The region gained another 82,000 people in the last year, reaching a total population of 4,067,000 as of April 1, 2017.
This was the second year in a row that the region experienced population growth exceeding 80,000 in a single year.
The last time the region saw comparable levels of growth was in 1990-91.
Nearly two thirds of the population growth occurred in King County. King County’s population increased by 48,600 persons, a 2.3% growth rate.
Snohomish County was second fastest, adding 16,500 persons or 2.1%. Pierce County increased by 14,900 persons at a rate of 1.8%. Kitsap County grew by 1,700 persons or 0.7%.
Since 2008, King County’s population growth rate has outpaced the region’s other three counties put together in all but one year (2010-11). This is a dramatic reversal of the trend over the preceding three-plus decades in which King County’s slice of the regional population pie continuously lost ground to Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap counties.
Much of the King County surge can be attributed to robust population growth in the city of Seattle. Seattle grew by 26,900 in the last year – more than the rest of King County combined (21,700) – pushing the city’s population over the 700,000 threshold to 713,700.
You can find more data on the region’s population in our latest issue of Puget Sound Trends.