Washington

Home/Washington Washington State-to-state migration of people and income, 2022–2023 filing years At a glance (2023) Cost of living 108 8% above the U.S. average Median home value $519,800 national $303,400 Home prices, 5 years +50.9% over the 5 years to 2023 Monthly rent $1,682 national $1,348 Homeownership 64% national 65% Unemployment 4.2% national 3.6% Household income $94,952 national $78,538 Median age 38.2 yrs national 38.7 The cost of living runs about 8% above the national average. The median home is valued at $519,800 (nominal). Home prices have risen about 51% over the five years to 2023. Median rent is about $1,682 a month. Unemployment averaged 4.2% in 2023 (national 3.6%). Median household income is $94,952. These figures describe all residents, not just tax filers, come from separate sources than the migration data on this page, and do not indicate why anyone moved. Between the 2022 and 2023 filing years, Washington saw a net gain of 8,282 tax-filing households and a net loss of 2,328 individuals. Against a population of about 7,812,880, that is a net outflow of about 0.3 per 1,000 residents. On net, the area lost $549.4M in associated adjusted gross income (AGI, nominal dollars). The largest inflow, about 24,625 households, came from California; the largest outflow, about 17,871 households, went to California. In the prior (2022) filing year, the area saw a net loss of 17,867 individuals. These figures cover federal income tax filers only and do not indicate why people moved. Net income (AGI) $549.4M nominal dollars Net households +8,282 tax returns Net people 2,328 exemptions 0.3 net people per 1,000 residents (population 7,812,880) Income (AGI) in and out Moved in$11.3B Moved out$11.9B Net -$549.4M (nominal) HowAmericaMoves.com Washington counties Net migration by county. Hover for figures; click a county to open it. Net outNet in(AGI $) Hover an area to trace its top 5 inbound (in) and outbound (out) moves. Net income (AGI) that moved in minus out, in nominal dollars (not adjusted for inflation).Net tax returns (filing households) that moved in minus out.Net people per 1,000 residents, so larger and smaller areas compare fairly. Hover an area to trace its top moves HowAmericaMoves.com Top origin states 1California24,625$2.7B2Oregon15,339$1.4B3Texas9,307$859.8M4Arizona5,803$514.4M5Florida5,333$433.5M6Idaho5,146$316.6M7Colorado3,935$340.9M8New York3,649$394.4M9Illinois2,734$281.1M10Virginia2,660$255.5M HowAmericaMoves.com Top destination states 1California17,871$2.1B2Oregon12,212$888.9M3Texas9,863$1.2B4Arizona8,011$899.2M5Idaho6,151$524.6M6Florida5,661$745.4M7New York3,513$418.9M8Colorado3,480$335.1M9Nevada2,580$300.3M10Virginia2,575$256.2M HowAmericaMoves.com Churn by state both directions at once The biggest two-way exchanges of filing households, 2022–2023. Moved in and moved out are gross one-way counts; net is the difference. Click a column to sort. California 24,625 17,871 +6,754 +$668.6M Oregon 15,339 12,212 +3,127 +$487.5M Texas 9,307 9,863 -556 -$317.9M Arizona 5,803 8,011 -2,208 -$384.8M Idaho 5,146 6,151 -1,005 -$208M Florida 5,333 5,661 -328 -$311.9M Colorado 3,935 3,480 +455 +$5.9M New York 3,649 3,513 +136 -$24.5M Virginia 2,660 2,575 +85 -$709K Nevada 2,609 2,580 +29 -$115.3M Illinois 2,734 2,158 +576 +$73.7M North Carolina 2,371 2,464 -93 -$57.4M Counts are filing households (IRS returns), matching the lists above; income is nominal AGI. A dash means the IRS published only one direction of that exchange (small flows are suppressed), so no net is computed. HowAmericaMoves.com Net migration by year Net 2012–2023: +$11.1B (+232,859 people) 20122023 HowAmericaMoves.com Net AGI and net people by year (nominal dollars) Year Net AGI Net people 2012 +$561.7M +11,504 2013 +$1.3B +18,196 2014 +$976.3M +27,071 2015 +$1.1B +28,619 2016 +$2.2B +53,336 2017 +$2.8B +58,381 2018 +$1.7B +30,054 2019 +$1.1B +29,903 2020 +$1.3B +9,426 2021 +$200.1M -13,436 2022 -$1.6B -17,867 2023 -$549.4M -2,328 Migration in context How big is this move, relative to the state? In the 2022–2023 filing year, about 2,328 more people left Washington than moved in (counting tax filers and their dependents) — a net loss of about $549.4M in income (nominal) — in a state of 7,838,655 people. Population 7,838,655 Census 2023 estimate Net migration rate 0.3 net people per 1,000 residents A Town Of 10,000 Would Net About -3 People. Net income per resident −$70 nominal dollars ≈ -$549.4M total across 7,838,655 residents. The rate lets you compare Washington with a stateof any size: it’s the net flow divided by population. The IRS counts tax filers; population counts all residents, so read the rate as a scale indicator, not a literal share of people. HowAmericaMoves.com Components of population change 2023 (Census) Where the state’s overall change came from. Census counts all residents; the IRS migration above is one slice of the domestic-migration component. Births +82,165 Deaths 67,733 Net domestic migration 17,511 Net international migration +55,706 Total change +51,827 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. Figures are people, not tax filers. HowAmericaMoves.com Income & cost of living What a dollar is worth here Prices around Washington run about 8% above the national average. In plain terms: $100 spent here buys about what $92 buys in the average American community. The figures below apply that to income, each compared to the U.S. average of $70,002 per person. Income per person $81,087 what people here earn (BEA 2023, nominal) 16% above the U.S. average Price level 108.4 100 = U.S. average prices (BEA price parity) everyday costs about 8.4% higher than average What that income buys $74,824 local income restated at U.S.