Demographic Trends

Seattle’s population has grown, but lags behind King County.

· From 1990 to 2000, Seattle’s population increased by 9.1%, while King County’s increased by 18.4%.

Population Growth in Seattle and King County

1980, 1990, 2000

Source: US Census Data

Seattle is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse.

· In 1990, 25% of the Seattle’s population were people of color. By 2000, it grew to 30% and by 2009, people of color are projected to reach 32%.

· In comparison, the Caucasian (white) population grew by 1.6% from 1990 to 2000.

· Between 1990 to 2000, the Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander populations grew the most, 62% and 26.1%, respectively.

Seattle Population By Race and Ethnicity 1980-2009 (projected)
				Projections	Changes from 1990-2000
Race and Hispanic Origin	1980	1990	2000	2009	Number	Percent Change
White	392,275	388,858	394,889	405,359	6,031	1.6%
Black, African American	46,565	51,948	47,541	44,002	(4,407)	(8.5%)
American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut	6,821	7,326	5,659	5,692	(1,667)	(22.8%)
Asian or Pacific Islander	38,936	60,819	76,714	89,574	15,895	26.1%
Other Race	N/A	7,308	13,423	17,978	6,115	83.7%
Two or More Races	N/A	N/A	25,148	31,585	25,148	N/A
Total Population	493,846*	516,259	563,374	594,190	47,115	9.1%
Hispanic origin (of any race)	12,744	18,349	29,719	N/A	11,370	62.0%

*Total population for 1980 includes Hispanics who are double counted. Parentheses ( ) indicate negative figures.

Source: 1980 – 2000 data is from the U.S. Census. The 2009 population projections are data from Claritas, Inc.

Immigration plays a pivotal role in increasing Seattle’s racial and ethnic diversity.

· About one in six Seattle residents is foreign-born. A majority of the immigrants over the last decade came from China, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Source: 2000 U.S Census Data

Shifts in the Ages of the Population

Between 1990-2000, Seattle’s population grew by approximately by 9%. That rate of growth is expected to drop to a little over 5% by 2010.

· Seattle has small numbers of children compared to other major cities. The population under age 5 dropped by 10% between 1990 and 2000.

· The age 85-plus population grew significantly from 1990 to 2000. Growth in this age group is expected to continue through 2010.

Estimated Change in Age of Population In 1990, 2000, 2010
			1990-2000	projected	2000-2010
	1990	2000	% change	2010	% change
Under 5	29,269	26,215	-10.4%	27,968	6.69%
5 to 19	69,540	77,532	11.5%	75,174	-3.04%
20 to 34	160,462	173,296	8.0%	174,137	0.49%
35 to 49	120,708	139,022	15.2%	129,461	-6.88%
50 to 64	57,880	79,502	37.4%	112,022	40.90%
65 to 74	41,992	29,463	-29.8%	36,825	24.99%
74 to 84	27,137	27,273	0.5%	23,555	-13.63%
85 plus	9,271	11,071	19.4%	14,909	34.67%
	516,259	563,374	9.1%	594,051	5.45%

Source: US Census Data, Projections for 2010 are based on estimates from Seattle

Department of Planning and Development

Household Characteristics and Trends

The number of households in Seattle continues to grow at a steady rate.

From 1990 to 2000, the number of households in Seattle grew by 9%, from 236,721 to 258,481. The rate in King County, less Seattle, was much higher (19%).

Steady growth in households is expected over the next six years in both Seattle and King County[1]. By 2010 Seattle households are projected to increase from 2000 numbers by 10.5%.

Source: 1990 and 2000 data are from the U.S. Census, the 2010 projections are estimates from the Puget Sound Regional Council

Overall household size in Seattle is small and declining.

Seattle’s household size of 2.08 is small compared to other large U.S. cities.[2]

Household size declined from 1990 to 2000, from 2.09 to 2.08 persons per household.

Average Household Size by Race/Ethnicity in 2000

White

Non-Hispanic

Hispanic

Black/African

American

Asian

Native

American

Pacific

Islander

Other

Two or

More

Races

2.06

2.54

2.35

2.65

2.23

3.2

2.77

2.32

Source: U.S. Census

From 1990 to 2000, the number of non-family households⁵ has increased while the number of family households⁴ remained relatively the same.

Overall, the number of family households has remained relatively unchanged. However, white family households decreased while Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Other Races family households increased.

Number of Family and Non-Family Households in 1990 and 2000[3]
Race/Ethnicity	Family Households[4]		Non-Family Households[5]
	1990	2000	1990	2000
White	86,829	80,746	105,953	117,670
Black, African American	11,467	10,058	8,080	8,718
American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut	1,350	1,039	1,338	1,215
Asian/Pacific Islander	12,814	15,736	6,748	11,047
Other Race	1,396	2,229	933	1,909
Two or More Races	N/A	3,592	N/A	4,540
Total Households	113,856	113,400	123,052	145,099
Hispanic origin (of any race)	2,217	4,740	2,603	4,730

Source: 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census

Income and Wealth Trends

About 48% of Seattle households and 42% of the population are considered low or moderate income based on household size and income.

There are almost twice as many non-family households as family households who are considered low and moderate income.

More than half (56%) of the low and moderate income population are people in family households (versus non-family households). This is because most of the non-family households are singles living alone.

(Note: A complete table of the HUD income guidelines is included in Appendix P, 2004 HUD Income Guidelines.)

Number of Low and Moderate Income Households and People in 2000
Type	Very Low (0-30%)	Low (31%-50%)		Moderate (51-80%)	Total Low/Mod (0-80%)		All*
Family Households	11,306		11,270	18,493		41,069	113,400
NonFamily Households	30,438		21,687	29,886		82,012	145,099
Total Households	41,744		32,957	48,379		123,081	258,499

People in Families	35,252		34,839	56,039		126,130	325,368
People in Non-Families	40,369		28,865	40,343		109,577	238,006
Total Number of People	75,621		63,704	96,382		235,708	563,374

Source: *The figures from the “All” column are from 2000 U.S. Census. All other data are HUD tabulations based on the 2000 Census.

Lower median income for People of Color translates into People of Color representing a disproportionate share of low- and moderate-income households.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development provides a comprehensive analysis of US Census data that provides a specific analysis of how the median income is affected by household size.

The white population represents the largest number of households who are low and moderate income; however, less than four in ten white households are low and moderate income.

A majority of the African-American/Black, Asian Pacific Islander, Hispanic and Native American households are low and moderate income.

Percentage of Low/Moderate Income Seattle Households by Race and Ethnicity, 1990 & 2000
Race/Ethnicity	1990	2000
White	43%	39%
African American/Black	64%	63%
Asian Pacific Islander	55%	54%
Hispanic	54%	59%
Native American	74%	65%

Source: 1990, 2000 data from HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordable Strategy Database (CHAS)

Accumulation of savings and wealth is a critical measure of economic well being.

In an isolated year, the median income gap highlighted on the previous pages may seem surmountable but over the course of a ten-year period, this translates into $100,000 to $200,000 of additional income that white households at or above the median would make above and beyond their non-white counterparts. In addition, the lower median household income also suggests that people of color have less money to save and less of an ability to accumulate wealth than white households.

Financial resources and assets can help households weather financial crises and emergencies. Loans or savings enable families to make a down payment on a house or fund their children’s college education.

This trend is seen nationally, and the overall gap continues to grow. In 1998, the white family median net worth was 5.8 times higher than the non-white population (adjusted for inflation to 2001 dollars). In 2001, the median national net worth of white families ($120,900) exceeded the net worth of African-Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Latinos and Native Americans ($17,100) by seven times.[7] The wealth gap is even more extreme for the Hispanic population, whose median net worth of $11,450 is slightly more than one-tenth of the net worth of white families.[8]

Equity in a home is the largest source of wealth for most households, particularly low income households.

Homeownership rates vary by age of householder, race and ethnicity, and geographic location. In Seattle, homeownership rates are comparable to other urban cities but rates have not increased significantly over the last ten years for any racial or ethnic group. Overall, minority homeownership rates continue to lag behind white households.

Homeownership Numbers and Rates Among Seattle Households by Race, 1990, 2000
	1990			2000
Race/Ethnicity	Number	Ownership Rate	Number	Ownership Rate
White	98,067	51%	102,106	51%
African American	7,229	37%	6,850	36%
Native American	652	25%	576	26%
Asian Pacific Islander	9,169	47%	12,254	46%
Other	592	25%	901	22%
Two or More Races			2,478	30%
Total Homeowners	115,709	49%	125,165	48%
Hispanic*	2,008	32%	2,396	25%

Source: 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census; * Hispanics can be of any race

Conclusion:

Between 1990 and 2000, Seattle has become more diverse; however, the growth of the population has largely been single family households. Racial disparities continue to persist in income and homeownership rates.

Demographic and income trends, however, are a part of Seattle’s community portrait. Other variables – such as size of household (i.e., single parent versus dual income households), educational attainment, and employment status, for examples – are important factors in painting a picture of Seattle’s people and their well-being. The following sections describe these variables, and the Needs Assessment – Economic Development, in particular, includes data specifically related to the economic well-being of Seattle residents.

[2] Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, Seattle in Focus: A profile from the 2000 Census, 2003, p. 36.

[3] The total number of households for 1990 and 2000 are slightly different from the figures on the previous page because of the U.S. Census sampling.

[4] Family Households: one or more people living together in the same household who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption.

[5] Non Family Households: persons living alone (who make up a bulk of the non-family households) or a householder who shares the home with non-relatives only such as roommates or an unmarried partner.

[6] Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, Seattle In Focus: A Profile from the 2000 Census, 2003, p. 58.

[7] Aizocorbe, Ana M., Kennickell, Arthur B. and Moore, Kevin B. “Recent Changes in US Family Finance: Evidence from 1998 and 2001 Survey of Consumer Finances:” , p. 7.