Segregation Score
37
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.9%(4,991)
Puerto Rican0.8%(660)
Spaniard0.3%(259)
Cuban0.2%(160)
Salvadoran0.2%(137)
Ecuadorian0.1%(115)
Dominican0.1%(93)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Filipino2.8%(2,327)
Chinese0.4%(319)
Japanese0.4%(296)
Korean0.2%(208)
Asian Indian0.2%(178)
Thai0.2%(165)
Vietnamese0.2%(153)
Nepalese0%(42)
Cambodian0%(11)
Burmese0%(5)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(124)
Fijian0.1%(66)
Samoan0.1%(49)
Tongan0%(27)
Ancestry
German18.1%(15,260)
English13%(10,978)
Irish12.7%(10,652)
Norwegian5.6%(4,678)
American4.6%(3,880)
Scottish3.6%(3,025)
Italian3.5%(2,914)
French3.2%(2,736)
Swedish3.2%(2,656)
Dutch3.2%(2,655)
Polish2.5%(2,103)
Scotch-Irish1.3%(1,119)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh1.3%(1,064)
British1.3%(1,061)
Danish1%(853)
Portuguese0.6%(513)
Russian0.6%(509)
Finnish0.6%(474)
Greek0.5%(408)
Swiss0.4%(370)
Ukrainian0.4%(295)
Czech0.3%(273)
West Indian0.3%(266)
Hungarian0.3%(227)
Belgian0.2%(208)
Canadian0.2%(196)
Austrian0.1%(126)
Slovak0.1%(88)
Croatian0.1%(69)
Romanian0.1%(69)
Haitian0.1%(69)
Lithuanian0.1%(61)
Kenyan0.1%(50)
Latvian0%(35)
Nigerian0%(33)
Armenian0%(32)
Barbadian0%(32)
Lebanese0%(25)
Serbian0%(23)
Syrian0%(21)
Brazilian0%(17)
Jamaican0%(17)
Guyanese0%(13)
Turkish0%(13)
Moroccan0%(11)
Bulgarian0%(11)
Iranian0%(6)
Slovene0%(3)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
34.1%
+7.1 ptssince 2000
from 27.0% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
95.6%
+3.5 ptssince 2000
from 92.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
13.8%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 8.3% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
27.7 min
+26%since 2000
from 22.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
71.7%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 69.3% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
3.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.8%
−2.4 ptssince 2011
from 8.3% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
58.1%
−3.5 ptssince 2011
from 61.7% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
68.8%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
36.5%
+4.0 ptssince 2009
from 32.5% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
50.1%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
7.4%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
4.8%
−4.8 ptssince 2013
from 9.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
96.0%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
84.8%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married27.3%(10,145)
Married61.3%(22,779)
Widowed3%(1,112)
Divorced8.4%(3,108)
Women 15+
Never married18.3%(6,768)
Married60.5%(22,390)
Widowed8.5%(3,143)
Divorced12.7%(4,709)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.8%
−4.8 ptssince 2013
from 9.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
46.9%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
18.5%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
27.8%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
14.9%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
4.7%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
76.0%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
42.2%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)34.6%(3,773)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)27.2%(2,969)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era35.8%(3,912)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War4.6%(501)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II1.2%(129)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 10,919 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Island County to nearby counties

ISLAND COUNTY VS
San Juan County
Income$84,800+20%
Home value$799,200+109%
Population18,577−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ISLAND COUNTY VS
Kitsap County
Income$104,158+47%
Home value$555,100+45%
Population283,374+231%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ISLAND COUNTY VS
Snohomish County
Income$111,246+57%
Home value$696,000+82%
Population870,656+916%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ISLAND COUNTY VS
Skagit County
Income$89,263+26%
Home value$545,100+42%
Population132,975+55%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Island County, Washington?

Island County, Washington has about 86,857 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Island County, Washington?

The typical household in Island County, Washington earns about $70,765 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Island County, Washington expensive?

In Island County, Washington, the median home is worth about $382,900, and the typical rent is about $1,260 a month.

How educated are people in Island County, Washington?

About 34.1% of adults age 25 and over in Island County, Washington hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Island County, Washington?

About 7.6% of people in Island County, Washington live below the federal poverty line.

Has Island County, Washington grown since 1990?

Yes, Island County, Washington has grown since 1990. The population has added about 26,662 residents, a change of about 44 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 →