-average prices 7% above the U.S. average Cheaper than U.S. avgU.S. average (100)Pricier Price parity shown at the state level (BEA does not publish a single figure below the metro level). HowAmericaMoves.com Where the cost comes from price parity by category Index where 100 = U.S. average for that category. Housing is usually what separates one place from another. Housing & rents125.5 Goods106.9 Utilities84.0 Other services105.6 Housing is measured from rents (including an estimated rental value for owner-occupied homes), so a run-up in purchase prices shows here only as it reaches rents. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer income above. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Who lives here The people of Washington American Community Survey, 2019–2023 (a 5-year average of all residents, not just tax filers). Median age 38.2 years Median household income $94,952 per household (ACS 2019–2023, nominal) 21% above the U.S. median College degree 39% adults 25+ with a bachelor's or higher Poverty rate 9.9% residents below the poverty line Average commute 27 min mean travel time to work Broadband at home 93% households with any broadband Race and ethnicity (share of residents) White 64%Hispanic 14%Black 4%Asian 9%Other 9% White, Black, and Asian counts are people who are not Hispanic or Latino; Hispanic or Latino can be of any race. Shares are rounded and may not total 100. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer data. A 5-year estimate is an average over 2019–2023; compare years at least five apart, since consecutive windows overlap. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Housing what it costs to live here (ACS 2019–2023) Median home value $519,800 owner-occupied homes 71% above the U.S. median Median rent $1,682 gross rent per month 25% above the U.S. median Homeownership 64% of occupied homes are owner-occupied Home-price appreciation FHFA index, 2023 Past year +1.2% price change, 2022 to 2023 Past 5 years +51% price change, 2018 to 2023 A repeat-sales index (how much the same homes changed in price), so it tracks the market over time rather than the current level. Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual all-transactions HPI; the county series is FHFA’s developmental index. New home construction building permits, 2023 37,097new housing units authorized in 2023 Single-family 49%Multifamily 51% Units authorized by residential building permits (new supply), summed from counties for the state and U.S. Permits are authorizations, not completions. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, not recent sale prices. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023), nominal dollars. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Local economy & risk Jobs and natural hazards Unemployment rate 4.2% BLS 2023 annual average Labor force 4,027,320 3,857,883 employed Disaster declarations 1 major federal, 2023 most common: Severe Storm Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS) and FEMA. A disaster declaration marks federal assistance eligibility, not damage severity, and says nothing about why anyone moved. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Unemployment now 4.8% May 2026 ▲ 0.5 points vs May 2025 January 2024May 2026 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Monthly unemployment for this state, not seasonally adjusted. Updated every month, so it moves faster than the annual average above. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Who’s moving by income Net migration by income bracket Tax-filing households that moved into Washington minus those that left, by the adjusted gross income they reported, 2022–2023. Positive means more arrived than left at that income level. $1–$10k 0 In 8,595Out 8,595+$527K AGI $10k–$25k +1,381 In 19,166Out 17,785+$28.1M AGI $25k–$50k +3,400 In 31,192Out 27,792+$124.5M AGI $50k–$75k +2,647 In 19,906Out 17,259+$165.4M AGI $75k–$100k +1,937 In 13,232Out 11,295+$170.1M AGI $100k–$200k +1,257 In 21,612Out 20,355+$139.2M AGI $200k+ 2,057 In 10,461Out 12,518-$1.2B AGI Among the highest earners ($200k+), Washington ranks #44 of 51 states for net household migration (-2,057). Source: IRS Statistics of Income, state-level gross migration file (returns with negative AGI are excluded, so this won’t exactly match the totals above). Income is what filers reported, not a reason anyone moved. Compare all states by income bracket. