METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Seattle Metro

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA · 3 counties · 2,559,164 residents · 5,870.23 sq mi

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The short version

Seattle is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $34,980. Population has fallen 16% since 2000, a loss of 484,714 residents. Median home value is $124,051.

At a glance

Wealthier

above the US median

US median: $30,130

Mid-age

median age 32.9

US median: 33.0

More educated

27% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 18%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

2,559,164

−16%vs 2000

vs 3,043,878 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Population density

436 / sq mi

−16%vs 2000

vs 519 / sq mi in 2000

Median age

32.9

−6%vs 2000

vs 35.1 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Population, 1990 – 2024

20244.1M

Age distribution, 1990

Under 57.5%(191,361)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 97.2%(184,863)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.4%(163,009)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 196.1%(156,015)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 247.4%(188,505)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3419.5%(499,400)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4417.2%(441,187)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5410.6%(270,538)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 647.5%(191,431)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 746.3%(161,752)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 843.3%(84,671)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1%(26,432)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$34,980

−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $51,307 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$16,895

−36%vs 2000

vs $26,332 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

8.5%

Unchangedvs 2000

vs 8.5% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$124,051

−18%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $199,995 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$498

−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $729 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

60.5%

−1.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 62.3% in 2000

39.5% rent

RELATED:See current rent listings in Seattle on RentDataNow

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic76%(2,313,259)

Black4.9%(149,000)

Hispanic / Latino5.3%(162,453)

Asian8.4%(256,454)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic86.5%(2,214,579)

Black4.8%(121,702)

Hispanic / Latino2.8%(71,069)

Asian6.4%(164,386)

Other2.3%(58,497)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican7.7%(313,554)

Central American1.2%(47,292)

South American0.9%(36,534)

Puerto Rican0.6%(24,619)

Salvadoran0.5%(19,075)

Spaniard0.4%(16,318)

Guatemalan0.3%(10,919)

Colombian0.3%(10,698)

Honduran0.2%(9,040)

Peruvian0.2%(7,800)

Cuban0.2%(7,484)

Venezuelan0.1%(5,763)

+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data

Chilean0.1%(4,269)

Panamanian0.1%(3,439)

Dominican0.1%(3,434)

Argentine0.1%(3,211)

Ecuadorian0.1%(3,157)

Nicaraguan0.1%(2,798)

Costa Rican0%(1,677)

Bolivian0%(911)

Uruguayan0%(408)

Paraguayan0%(238)

Asian origin

Chinese3.7%(150,836)

Asian Indian3.6%(147,389)

Filipino2.2%(87,360)

Vietnamese1.8%(71,892)

Korean1.5%(61,219)

Japanese0.7%(26,771)

Cambodian0.5%(18,763)

Taiwanese0.3%(11,953)

Pakistani0.2%(7,418)

Thai0.2%(7,259)

Kazakh0.1%(5,935)

Laotian0.1%(5,575)

+ 13 more asian origin groups with data

Indonesian0.1%(3,462)

Nepalese0.1%(3,048)

Burmese0.1%(2,734)

Hmong0.1%(2,713)

Mongolian0.1%(1,910)

Bangladeshi0%(1,217)

Sri Lankan0%(1,058)

Mien0%(971)

Malaysian0%(829)

Bhutanese0%(220)

Singaporean0%(172)

Uzbek0%(142)

Okinawan0%(99)

Pacific Islander origin

Samoan0.5%(19,950)

Native Hawaiian0.5%(18,951)

Chamorro0.3%(11,336)

Marshallese0.1%(3,011)

Fijian0.1%(2,739)

Tongan0.1%(2,484)

Guamanian0%(821)

Chuukese0%(455)

Ancestry

German12.9%(525,730)

English11.2%(452,974)

Irish9.1%(369,337)

Norwegian4%(161,642)

Italian3.3%(136,005)

American2.9%(116,414)

Swedish2.5%(101,619)

Scottish2.5%(100,059)

Subsaharan African2.3%(94,930)

French2.3%(94,273)

Polish1.7%(68,715)

Dutch1.2%(48,556)

+ 51 more ancestry groups with data

Russian1.1%(46,514)

Ukrainian1.1%(45,717)

Scotch-Irish0.9%(36,525)

Danish0.7%(30,179)

Welsh0.7%(29,143)

Arab0.7%(29,126)

British0.7%(27,317)

Ethiopian0.6%(26,289)

Finnish0.5%(19,218)

French Canadian0.4%(17,195)

Swiss0.4%(15,565)

Greek0.4%(14,554)

Czech0.4%(14,534)

Portuguese0.4%(14,513)

Canadian0.3%(13,887)

Somali0.3%(13,639)

Romanian0.3%(13,620)

Iranian0.3%(13,237)

West Indian0.3%(11,998)

Hungarian0.3%(11,517)

Austrian0.2%(9,195)

Kenyan0.2%(9,073)

Croatian0.2%(8,430)

Turkish0.2%(7,835)

Brazilian0.2%(7,598)

Lithuanian0.2%(6,887)

Nigerian0.2%(6,764)

Lebanese0.1%(5,819)

Iraqi0.1%(5,404)

Armenian0.1%(5,203)

Jamaican0.1%(4,768)

Egyptian0.1%(4,693)

Bulgarian0.1%(4,500)

Belgian0.1%(4,406)

Slovak0.1%(3,697)

Latvian0.1%(2,459)

Australian0.1%(2,425)

Syrian0.1%(2,215)

Israeli0.1%(2,156)

Haitian0.1%(2,128)

Moroccan0%(1,963)

Palestinian0%(1,947)

Jordanian0%(1,902)

Slovene0%(1,867)

Ghanaian0%(1,777)

Serbian0%(1,742)

Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(1,507)

Macedonian0%(469)

Guyanese0%(373)

Barbadian0%(145)

Cape Verdean0%(57)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population · Largest Norwegian population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

26.9%

−5.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 32.4% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

86.6%

−2.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 89.3% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

8.1%

−2.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 10.6% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

24.1 min

+26%vs 2000

vs 19.1 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

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 married37.7%(638,243)

Married52.1%(880,569)

Widowed1.8%(30,513)

Divorced8.4%(142,244)

Women 15+

Never married30.9%(514,551)

Married50.9%(847,849)

Widowed6.2%(103,438)

Divorced12.1%(200,938)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

In this metro

Largest cities

The 30 most populous of 200 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

3 component counties

King CountyCENTRAL2,344,939 Pierce CountyCENTRAL946,288 Snohomish CountyCENTRAL870,656

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Frequently asked

How many people live in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has about 2,559,164 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

The typical household in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA earns about $34,980 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA expensive?

In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, the median home is worth about $124,051, and the typical rent is about $498 a month.

How educated are people in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

About 26.9% of adults age 25 and over in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

About 8.5% of people in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →