Seattle: The city with brains

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Originally published November 21, 2001

SEATTLE -- Seattle is the most highly educated big city in the nation, according to a new U.S. Census survey.

The city has the biggest concentration of college graduates and advanced degree holders, beating out such contenders as San Francisco and Boston.

More than half -- 52 percent -- of Seattle residents age 25 and older have graduated from a four-year college. The U.S. average is 25 percent. And 20 percent of Seattle adults have earned a graduate or professional degree, compared to a national average of 9 percent

Experts say Seattle's concentration of high-technology companies -- computers and biotechnology -- attract the brain power.

"As these companies grow, they're sucking in a disproportionately large number of educated people," said William S. Dillingham, senior economist with the state Employment Security Department.

Seattle's educated citizenry, coupled with the city's diversified economy, may protect it somewhat from the current economic downturn, Dillingham said. Layoffs usually target the least-experienced and least- educated workers first.

"Having a more educated work force makes it much more resilient and makes the labor force much more employable," Dillingham said.

Another recent survey, by a national hunger relief group called America's Second Harvest, found that 48 percent of food bank clients in Western Washington have completed some college. Nationally, the average is 23 percent.

The U.S. Census Bureau conducted the supplemental survey of 700,000 households nationwide last year, including households in 14 Washington state counties: Benton, Clark, Cowlitz, Franklin, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston and Wahkiakum.

Seattle's education

Percentage of Seattle's residents with:

- High school degrees: 93 percent

- Bachelor's degree or higher: 52 percent

- Graduate or professional degree: 20 percent

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Supplementary Survey

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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