Population

How many immigrants are in Washington state?

About 1.12M in 2021. This represents approximately 14.7% of the population, or about 1 in 7 residents in Washington state. Immigrants include foreign-born residents, such as naturalized US citizens, authorized entrants, and undocumented residents.
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In 2021

1.12M

Washington state residents were foreign-born
In 2021

1 in 7

Washington state residents were foreign-born
The number of foreign-born residents in Washington state increased from 854K in 2011 to 1.12M in 2021. This growth occurred alongside changes in the native-born population due to births, deaths, and migration. The foreign-born share of the total population was 14.7% in 2021, higher than the overall US rate of 13.6%, and up from 12.8% in 2011 in the state.

Foreign-born share of the population in Washington state

Changes in immigrant populations reflect shifts in both local and national demographics. The largest immigrant populations are found in major metro areas. Metro areas in California, Texas, Florida, and parts of the Northeast generally have a higher share of foreign-born residents.

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In 2021, the metro areas in the US with the highest and lowest foreign-born population shares were Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL at 41.2% (highest) and Beckley, WV at 0.8% (lowest). In Washington state, the highest and lowest were Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at 19.5% and Lewiston, ID-WA at 2.2%, respectively.

On average, 8.2% of the population in metro areas was foreign-born in 2021

Foreign-born share of the population (2021)

Foreign-born share of the population (2021)

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