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COUNTY

King County

Washington · 2,344,939 residents (2025 est.) · 2,116 sq mi
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Part of the Seattle metro area
The short version

King County is a county of 2,287,171 people in Washington. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $859,900. 57% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. That puts it in the top 1% of US counties for household income. The population is up 32% since 2000. 26% of people here were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $124,746, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 37.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
57% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 108%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about King County

What changed most since 1990

  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$334,810 → $859,900 (+157%)US over the same years: +67%
  • White share83.4% → 52.9% (−30.5 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Asian share7.7% → 20.5% (+12.8 pts)US over the same years: +3.1 pts

Among the 39 counties in Washington

  • 1st in household income$124,746
  • 1st in share with a bachelor's degree56.7%
  • 1st in home value$859,900
  • 1st in diversity score81.6
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
2,287,171
+32%since 2000
from 1,737,034 in 2000
2,344,939 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,081 / sq mi
+32%since 2000
from 821 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
37.4
+5%since 2000
from 35.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
2,116 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
1.4M1.7M1.9M2.1M2.4M19902000201020202024King County
20242.3M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.2%(119,275)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.4%(124,559)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.5%(126,267)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.4%(124,446)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.9%(134,628)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3418.3%(419,105)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4416%(367,010)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.8%(293,588)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.3%(257,394)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.4%(191,434)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.9%(89,822)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(39,643)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$124,746
+29%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $53,157 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$74,100
+151%since 2000
from $29,521 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
69.5%
+24.5 ptssince 2009
from 45.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
8.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2000
from 8.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.483
+6%since 2010
from 0.456 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.8%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services5.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5.2%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade5.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Arts, entertainment, food4.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$859,900
+108%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $226,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,092
+52%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $758 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
55.4%
−4.4 ptssince 2000
from 59.8% in 2000
44.6% rent
Vacancy rate
6.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.39 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.38 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
24.2%
−10.9 ptssince 2009
from 35.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
45.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 44.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.9
+16%since 2009
from 5.9 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
92
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic73.4%(1,275,127)
Black5.3%(91,798)
Hispanic / Latino5.5%(95,242)
Asian10.7%(186,615)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic52.9%(1,210,898)
Black6.4%(147,480)
Hispanic / Latino11%(251,983)
Asian20.5%(469,780)
Other9.1%(207,030)
Diversity Score
82
+30%since 2009
from 63 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
29
−5%since 2020
from 31 in 2020
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
Mexican7.1%(161,863)
Central American1.3%(30,062)
South American1%(22,189)
Salvadoran0.5%(11,429)
Puerto Rican0.4%(10,206)
Spaniard0.4%(8,673)
Guatemalan0.3%(7,655)
Honduran0.3%(6,374)
Colombian0.3%(5,934)
Peruvian0.2%(4,519)
Cuban0.2%(3,864)
Venezuelan0.1%(3,330)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.1%(2,968)
Argentine0.1%(2,200)
Ecuadorian0.1%(1,971)
Nicaraguan0.1%(1,847)
Panamanian0.1%(1,722)
Dominican0.1%(1,281)
Bolivian0%(747)
Uruguayan0%(279)
Paraguayan0%(214)
Asian origin
Chinese5.7%(129,946)
Asian Indian5%(114,638)
Filipino2.3%(53,047)
Vietnamese2.2%(49,605)
Korean1.6%(35,900)
Japanese0.9%(20,140)
Taiwanese0.4%(10,248)
Cambodian0.3%(7,657)
Pakistani0.2%(4,739)
Kazakh0.2%(4,708)
Thai0.2%(4,073)
Laotian0.2%(3,815)
+ 13 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0.1%(2,195)
Nepalese0.1%(1,869)
Indonesian0.1%(1,814)
Hmong0.1%(1,692)
Mongolian0.1%(1,297)
Mien0%(943)
Sri Lankan0%(614)
Malaysian0%(515)
Bhutanese0%(168)
Uzbek0%(139)
Okinawan0%(74)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.4%(9,480)
Native Hawaiian0.4%(8,269)
Chamorro0.2%(3,683)
Marshallese0.1%(1,755)
Fijian0.1%(1,402)
Tongan0.1%(1,279)
Guamanian0%(316)
Chuukese0%(270)
Ancestry
German12%(273,985)
English11%(250,637)
Irish8.6%(196,924)
Italian3.4%(78,729)
Norwegian3.4%(78,124)
Subsaharan African2.9%(65,856)
American2.5%(56,622)
Swedish2.4%(54,713)
Scottish2.3%(53,214)
French2.2%(51,429)
Polish1.9%(42,882)
Russian1.3%(30,574)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Ukrainian1.2%(26,485)
Dutch1.1%(25,672)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(20,537)
Ethiopian0.9%(19,834)
Arab0.8%(18,439)
British0.7%(17,097)
Welsh0.7%(17,065)
Danish0.7%(15,776)
Somali0.6%(13,378)
Finnish0.5%(10,394)
Iranian0.4%(10,136)
French Canadian0.4%(9,840)
Swiss0.4%(9,655)
Czech0.4%(9,520)
Romanian0.4%(9,216)
Canadian0.4%(9,002)
Greek0.4%(8,855)
Portuguese0.4%(8,621)
Hungarian0.3%(7,771)
Austrian0.3%(6,518)
Turkish0.3%(6,280)
West Indian0.3%(6,064)
Kenyan0.2%(5,635)
Brazilian0.2%(5,074)
Croatian0.2%(4,876)
Lithuanian0.2%(4,677)
Iraqi0.2%(4,084)
Lebanese0.2%(3,788)
Nigerian0.2%(3,643)
Armenian0.2%(3,447)
Egyptian0.1%(2,911)
Bulgarian0.1%(2,769)
Belgian0.1%(2,450)
Slovak0.1%(2,366)
Jamaican0.1%(2,102)
Israeli0.1%(1,884)
Australian0.1%(1,836)
Latvian0.1%(1,763)
Serbian0.1%(1,428)
Haitian0.1%(1,286)
Ghanaian0.1%(1,284)
Syrian0.1%(1,250)
Slovene0.1%(1,207)
Palestinian0.1%(1,149)
Moroccan0%(1,106)
Jordanian0%(937)
Macedonian0%(369)
Guyanese0%(333)
Barbadian0%(70)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
56.7%
+16.8 ptssince 2000
from 40.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.8%
+3.5 ptssince 2000
from 90.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
24.2%
+10.8 ptssince 2000
from 13.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
27.6 min
+57%since 2000
from 17.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
50.4%
−15.9 ptssince 2009
from 66.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.0%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
6.8%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
29.2%
+23.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
11.2%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.8%
−2.1 ptssince 2011
from 6.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.9%
−0.7 ptssince 2011
from 70.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.8%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 77.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
58.5%
+11.9 ptssince 2009
from 46.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.7%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
Female
49.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 50.1% in 2009
Foreign born
25.8%
+6.8 ptssince 2009
from 19.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.5%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.3%
+1.1 ptssince 2012
from 9.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.2%
−6.7 ptssince 2013
from 11.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
95.1%
+6.6 ptssince 2017
from 88.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
98.1%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 96.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
83.3%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 81.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
68.9%
−4.6 ptssince 2016
from 73.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
7.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2016
from 6.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married39.9%(386,708)
Married51%(494,337)
Widowed1.7%(16,015)
Divorced7.5%(72,703)
Women 15+
Never married33.3%(315,531)
Married49.8%(471,566)
Widowed5.8%(55,284)
Divorced11.1%(104,926)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.2%
−6.7 ptssince 2013
from 11.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
66.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 66.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 13.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 13.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 14.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
76.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 77.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
27.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 26.6% 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)26.3%(21,747)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22%(18,189)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.7%(26,245)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.2%(4,327)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.4%(1,150)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 82,668 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

