United States · state

Washington State population 2026

Q: What is the population of Washington State in 2026?

The latest official figure is 8,001,020, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Washington State would have about 8.1 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Washington State has 8,001,020 people on the latest official figure, for 1 July 2025, 73,062 more than a year earlier (+0.92%). It is 13th of the US’s 50 states and DC by population, home to 2.3% of the US’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 8.1 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

Washington State in numbers

Population: 8 million 1 July 2025
Change in a year: +0.92% +73,062 people
Change since 2020: +3.55% from 7.7 million
Share of the US: 2.3% 13th of 50 states and DC
Population density: 47per km² 172,119 km²
Births in the year: 83 thousand deaths: 66 thousand
International migration: +46 thousand net arrivals from abroad
Moves within the US: +9 thousand more people moved in than left

In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 17,230, 46,202 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 9,238 more people moved in from the rest of the US than moved out.

That is about as many people as Laos (8 million).

Population of Washington State by year

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Population
2010	6,743,009
2011	6,827,479
2012	6,898,599
2013	6,966,252
2014	7,057,531
2015	7,167,287
2016	7,299,961
2017	7,427,951
2018	7,526,793
2019	7,614,024
2020	7,726,812
2021	7,744,316
2022	7,786,828
2023	7,838,655
2024	7,927,958
2025	8,001,020

Year	Population	Change	%
2025	8,001,020	+73,062	+0.92%
2024	7,927,958	+89,303	+1.14%
2023	7,838,655	+51,827	+0.67%
2022	7,786,828	+42,512	+0.55%
2021	7,744,316	+17,504	+0.23%
2020	7,726,812	+112,788	+1.48%
2019	7,614,024	+87,231	+1.16%
2018	7,526,793	+98,842	+1.33%
2017	7,427,951	+127,990	+1.75%
2016	7,299,961	+132,674	+1.85%
2015	7,167,287	+109,756	+1.56%
2014	7,057,531	+91,279	+1.31%
2013	6,966,252	+67,653	+0.98%
2012	6,898,599	+71,120	+1.04%
2011	6,827,479	+84,470	+1.25%

2010–2019 are Vintage 2020 estimates and 2020–2025 are Vintage 2025, so the step between 2019 and 2020 is partly a change of base.

Washington State among the US’s states

Full ranking →

States of the US by population
#
1	California	39,355,309	−0.02%	11.5%	98
2	Texas	31,709,821	+1.25%	9.3%	47
3	Florida	23,462,518	+0.84%	6.9%	169
4	New York State	20,002,427	+0.01%	5.9%	164
5	Pennsylvania	13,059,432	+0.10%	3.8%	113
6	Illinois	12,719,141	+0.13%	3.7%	89
7	Ohio	11,900,510	+0.34%	3.5%	113
8	Georgia (US State)	11,302,748	+0.88%	3.3%	76
9	North Carolina	11,197,968	+1.32%	3.3%	89
10	Michigan	10,127,884	+0.28%	3.0%	69
11	New Jersey	9,548,215	+0.44%	2.8%	501
12	Virginia	8,880,107	+0.69%	2.6%	87
13	Washington State	8,001,020	+0.92%	2.3%	47
14	Arizona	7,623,818	+0.89%	2.2%	26
15	Tennessee	7,315,076	+0.88%	2.1%	69
16	Massachusetts	7,154,084	+0.22%	2.1%	354
17	Indiana	6,973,333	+0.56%	2.0%	75
18	Missouri	6,270,541	+0.43%	1.8%	35
19	Maryland	6,265,347	+0.32%	1.8%	249
20	Colorado	6,012,561	+0.40%	1.8%	22
21	Wisconsin	5,972,787	+0.26%	1.7%	43
22	Minnesota	5,830,405	+0.57%	1.7%	28
23	South Carolina	5,570,274	+1.46%	1.6%	72
24	Alabama	5,193,088	+0.58%	1.5%	40
25	Louisiana	4,618,189	+0.07%	1.4%	41
26	Kentucky	4,606,864	+0.50%	1.3%	45
27	Oregon	4,273,586	+0.19%	1.3%	17
28	Oklahoma	4,123,288	+0.62%	1.2%	23
29	Connecticut	3,688,496	+0.38%	1.1%	294
30	Utah	3,538,904	+1.02%	1.0%	17
31	Nevada	3,282,188	+0.88%	1.0%	12
32	Iowa	3,238,387	+0.25%	0.9%	22
33	Arkansas	3,114,791	+0.60%	0.9%	23
34	Kansas	2,977,220	+0.40%	0.9%	14
35	Mississippi	2,954,160	+0.14%	0.9%	24
36	New Mexico	2,125,498	−0.06%	0.6%	7
37	Idaho	2,029,733	+1.44%	0.6%	10
38	Nebraska	2,018,006	+0.62%	0.6%	10
39	West Virginia	1,766,147	−0.07%	0.5%	28
40	Hawaii	1,432,820	−0.15%	0.4%	86
41	New Hampshire	1,415,342	+0.48%	0.4%	61
42	Maine	1,414,874	+0.46%	0.4%	18
43	Montana	1,144,694	+0.63%	0.3%	3
44	Rhode Island	1,114,521	+0.37%	0.3%	416
45	Delaware	1,059,952	+0.94%	0.3%	210
46	South Dakota	935,094	+0.86%	0.3%	5
47	North Dakota	799,358	+0.75%	0.2%	5
48	Alaska	737,270	+0.10%	0.2%	1
49	District of Columbia	693,645	+0.34%	0.2%	4,381
50	Vermont	644,663	−0.29%	0.2%	27
51	Wyoming	588,753	+0.35%	0.2%	2

Largest cities in Washington State

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

Seattle780,995
Tri-Cities244,036
Spokane229,447
Tacoma222,906
Vancouver196,442
Bellevue139,820

Air quality in Washington State today

Hourly AQI and a 48-hour forecast.

Seattle

Questions

What is the population of Washington State in 2026?

The latest official figure is 8,001,020, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Washington State would have about 8.1 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Is Washington State’s population growing or shrinking?

It grew by 73,062 people (+0.92%) in the latest year, and has changed +3.55% since 2020. In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 17,230, 46,202 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 9,238 more people moved in from the rest of the US than moved out.

How does Washington State rank in the US?

Washington State is 13th of the US’s 50 states and DC, with 2.3% of the people. California is the largest, with 39.4 million.

What is the population density of Washington State?

About 47 people per km², on 172,119 km². Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer.

What is the largest city in Washington State?

Seattle, with about 781 thousand people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. US government work, public domain. Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for the US, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: Washington State population, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-states/washington/

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