What is the poverty rate in Washington?
Refreshed monthly
The poverty rate was about 10.3% of Washington’s population as of 2025. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 810,900 people in Washington were considered in poverty.
10.3%
of the population (2025)
811K
people living under the poverty line (2025)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, Washington's poverty rate hit a peak in 2013 of 14.1%. Its lowest point was in 2019 at 9.8%. The state's poverty rate was 10.3% in 2025, 0.4 percentage points higher than the previous year.
In 2025, 10.3% of Washington's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2025, 810,900 people living in Washington were in poverty — down 16.2% from the 2013 peak of 967,300.
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In 2025, 810,900 people in Washington were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Washington?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Washington decreased from 15.5% to 12.7%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 12.1% to 9.6%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 7.4% to 9.9%.
In 2025, 12.7% of children in Washington were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in Washington?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Washington during 2025, six had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander; some other race; and two or more races
Two had a lower than average poverty rate: White, not Hispanic or Latino; and Asian.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population shifted the most, decreasing from 23.1% in 2015 to 16.2% in 2025.
In Washington, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population decreased from 23.1% in 2015 to 16.2% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in Washington state have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among Washington counties ranged from 7.7% in Island County to 22.7% in Whitman County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — King County — was 8.6%
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among Washington counties ranged from 7.7% to 22.7%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Whitman County | 22.7% |
| 2. | Okanogan County | 20.7% |
| 3. | Adams County | 19.5% |
| 4. | Wahkiakum County | 17.8% |
| 5. | Grant County | 15.8% |
| 6. | Yakima County | 15.5% |
| 7. | Grays Harbor County | 15.3% |
| 8. | Pend Oreille County | 14.4% |
| 9. | Kittitas County | 14.4% |
| 10. | Asotin County | 14.2% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
