Biggest and fastest-growing counties

Originally published Mar. 24

Ten fastest growing counties in Washington, with how much they've grown in the past 10 years:

1. Clark: 45 percent

2. San Juan: 40 percent

3. Grant: 36.4 percent

4. Franklin: 31.7 percent

5. Pend Oreille: 31.6 percent

6. Whatcom: 30.5 percent

7. Snohomish: 30.1 percent

8. Stevens: 29.5 percent

9. Skagit: 29.4 percent

10. Mason: 28.9 percent

Ten biggest counties in Washington:

1. King: 1,737,034 in 2000; 1,507,319 in 1990

2. Pierce: 700,820 in 2000; 586,203 in 1990

3. Snohomish: 606,024 in 2000; 456,624 in 1990

4. Spokane: 417,939 in 2000; 361,364 in 1990

5. Clark: 345,238 in 2000; 238,053 in 1990

6. Kitsap: 231,969 in 2000; 189,731 in 1990

7. Yakima: 222,581 in 2000; 188,823 in 1990

8. Thurston: 207,355 in 2000; 161,238 in 1990

9. Whatcom: 166,814 in 2000; 127,780 in 1990

10. Benton: 142,475 in 2000; 112,560 in 1990

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Why these numbers are important

State demographers release population estimates every year, so why is the census so different and so important?

"This is the real deal. Those other numbers are estimates. Those are really good educated guesses, but they're still guesses," said Thurston Regional Planning Council senior planner Pete Swensson.

After a census year like 1990, demographers use tools like housing construction, employment, births and deaths to estimate population and race numbers. However, each year that passes makes those estimates more suspect, he said.

"It's like an election poll on people's opinion of candidates. The poll is different from election day, when you get the actual vote," he said.

Census statistics are used for nearly all planning done by government, nonprofit and other agencies, and by businesses. Government and school officials build long-term plans based on the number of students they expect to have, the number of people who need fire and police protection. Roads are planned based on where people locate, a story told by census tract and block population numbers.

Nonprofit agencies like the new Sea Mar health clinic for low-income people receive funding based on how many low-income and minority people live in the county.

Redistricting information

For more information about the state's redistricting efforts and the census, visit the Web site of the state Redistricting Commission at www. redistricting.wa.gov.

The commission's next meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. April 5 at the commission offices. Subsequent meetings are tentatively slated for the first Thursday of the month. The commission's office is at 505 E. Union Ave., Olympia. For information, call the commission at 586-9000 or visit its Web site.

To adjust or not

Unadjusted data is the raw numbers census workers gathered. Adjusted data is the raw numbers "adjusted" with scientific sampling to count populations likely to be missed by traditional counting methods, such as many minority groups.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans decided to release only unadjusted data for reapportionment at the congressional level and for state redistricting.

More information

Additional census data is available at www.census.gov and at the state Office of Financial Management's site, www.ofm.wa.gov.

On the web:

Olympian Online's Census 2000: census stories about you.

Online Forums: Tell us what you think!

- In what way has the increased ethnic diversity within our community improved the quality of life here? To participate, Click Here to register and join the discussion.

- How does the population growth in Thurston County enhance or detract from your quality of life? To participate, Click Here to register and join the discussion.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

back to main Census 2000 index