King County, decade by decade

King County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
19901,507,319$86,832$334,81032.8%36.9
20001,737,034$96,834$412,42340.0%55.1
20101,931,249$97,916$586,50545.2%68.1
20202,269,675$120,183$728,55753.4%80.7
20242,287,171$124,746$859,90056.7%81.6

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.

Drill deeper

Places similar to King County

Orange County
Pop 3,149,507
Alameda County
Pop 1,636,630
Middlesex County
Pop 1,669,979
Suffolk County
Pop 1,546,090
Places similar to King County
Head to head

Compare King County to nearby counties

KING COUNTY VS
Pierce County
Income$99,564−20%
Home value$526,600−39%
Population946,288−60%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KING COUNTY VS
Snohomish County
Income$111,246−11%
Home value$696,000−19%
Population870,656−63%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KING COUNTY VS
Kitsap County
Income$104,158−17%
Home value$555,100−35%
Population283,374−88%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KING COUNTY VS
Kittitas County
Income$73,804−41%
Home value$497,400−42%
Population48,803−98%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in King County, Washington?

King County, Washington has about 2,287,171 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in King County, Washington earns about $124,746 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is King County, Washington expensive?

In King County, Washington, the median home is worth about $859,900, and the typical rent is about $2,092 a month.

How educated are people in King County, Washington?

About 56.7% of adults age 25 and over in King County, Washington hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in King County, Washington?

About 8.6% of people in King County, Washington live below the federal poverty line.

Has King County, Washington grown since 1990?

Yes, King County, Washington has grown since 1990. The population has added about 779,852 residents, a change of about 52 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 →