Seattle grows amid population declines in major cities in the West

The populations of Washington state’s three biggest cities – Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma – remained fairly stable, according to population estimates released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

According to the report’s estimates, Seattle's population increased by 5,944, or 0.8%, from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023. During that time period, the Emerald City’s population went from 749,134 to 755,078.

Spokane, in eastern Washington, experienced a negligible population decrease during that same time period, going from a population of 230,405 to 229,447, a loss of 958 people, or -0.4%.

Tacoma’s population went up by 1,175 people, or 0.5%, going from 221,731 to 222,906.

Other major metropolises in Washington, including Vancouver and Bellevue, the state’s next largest cities in terms of population, also showed minor population changes.

Vancouver, in southern Washington near the Oregon border, saw its population increase by 1,942 people, or 1%, from 194,500 to 196,442.

High-tech hub Bellevue, across Lake Washington from Seattle, saw a decline, going from a population of 152,745 to 151,574, a drop of 1,171 people, or -0.8%.

Of the 57 Washington cities in the Census Bureau’s report, Redmond – located 15 miles east of Seattle and home to Microsoft and Nintendo of America – had the biggest percentage increase in population. The city went from a population of 76,712 to 80,280, an increase of 3,568, or 4.7%.

Conversely, the city with the greatest percentage drop in population was Des Moines, located on the east shore of Puget Sound near the center of the Seattle metropolitan area. Des Moines recorded a loss of 438 people, or -1.4%, going from a population of 32,426 to 31,988.

Bothell, part of the Seattle metropolitan area situated near the northeast end of Lake Washington in the Eastside region, was one of five cities nationwide to cross the 50,000 threshold. Its population increased from 49,030 to 50,213, or up 2.4%.

The Census Bureau's more long-term look at population trends – from April 1, 2020, through July 1, 2023 – showed that Seattle fared better than many other major cities in the western U.S.

During that time period, Seattle’s population increased by 18,060 people from 737,018 to 755,078, a 2.5% upswing.

Portland, Ore., saw a loss of 22,023 people, going from 652,521 to 630,498, or -3.4%.

Los Angeles, Calif., saw its population decrease by 77,927, going from 3,898,841 to 3,820,914, or -2%

The population loss was even more pronounced in San Francisco, Calif. The city's population went from 878,950 to 808,988, a net reduction of 64,962 people, or -7.4%.

San Diego, Calif., on the other hand, saw a 0.1% population increase, going from 1,386,972 to 1,388,320.

According to a news release from the Census Bureau, its report found that “large cities in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the country grew in 2023, reversing earlier population declines…”

“Cities with populations of 50,000 or more grew by an average of 0.2% in the Northeast and 0.1% in the Midwest after declining an average of 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively, in 2022. Those in the West went up by an average of 0.2% from 2022 to 2023. Cities in the South grew the fastest, by an average 1.0%.”