Demographics of Seattle - Population

Population

As of the U.S. Census of 2000, there were 563,374 people, 258,499 households, and 113,481 families residing in the city of Seattle. The population density was 2,593.5/km² (6,717.0/mi²). There were 270,524 housing units at an average density of 1,245.4/km² (3,225.4/mi²).

During the day, incoming commuters increase Seattle's population by over 160,000 people. This makes the city's daytime population rise from about 560,000 to over 720,000 according to estimates based on the 2000 Census.

The racial makeup of the city in 2004 is 67.1% White, 16.6% Asian, 2.0% Black, 1.0% Native American, 0.9% Pacific Islander, 2.3% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. 6.3% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race. Amongst the city's white population, 11.3% were of German, 9.1% Irish, 8.1% English and 5.0% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000.

According to Census 2010, there were a total of 283,510 households in Seattle. Of these, 42.9% were family households and 57.1% were non family households. A total of 19.5% of households had children under 18 years, and 17.6% had someone over the age of 65. The average household size was 2.06, while the average family size was 2.87. The city is second-last in terms of households with children, with only 19.1% of households reporting children under 18 living with them. Only San Francisco has a lower percentage of families with children. Seattle also sports the fifth-highest percentage of adults living alone in the country.

In the city the population was spread out with 15.6% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 38.6% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $45,736, and the median income for a family was $62,195. Males had a median income of $40,929 versus $35,134 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,306. 11.8% of the population and 6.9% of families were below the poverty line as were 13.8% were under the age of 18 and 10.2% are 65 or older.

While Seattle's African-American population is relatively small, it is largely concentrated in the Central District and Rainier Valley neighborhoods.

In addition, the city has seen a major uptick in immigration in recent decades. The foreign-born population increased 40 percent between the 1990 and 2000 census. Although the 2000 census shows only 5.28% of the population as Hispanic or Latino of any race, Hispanics are believed to be the most rapidly growing population group in Washington State, with an estimated increase of 10% just in the years 2000–2002. The Asian population has also been growing and is focused mainly on the International District and Beacon Hill neighborhoods. The city is also seeing a large increase in Somali immigrants.