Discover the 4 Fastest-Shrinking Counties in Washington State

Washington State is the 13^th most populous state in the country. The 2020 U.S. Census found that 7,705,247 people lived in this part of the country. The 2022 population estimates in this area revealed that 80,000 more people live in the state now. However, some parts of the state are losing residents while others are gaining them. Learn about the fastest-shrinking counties in Washington State. Find out where they are located, how many people have left, and more.

Before we get into the statistics, it’s important to mention that only four counties in the entire state lost members of their population over the past two years. The other 35 out of 39 counties grew in population. So, all the counties that lost population over the past two years are on this list.

Also, the U.S. Census Bureau’s county population data was used as the primary resource for this article.

4. Island County

Island County is in northwestern Washington State. This county is north of Seattle. As its name suggests, this county is made up of various islands. The largest city in this region is Oak Harbor, an area with 24,622 residents.  

In 2020, the population of Island County was 86,847. The population fell by a small amount to 86,625 people. That means 222 people left the county over the last two years. That is equal to 0.3% of the population.

Even though Island County is on the list of the fastest-shrinking counties in Washington State, the population loss in this part of the state was very small. In fact, it barely qualifies to be on the list of counties that are shrinking at all.

Including this county on the list is important, though. After all, only four counties experienced any sort of population loss over the last two years. Including areas where relatively few people have left highlights the state’s overall growth.

People may have left this county for many reasons. One of them could be the ongoing influx of people heading back to the Seattle area. However, the population change is so small overall that a survey would be needed to uncover why people are moving away from here.

3. Whitman County

Whitman County is in the southeastern area of the state. This county is fairly large with a total area of 2,178 square miles. Idaho shares the county’s eastern border, and the Snake River runs along the southern border. Pullman is the most populous city in this county, and it is home to about 32,000 people.

The population of Whitman County in 2020 was 47,971. That number fell a bit over the following two years. The population reached 47,619 people by July 2022. This region lost a total of 352 people or 0.7% of the population.

Overall, this is a small population loss for the county. Yet, since so few counties lost members of their population, this one makes the list of the fastest-shrinking counties in Washington State.

2. Walla Walla County

Walla Walla County is in the southeastern part of the state. Snake River forms the northern and western borders of this region. Oregon is to the south of this county. The largest city in this region is called Walla Walla with a population of about 34,000 people.

The 2020 Census showed that Walla Walla County had a population of 62,586 people. The estimates for 2022 were lower, with just 61,890 residents living in this region. This county lost 696 people over the last two years, and that is equal to 1.1% of the population.

1. King County

King County is the most populous county in all of Washington State. This county includes Seattle, the biggest city in the state. It also tops the list of the fastest-shrinking counties in Washington State. The 2020 population in this part of the state was 2,269,667 people. Yet, this number decreased to 2,266,789 people by July 2022.

This is a loss of 2,878 people over the course of two years, and that equals 0.1% of the population. Interestingly, the population in this region did not lose people over both years. In 2021, the population dropped by 16,000 people compared to the numbers from the 2020 U.S. Census. Then, the population grew by 13,000 people from 2021 to 2022.

People were moving back to major cities as the COVID-19 pandemic became less impactful. Individuals returned to cities for jobs, entertainment, and education. So, while this was the leader in terms of the fastest-shrinking counties in Washington State, the population is on the road to making a full recovery in the coming years.

As for the other counties on this list, it’s difficult to say why people left those areas. The small number of people leaving those areas makes it difficult to pinpoint a single cause. Future developments from the U.S. Census Bureau could provide some reasons for the population changes.

Summary of the Fastest-Shrinking Counties in Washington

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