The State of Washington is on the country's west coast. Its total area is 71,298 square miles (mi²), the 18th-largest in the U.S. The population density is 120 people per square mile, notably higher than the national average of 96 people/mi².
With a 2023 population of 7,999,503 (2.37% of the U.S. total) as of 2023, Washington ranks as the 13th-most-populous State in the U.S. If trends continue, Washington will continue to rise in rank, as the State has recorded 18.96% growth from 2010 to 2023, the 7th-highest percentage rise in the country during that time and higher than all but one (Texas) of the six states with a larger population.
The largest city in the "Evergreen State" is Seattle, which has a 2023 population of 775,523 and a population density of 9,248 people/mi². Approximately half of Washington's population lives in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area, encompassing seven of the State's ten most populous cities. Washington's capital, Olympia, is the 24th-largest city in the State and boasts approximately 58,344 residents.
Washington is one of only a handful of states that does not charge income tax, except on capital gains. It also has the cleanest air of any state in the lower 48. U.S. News & World Report voted it the best State to live in. Washington joined the Union in November 1889. The State has gone through periods during which it voted primarily Democratic and other periods where Republicans usually won. Democrats have been the victors in the last nine elections, making it one of history's more reliably blue states. In 2020, Biden defeated Donald Trump by a margin of 58% to 39%. The State's electoral influence has grown in recent decades; in the western half of the country, only Texas and California have more than Washington's 12 electoral votes.
The median age across the State of Washington is 37.6. Regarding the ratio of females to males, 50.1% of the population is female and 49.9% male.
Regarding preferred religions among the state's residents, 61% are affiliated with a Christian-based faith, 6% are affiliated with non-Christian faiths, and 32% are not affiliated with any faith.
According to a 2022 study from the U.S. Census Bureau, this State's local governments consist of 39 counties, 281 cities, towns, and villages, and 1,275 special districts.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Washington was:
White: 71.74%
Asian: 8.96%
Two or more races: 8.61%
Other race: 4.97%
Black or African American: 3.85%
Native American: 1.19%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.67%
Muslims are under 100,000 of the population.
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