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Goods trade What Washington ships and receives Physical goods shipped between Washington and other states, 2022. This is freight, not the migration of people or income shown above. $183.3B Ships to other states +14% since 2017 $224.0B Receives from states +46% since 2017 $40.6B Net balance Top goods shipped out Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment $44.7B Mixed freight $38.9B Transportation equipment, not elsewhere classified $36.3B Textiles, leather, and articles of textiles or leather $27.9B Pharmaceutical products $27.5B Miscellaneous manufactured products $22.7B Top goods received Mixed freight $53.2B Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment $45.0B Pharmaceutical products $27.0B Miscellaneous manufactured products $20.7B Transportation equipment, not elsewhere classified $20.4B Textiles, leather, and articles of textiles or leather $17.6B Biggest trading partners (both ways) Goods trade runs in both directions: states swap different goods, so a partner is often near the top of both columns. Net is ships minus receives (positive means Washington ships more to that partner than it gets back). Partner Ships to Receives Net Total Oregon $39.6B $64.7B -$25.1B $104.3B California $26.2B $39.5B -$13.3B $65.8B Texas $8.4B $11.1B -$2.7B $19.5B Tennessee $12.1B $2.6B +$9.5B $14.7B Idaho $8.7B $4.7B +$3.9B $13.4B Minnesota $2.7B $8.9B -$6.3B $11.6B Illinois $5.1B $6.1B -$937M $11.2B Florida $7.3B $3.9B +$3.5B $11.2B Goods shipped every five years by the Census Commodity Flow Survey (a sample, so figures are estimates and the smallest flows are withheld). Value is nominal. The totals and partner table above count trade between Washington and other states; the goods lists count everything the state ships or receives, including within-state shipments. Compare all states. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Taxes the state collects What Washington collects in taxes Total state taxes $38B FY 2023, nominal Per resident $4,851 total state taxes ÷ population Largest categories (share of total) General sales & gross receipts$22.8B 60% Property taxes$4.5B 12% Motor fuels sales tax$1.6B 4% Documentary & stock transfer$1.4B 4% Other selective sales tax$1.2B 3% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections. This is what the state government collected (not local taxes), not a measure of any individual’s tax burden. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Elections National maps → How Washington has voted. Certified returns, popular vote only. This is a separate dataset from the migration figures on this page. President, 1976–2024 Year Democratic Republican Other Margin Total 2024 2,245,849 1,530,923 147,471 D +18.2 3,924,243 2020 2,369,612 1,584,651 133,368 D +19.2 4,087,631 2016 1,742,718 1,221,747 244,749 D +16.2 3,209,214 2012 1,755,396 1,290,670 79,450 D +14.9 3,125,516 2008 1,750,848 1,229,216 56,814 D +17.2 3,036,878 2004 1,510,201 1,304,894 43,989 D +7.2 2,859,084 2000 1,247,652 1,108,864 131,925 D +5.6 2,488,441 1996 1,123,323 840,712 289,802 D +12.5 2,253,837 1992 993,037 731,234 563,294 D +11.4 2,287,565 1988 933,516 903,835 27,902 D +1.6 1,865,253 1984 798,352 1,051,670 24,888 R +13.5 1,874,910 1980 650,193 865,244 226,957 R +12.3 1,742,394 1976 717,323 777,732 60,479 R +3.9 1,555,534 U.S. Senate races all states → Year Winner Democratic Republican Other Margin 2024 Maria Cantwell 2,252,577 1,549,187 10,627 D +18.5 2022 Patty Murray 1,741,827 1,299,322 6,751 D +14.5 2018 Maria Cantwell 1,803,364 1,282,804 — D +16.9 2016 Patty Murray 1,913,979 1,329,338 — D +18.0 2012 Maria Cantwell 1,855,493 1,213,924 — D +20.9 2010 Patty Murray 1,314,930 1,196,164 — D +4.7 2006 Maria Cantwell 1,184,659 832,106 66,969 D +16.9 2004 Patty Murray 1,549,708 1,204,584 64,359 D +12.2 2000 Maria Cantwell 1,199,437 1,197,208 64,734 D +0.1 U.S. House seats won district maps → 2024 D 8 R 2 2022 D 8 R 2 2020 D 7 R 3 2018 D 7 R 3 2016 D 6 R 4 2014 D 6 R 4 2012 D 6 R 4 2010 D 5 R 4 2008 D 6 R 3 2006 D 6 R 3 2004 D 6 R 3 2002 D 6 R 3 2000 D 6 R 3 2024 results by county Republican wonDemocratic wonIndependent / other Which party received the most votes, as a solid color.Winning margin as a share of all votes cast.Change in margin since 2020, in percentage points.Total votes cast, all candidates. HowAmericaMoves.com Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab county returns (CC0). Margins are the popular-vote gap as a share of all votes cast. Counties in Washington (39) Adams CountyAsotin CountyBenton CountyChelan CountyClallam CountyClark CountyColumbia CountyCowlitz CountyDouglas CountyFerry CountyFranklin CountyGarfield CountyGrant CountyGrays Harbor CountyIsland CountyJefferson CountyKing CountyKitsap CountyKittitas CountyKlickitat CountyLewis CountyLincoln CountyMason CountyOkanogan CountyPacific CountyPend Oreille CountyPierce CountySan Juan CountySkagit CountySkamania CountySnohomish CountySpokane CountyStevens CountyThurston CountyWahkiakum CountyWalla Walla CountyWhatcom CountyWhitman CountyYakima County Get the next update for Washington The IRS releases new migration data once a year. Drop your email and we will send the refreshed numbers when they land. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. Email address