Basic Information

Full Name: State of Washington
Capital: Olympia
Joined Union: November 11, 1889 (133 years ago)

Location and Geographic Properties

Total Area: 71,300 mi²
Land Area: 66,460 mi²
Water Area: 4,842 mi²
Farmland Area: 15 million acres
Mean Elevation: 1,706 ft
Highest Point: Mount Rainier, 14,419 ft
Lowest Point: Pacific Ocean, 0 ft

Demographics

Population (2021) : 7.739 million people
Population Growth (2010-12) : +1.3% per year
Population Density (2021) : 108.5 people/mi²
Race Distribution:
- White: 75.4%
- Asian: 8.5%
- Two or more races: 5.9%
Hispanic Origin: 12.7%
US Citizens: 92.5%

Education

College Degree and Above (25 and older) : 46% (1.13 × national average)
High School Diploma (25 and older) : 22% (0.816 × national average)
Less Than High School Diploma (25 and older) : 8.7% (0.723 × national average)

Housing

Housing Units (2011) : 2.907 million
Housing Units Change (2000-07) : +292,987
Housing Units Change Rate (2000-07) : +1.7% per year
Households (2011) : 2.603 million
People per Household (2010) : 2.609 people

Economy

Number of Businesses (2007) : 551,340
Nonemployer Businesses (2010) : 405,256
Private Non-farm Businesses (2010) : 175,914
Median Household Income (USD per year) : $73,775 (1.17 × national average)
Per Capita Income (USD per year per person) : $38,915 (1.14 × national average)
Population Below Poverty Line: 10.8% (0.805 × national average)

Crime (2019)

Total Rate of Crime: 2,976 crimes/100,000 people/yr
Total Number of Crimes: 226,601 crimes per year

Voting and Registration Rates (2020)

Total Voting Rate: 64.3%
Total Registration Rate: 67.2%

Public School Finance (2020)

Total Expenditures (USD) : $12.2 billion ($11,776 per student)
Total Revenue (USD, 2009) : $11.93 billion ($11,510 per student)
Total Debt (USD) : $9.07 billion ($8,754 per student)
Total Cash and Securities (USD) : $4.058 billion ($3,916 per student)

State Symbols

State Bird: Willow goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
State Flower: Coast rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum)
State Tree: Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
State Motto: Al-ki