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Washington: Age

In Washington . . .
  • 21.7 percent of the population was under 18 in 2021, compared to 22.2 percent in the U.S.

  • 62.1 percent of the population was 18 to 64 years old in 2021, compared to 61.0 percent in the U.S.

  • 16.2 percent of the population was 65 or older in 2021, compared to 16.8 percent in the U.S.

The map showing dependency ratio measures the portion of people who are of non-working age (those under age 18 and those 65 and over) compared to those of working age. We add the number of people under the age of 18 to the number of people aged 65 and older and divide by the number of people aged 18-64. As the dependency ratio increases, there is a growing number of 'dependents' that must be supported by the working population.
 

To get the most out of this indicator . . .

 

Ask questions:

 

·         Compared to the rest of your state, does your county have an unusual percentage of young, working age, or older residents? 

·         Is your local population relatively young or relatively old?

·         Is any single age group growing or shrinking at a different rate than the rest of the population?

 

Look at other indicators:

 

·         “Population: Median age” – What is your county’s median age?

·         “Employment: Number of jobs” – How does job growth compare to the change in your county’s working-age population?

·         “County types: County policy type codes” – Is your county classified as a “retirement destination” county?

 

Dig deeper:

 

·         Look at the county rankings for your state and/or view maps to see how your county compares to others.

·         Download data for your county or state to view the total number of people in each age category.

·         Use the U.S. Census Bureau’s Center for Enterprise Dissemination Services and Consumer Information (CEDSCI) to see how many people are in more specific age groups, such as young adults (age 18-24), young children (under age 5), or the oldest age group (85 years and older).  See https://data.census.gov/cedsci/.

·         Take a Big Picture view of your county.

·         If you have specific questions, send us an e-mail.





Source: 1980: U.S. Bureau of the Census, (https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/data.html);
1990, 2000, and 2010: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census of Population and Housing, (https://data.census.gov/cedsci/);
2011-2021: U.S. Bureau of the Census, County Population Estimates, (https://www.census.gov/popest/); DATE LAST UPDATED: May 10, 2023.

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